BARTON FINK Screenplay By Ethan Coen & Joel Coen FADE IN: ON BARTON FINK He is a bespectacled man in his

thirties, hale but somewhat bookish. He stands, tuxedoed, in the wings o a theater, looking out at the stage, listening intently to end o a per ormance. !n the shadows behind him an old stagehand leans against a lat, expressionlessly smoking a cigarette, one hand on a thick rope that hangs rom the ceiling. o "he #oices o screen stage$ the per orming actors echo in rom the

ACTOR !%m blowin% out o here, blowin% or good. !%m kissin% it all goodbye, these our stinkin% walls, the six lights up, the el that roars by at three &.'. like a castiron wind. (iss %em goodbye or me, 'aury) !%ll miss %em * like hell ! will) ACTRESS +reaming again) ACTOR ,ot this time, -il) !%m awake now, awake or the irst time in years. .ncle +a#e said it$ +aylight is a dream i you%#e li#ed with your eyes closed. /ell my eyes are open now) ! see that choir, and ! know they%re dressed in rags) But we%re part o that choir, both o us * yeah, and you, 'aury, and .ncle +a#e too) MAURY "he sun%s coming up, kid. "hey%ll be hawking the ish down on 0ulton Street.

ACTOR -et %em hawk. -et %em sing their hearts out. MAURY "hat%s it, kid. "ake that ruined choir. 'ake it sing) ACTOR So long, 'aury. MAURY So long. /e hear a door open and close, then approaching ootsteps. & tall, dark actor in a used tweed suit and carrying a beat1up #alise passes in ront o Barton$ 0rom o screen stage$ MAURY /e%ll hear rom that kid. &nd ! don%t mean a postcard. "he actor sets the #alise down and then stands waiting int he shadows behind Barton. &n older man in work clothes * not wardrobe * passes in ront o Barton rom the other direction, pauses at the edge o the stage and cups his hands to his mouth. OLDER MAN FISH! FRESH FISH! &s the man walks back o the screen$

LILY -et%s spit on our hands and get to work. !t%s late, 'aury. MAURY ,ot any more -il... Barton mouths the last line in sync with the o MAURY ...!t%s early. /ith this the stagehand behind Barton uriously pulls the rope hand1o#er1hand and we hear thunderous applause and shouts o 2Bra#o)2 &s the stagehand inishes bringing the curtain down, somewhat muting the applause, the backstage actor trots out o rame toward the stage. screen actor$

"he stagehand pulls on an ad3acent rope, bringing the curtain back up and unmuting the applause. Barton 0ink seems da4ed. He has been 3oined by two other men, both dressed in tuxedos, both beaming toward the stage. BARTON'S POV -ooking across a tenement set at the backs o the cast as the curtain rises on the enthusiastic house. "he actors take their bows and the cry o 2&uthor, &uthor2 goes up rom the crowd. "he actors turn to smile at Barton in the wings. BARTON He hesitates, unable to take it all in. He is gently nudged toward the stage by the two tuxedoed gentlemen. &s he exits toward the stage the applause is dea ening. TRACKING SHOT 5ushing a maitre %d who looks back o#er his shoulder as he leads the way through the restaurant. MAITRE 'D 6our table is ready, 'onsieur 0ink... se#eral members o your party ha#e already arri#ed... REVERSE 5ulling Barton FINK !s 7arland Stan ord here8 MAITRE 'D He called to say he%d be a late... &h, here we are... TRACKING IN "oward a large semi1circular booth. "hree guests, two me and a woman in e#ening wear, are rising and beaming at Barton. & at middle1aged man, one o the tuxedoed gentlemen we saw backstage, is mo#ing out to let Barton slide in. MAN ew minutes

Barton, Barton, so glad you could make it. 6ou know 9ichard St. Claire... Barton nods and looks at the woman. MAN ...and 5oppy Carnahan. /e%re drinking champagne, dear boy, in honor o the occasion. Ha#e you seen the Herald8 Barton looks sullenly at his champagne glass as the ills it. BARTON ,ot yet. MAN /ell, ! don%t want to embarrass you but Ca#en could hardly contain himsel . But more important, 9ichard and 5oppy here lo#ed the play. POPPY -o#ed it) /hat power) RICHARD 6eah, it was a corker. BARTON "hanks, 9ichard, but ! know or a act the only ish you%#e e#er seen were tacked to a the wall o the yacht club. RICHARD :uch) MAN Bra#o) ,e#ertheless, we were all de#astated. POPPY /eeping) Copius tears) /hat did the Herald say8 MAN ! happen to ha#e it with me. BARTON 5lease +erek * POPPY +o read it, do) at man

DEREK 2Bare 9uined Choirs$ "riumph o the Common 'an. "he star o the Bare 9uined Choirs was not seen on the stage o the Belasco last night * though the thespians in#ol#ed all ac;uitted themsel#es admirably. "he ind o the e#ening was the author o this drama about simple olk * ish mongers, in act * whose brute struggle or existence cannot ;uite ;uell their longing or something higher. "he playwright inds nobility in the most s;ualid corners and poetry in the most callused speech. & tough new #oice in the &merican theater has arri#ed, and the owner o that #oice is named... Barton 0ink.2 BARTON "hey%ll be wrapping ish in it in the morning so ! guess it%s not a total waste. POPPY Cynic) DEREK /ell we can en3oy your success, Barton, e#en i you can%t. BARTON +on%t get me wrong * !%m glad it%ll do well or you, +erek. DEREK +on%t worry about me, dear boy * ! want you to celebrate. BARTON &ll right, but ! can%t start listening to the critics, and ! can%t kid mysel about my own work. & writer writes rom his gut, and his gut tells him what%s good and what%s... merely ade;uate. POPPY /ell ! don%t pretend to be a critic, but -ord, ! ha#e a gut, and it tells me it was simply mar#elous. RICHARD

&nd a charming gut it is. POPPY 6ou dog) RICHARD <baying= &aa1woooooooo) Barton turns to look or the source o an insistent 3ingling. /e swish pan o him to ind a busboy marching through the restaurant displaying a page sign, bell attached, with Barton%s name on it. TRACKING IN TOWARD A BAR & distinguished i ty1year1old gentleman in e#ening clothes is nursing a martini, watching Barton approach. PULLING BARTON &s he draws near. BARTON ! thought you were going to 3oin us. Jesus, 7arland, you le t me alone with those people. GARLAND +on%t panic, !%ll 3oin you in a minute. /hat%s you think o 9ichard and 5oppy8 Barton scowls BARTON "he play was mar#elous. She wept, copiously. 'illions o dollars and no sense. 7arland smiles, then draws Barton close. GARLAND /e ha#e to talk a little business. !%#e 3ust been on the phone to -os &ngeles. Barton, Capitol 5ictures wants to put you under contract. "hey%#e o ered you a thousand dollars a week. ! think ! can get them to go as high as two. BARTON "o do what8

/hat do you do

GARLAND ar a li#ing8

BARTON !%m not sure anymore. ! guess ! try to make a di erence. GARLAND 0air enough. ,o pressure here, Barton, because ! respect you, but let me point out a couple o things. :ne, here you make a di erence to i#e hundred i ty people a night * i the show sells out. Eighty i#e million people go to the pictures e#ery week. BARTON "o see pap. GARLAND 6es, generally, to see pap. Howe#er, point number two$ & brie tenure in Hollywood could support you through the writing o any number o plays. BARTON ! don%t know, 7arland> my place is here right now. ! eel !%m on the brink o success1 GARLAND !%d say you%re already en3oying some. Barton leans earnestly orward.

BARTON ,o, 7arland, don%t you see8 ,ot the kind o success where the critics awn o#er you or the producers like +erek make a lot o money. ,o, a real success * the success we%#e been dreaming about * the creation o a new, li#ing theater o , about, and or the common man) ! ! ran o to Hollywood now !%d be making money, going to parties, meeting the big shots, sure, but !%d be cutting mysel o rom the wellspring o that success, rom the common man. He leans back and chuckles rue ully. BARTON

...! guess !%m sprouting o again. But ! am certain o this, 7arland$ !%m capable o more good work. 'aybe better work than ! did in Choirs. !t 3ust doesn%t seem to me that -os &ngeles is the place to lead the li e o mind. GARLAND :kay Barton, you%re the artist, !%m 3ust the ten percenter. 6ou decide what you want and !%ll make it happen. !%m only asking that your decision be in ormed by a little realism * i ! can use that word and Hollywood in the same breath. Barton glumly lights a cigarette and ga4es out across the loor. 7arland studies him. GARLAND ...-ook, they lo#e you, kid * e#erybody does. 6ou see Ca#en%s re#iew in the Herald8 BARTON ,o, what did it say8 GARLAND "ake my copy. 6ou%re the toast o Broadway and you ha#e the opportunity to redeem that or a little cash * strike that, a lot o cash. 7arland looks at Barton or a reaction, but gets none.

GARLAND ..."he common man%ll still be here when you get back. /hat the hell, they might e#en ha#e one or two o %em out in Hollywood. &bsently$ BARTON ..."hat%s a rationali4ation, 7arland. 7arland smiles gently. GARLAND Barton, it was a 3oke.

/e hear a distant rumble. !t builds slowly and we cut to$ A GREAT WAVE Crushing against the 5aci ic shore. "he roar o HOTEL LOBBY & high wide shot rom the ront door, looking down across wilting potted palms, brass cuspidors turning green, ratty wing chairs> the ading decor is deco1gone1to1seed. &mber light, a ternoon turning to e#ening, slopes in rom behind us, washing the derelict lobby with golden highlights. Barton 0ink enters rame rom beneath the camera and stops in the middle oreground to look across the lobby. /e are empty. ramed on his back, his coat and hat. "he lobby is "here is a suspended beat as Barton takes it in. ront desk. the sur slips away as we dissol#e to$

Barton mo#es toward the THE REVERSE

&s Barton stops at the empty desk. He hits a small sil#er bell next to the register. !ts ring1out goes on and on without losing #olume. & ter a long beat there is a dull scu le o shoes on stairs. Barton, pu44led, looks around the empty lobby, then down at the loor behind the ront desk. A TRAP DOOR !t swings open and a young man in a aded maroon uni orm, holding a shoebrush and a shoe * not one o his own * climbs up rom the basement. He closes the trap door, steps up to the desk and sticks his inger out to touch the small sil#er bell, inally muting it. "he lobby is now silent again. CLERK /elcome to the Hotel Earle. 'ay ! help you, sir8 BARTON !%m checking in. Barton 0ink.

"he clerk

lips through cards on the desk.

CLERK 01!1,1(. 0ink, Barton. "hat must be you, huh8 BARTON 'ust be. CLERK :kay then, e#erything seems to be in order. E#erything seems to be in order. He is turning to a register around CLERK ...&re you a tran4 or a re48 BARTON Excuse me8 CLERK "ransient or resident8 BARTON ! don%t know... ! mean, !%ll be here, uh, inde initely. CLERK 9e4. "hat%ll be twenty1 i#e i ty a week payable in ad#ance. Checkout time is twel#e sharp, only you can orget that on account you%re a re4. ! you need anything, anything at all, you dial 4ero on your personal in1room telephone and talk to me. 'y name is Chet. BARTON /ell, !%m going to be working here, mostly at night> !%m a writer. +o you ha#e room ser#ice8 CLERK (itchen closes at eight but !%m the night clerk. ! can always ring out or sandwiches. "he clerk is scribbling something on the back o card. CLERK an index or Barton to sign.

..."hough we pro#ide pri#acy or the residential guest, we are also a ull ser#ice hotel including complimentary shoe shine. 'y name is Chet. He pushes a room key across the counter on top o card. Barton looks at the card. :n it$ 2CHE")2 Barton looks back up at the clerk. "hey regard each other or a beat. CLERK ...:kay BARTON Huh8 "he clerk. CLERK :key1dokey, go ahead. BARTON /hat * CLERK +on%t you wanna go to your room8) Barton stares at him. BARTON .../hat number is it8 "he clerk stares back. CLERK ...Six1oh1 i#e. ! orgot to tell you. &s Barton stoops to pick up his two small bags$ CLERK ..."hose your only bags8 BARTON "he others are being sent. "he clerk leans o#er the desk to call a ter him$ CLERK !%ll keep an eye out or them. !%ll the index

keep my eyes peeled, 'r. 0ink. Barton is walking to the ele#ator. ELEVATOR Barton enters and sets down his bags. &n aged man with white stubble, wearing a greasy maroon uni orm, sits on a stool acing the call panel. He does not acknowledge Barton%s presence. & ter a beat$ BARTON ...Six, please. "he ele#ator man gets slowly to his door closed$ ELEVATOR MAN ,ext stop$ Six. SIXTH-FLOOR HALLWAY Barton walks slowly toward us, examining the numbers on the doors. "he long, straight hallway is carpeted with an old stained orest green carpet. "he wallpaper shows aded yellowing palm trees. Barton sticks his key in the lock o a door midway down the hall. HIS ROOM &s Barton enters. "he room is small and cheaply urnished. "here is a lumpy bed with a worn yellow co#erlet, an old secretary table, and a wooden luggage stand. &s Barton crosses the room we ollow to re#eal a sink and wash basin, a house telephone on a rickety night stand, and a window with yellowing sheers looking on an air sha t. Barton throws his #alise onto the bed where it sinks, 3ittering. He shrugs o his 3acket. 5ips o sweat stand out on Barton%s brow. "he room is hot. eet. &s he pushes the

He walks across the room, switches on an oscillating an and struggles to throw open the window. & ter he strains at it or a moment, it slides open with a great wrenching sound.

Barton picks up his .nderwood and places it on the secretary table. He gi#es the machine a casually a ectionate pat. ,ext to the typewriter are a ew sheets o "THE HOTEL EARLE: A DAY OR A LIFETIME." house stationary$

/e pan up to a picture in a cheap wooden rame on the wall abo#e the desk. & bathing beauty sits on the beach under a cobalt blue sky. :ne hand shields her eyes rom the sun as she looks out at a crashing sur . "he sound o BARTON -ooking at the picture TRACKING IN ON THE PICTURE "he sur mixes up louder. /e hear a gull cry. with the ring o a telephone. the sur mixes up.

"he sound snaps o THE HOUSE PHONE

:n the nightstand next to the bed. /ith a groan o bedsprings Barton sits into rame and picks up the telephone. VOICE How d%ya like your room) BARTON .../ho is this8 VOICE Chet) BARTON .../ho8 VOICE Chet) 0rom downstairs) Barton wearily rubs the bridge o his nose.

VOICE ...How d%ya like your room) A PILLOW &s Barton%s head drops down into He reaches o#er and turns o rame against it.

the bedside light.

He lies back and closes his eyes. & long beat. /e hear a aint hum, growing louder.

Barton opens his eyes. HIS POV & naked, peeling ceiling. stops. BARTON His eyes mo#e this way and that. & ter a silent beat, he shuts them again. & ter another silent beat, we hear * mu led, probably rom am ad3acent room * a brie , dying laugh. !t is sighing and weary, like the end o a laughing it, almost a sob. Silence again. /e hear the rising mos;uito hum. FADE OUT EXECUTIVE OFFICE Barton 0ink is ushered into a large, light o ice by an obse;uious middle1 aged man in a sagging suit. "here are mos;uito bites on Barton%s REVERSE 0rom behind a huge white desk, a burly man in an expensi#e suit gets to his eet and strides across the room. MAN !s that him8) Barton 0ink8) -emme put my arms around this guy) He bear1hugs Barton. MAN ...How the hell are ya8 7ood trip8 He separates without waiting or an answer. ace. "he hum * a mos;uito, perhaps *

MAN 'y name is Jack -ipnik. ! run this dump. 6ou know that * you read the

papers. -ipnik is lumbering back to his desk. MAN -ou treating you all right8 7ot e#erything you need8 /hat the hell%s the matter with your ace8 /hat the hell%s the matter with his ace, -ou8 BARTON !t%s not as bad as it looks> 3ust a mos;uito in my room * LIPNIK 5lace okay8 "o -ou$ LIPNIK .../here did we put him8 BARTON !%m at the Earle. LIPNIK ,e#er heard o it. -et%s mo#e him to the 7rand, or the /ilshire, or hell, he can stay at my place. BARTON "hanks, but ! wanted a place that was less... LIPNIK -ess Hollywood8 Sure, say it, it%s not a dirty word. Sat whate#er the hell you want. "he writer is king here at Capitol 5ictures. 6ou don%t belie#e me, take a look at your paycheck at the end o e#ery week * that%s what we think o the writer. <to -ou= ...so what kind o pictures does he like8 LOU 'r. 0ink hasn%t gi#en a pre erence, 'r. -ipnik. LIPNIK How%s about it, Bart8

BARTON "o be honest, ! don%t go to the pictures much, 'r. -ipnik * LIPNIK "hat%s okay, that%s okay, that%s okay * that%s 3ust ine. 6ou probably 3ust walked in here thinking that was going to be a handicap, thinking we wanted people who knew something about the medium, maybe e#en thinking there was all kind o technical mumbo1 3umbo to learn. 6ou were dead wrong. /e%re only interested in one thing$ Can you tell a story, Bart8 Can you make us laugh, can you make us cry, can you make us wanna break out in 3oyous song8 !s that more than one thing8 :kay. "he point is, ! run this dump and ! don%t know the technical mumbo13umbo. /hy do ! run it8 !%#e got horse1sense, goddamnit. Showmanship. &nd also, and ! hope -ou told you this, ! bigger and meaner than any other kike in this town. +id you tell him that, -ou8 &nd ! don%t mean my dick%s bigger than yours, it%s not a sexual thing * although, you%re the writer, you would know more about that. Co ee8 BARTON ...6es, thank you. LIPNIK -ou. -ou immediately rises and lea#es. -ipnik%s tone becomes con idential$ LIPNIK ...He used to ha#e shares in the company. &n ownership interest. 7ot bought out in the twenties * muscled out according to some. Hell, according to me. So we keep him around, he%s got a amily. 5oor schmuck. He%s sensiti#e, don%t mention the old days. :h hell, say whate#er you want. -ook, barring a pre erence, Bart, we%re gonna put you to work on a wrestling picture. /allace Beery. ! say this because they tell me you know the poetry o the street. "hat

would rule out westerns, pirate pictures, screwball, Bible, 9oman... He rises and starts pacing. LIPNIK But look, !%m not one o these guys thinks poetic has gotta be ruity. /e%re together on that, aren%t we8 ! mean !%m rom ,ew 6ork mysel * well, 'insk i you wanna go way back, which we won%t i you don%t mind and ! ain%t askin%. ,ow people%re gonna tell you, wrestling. /allace Beery, it%s a B picture. 6ou tell them, bullshit. /e don%t make B pictures here at Capitol. -et%s put a stop to that rumor right now. -ou enters with co ee.

LIPNIK ..."hanks -ou. Join us. Join us. "alking about the /allace Beery picture. LOU Excellent picture. LIPNIK /e got a treatment on it yet8 LOU ,o, not yet Jack. /e 3ust bought the story. Saturday E#ening 5ost. LIPNIK :kay, the hell with the story. /allace Beery is a wrestler. ! wanna know his hopes, his dreams. ,aturally, he%ll ha#e to get mixed up with a bad element. &nd a romantic interest. 6ou know the drill. 9omantic interest, or else a young kid. &n orphan. /hat do you think, -ou8 /ally a little too old or a romantic interest8 -ook at me, a writer in the room and !%m askin% -ou what the goddamn story should be) & ter a robust laugh, he beams at Barton. LIPNIK .../ell Bart, which is it8 :rphan8

+ame8 BARTON ...Both maybe8 "here is a disappointed silence. -ipnik looks at -ou. clears his throat. LOU ...'aybe we should do a treatment. LIPNIK &h, hell, let Bart take a crack at it. He%ll get into the swing o things or ! don%t know writers. -et%s make it a dame, Bart, keep it simple. /e don%t gotta tackle the world our irst time out. "he important thing is we all ha#e that Barton 0ink eeling, but since you%re Barton 0ink !%m assuming you ha#e it in spades. Seriously Bart, ! like you. /e%re o to a good start. +ammit, i all our writers were like you ! wouldn%t ha#e to get so goddamn in#ol#ed. !%d like to see something by the end o the week. -ou is getting to his likewise. eet and signaling or Barton to do -ou

LIPNIK ...Heard about your show, by the way. 'y man in ,ew 6ork saw it. "ells me it was pretty damn power ul. 5retty damn mo#ing. & little ruity, he said, but ! guess you know what you%re doing. "hank you or your heart. /e need more heart in pictures. /e%re all expecting great things. TRACKING SHOT /e are in the sixth1 loor hallway o night. & pair o shoes sits be ore each door. 0aintly, rom one o the rooms, we can hear the clack. clack. clack. o a typewriter. !t grows louder as we track orward. the Earle, late at

EXTREME CLOSE SHOT TYPEWRITER Close on the typing so that we see only each letter as it is

typed, without context. :ne by one the letters clack on$ a1u1d1i1b1l1e. & ter a short beat, a period strikes. BARTON Elbows on his desk, he looks down at what he has 3ust written. He rolls the paper up a ew lines, looks some more. THE PAGE !t says$ FADE IN: A TENEMENT BUILDING :n 'anhattan%s -ower East Side. Early morning tra audible. BARTON & ter a beat he rolls the sheet back into place. EXTREME CLOSE SHOT "he letter1strike area. !t is lined up to the last period, which is struck o#er by a comma. "he words 2as is2 are typed in and we cut back to * BARTON * as he continues typing. He stops a ter se#eral more characters and looks. Silence. Breaking the silence, mu led laughter rom an ad3acent room. & man%s laughter. !t is weary, solitary, mirthless. Barton looks up at the wall directly in HIS POV "he picture o BARTON Staring, as the end1o 1the1tether laughing continues. Barton looks back down at his typewriter as i to resume work, but the sound is too insistent to ignore. the girl on the beach. ront o him. ic is

WIDE SHOT "he room, Barton sitting at his desk, staring at the wall. "he laughter. Barton pushes his chair back, goes to the door, opens it and looks out. HIS POV "he empty hallway, a pair o shoes be ore each door. &t the end o the hall a dim red bulb burns o#er the door to the staircase, punctuating the sick yellow glow o the line o wall sconces. "he laughter, though still empty hall. aint, is more resonant in the

5erhaps its ;uality has changed, or perhaps simply because it is so insistent, the laughter now might be taken or weeping. Barton pauses, trying to interpret the sound. He slowly withdraws into his room. HIS ROOM Barton looks down at his typewriter laughter?weeping continues. or a beat. "he

He walks o#er to his bed, sits down and picks up the house phone. BARTON Hello... Chet8 "his is Barton 0ink in room @AB. 6es, there%s uh, there%s someone in the room next door to mine, @AC, and he%s uh... He%s uh... making a lot o ... noise. & ter a beat$ BARTON ..."hank you. He cradles the phone. "he laughter continues or a moment or two, then abruptly stops with the mu led sound o the telephone ringing next door. Barton looks at the wall. "he mu led sound o a man talking.

"he sound o 'u led

the earpiece being pronged.

ootsteps next door. the neighbor%s door opening and shutting.

"he sound o

0ootsteps approaching the hall. & hard, present knock at Barton%s door. Barton hesitates ON THE DOOR &s Barton opens it. Standing in the hall is a large man * a #ery large man * in short slee#es, suspenders, and loosened tie. His ace is slightly lushed, with the beginnings o sweat. MAN +id you... Somebody 3ust complained... Hastily$ BARTON ,o, ! didn%t * ! mean, ! did call down, not to complain exactly, ! was 3ust concerned that you might * not that it%s my business, but that you might be in some kind o ... distress. 6ou see, ! was trying to work, and it%s, well, it was di icult * MAN 6eah. !%m damn sorry, i ! bothered you. "he damn walls here, well, ! 3ust apologi4e like hell... He sticks his hand out. MAN ...'y name%s Charlie 'eadows. ! guess we%re neighbors... /ithout reaching or the hand. BARTON Barton 0ink. .n a4ed, Charlie 'eadows unpockets a lask. or a beat, then rises to go get the door.

CHARLIE ,eighbor, !%d eel better about the damned incon#enience i you%d let me

buy you a drink. BARTON "hat%s all right, really, thank you. CHARLIE &ll right, hell, you trying to work and me carrying on in there. -ook, the li;uor%s good, wuddya say8 &s he enters$ CHARLIE ... 6ou got a glass8 !t%s the least ! can do. BARTON :kay... a ;uick one, sure... He gets two glasses rom the wash basin. Charlie sits down on the edge o the bed and uncorks his lask. CHARLIE 6eah, 3ust a nip. ! eel like hell, all the carryings1on next door. BARTON "hat%s okay, ! assure you. !t%s 3ust that ! was trying to work * CHARLIE /hat kind o work do you do, Barton, i you don%t mind my asking8 BARTON /ell, !%m a writer, actually. CHARLIE 6ou don%t say. "hat%s a tough racket. 'y hat%s o to anyone who can make a go o it. +amned interesting work, !%d imagine. BARTON Can be. ,ot easy, but * +amned di CHARLIE icult, !%d imagine.

&s he hands Charlie a glass$ BARTON &nd what%s your line, 'r. 'eadows8

CHARLIE Hell no) Call me Charlie. /ell Barton, you might say ! sell peace o mind. !nsurance is my game * door1to1door, human contact, still the only way to mo#e merchandise. He ills a glass with whiskey and swaps it glass. CHARLIE ...!n spite o what you might think rom tonight, !%m pretty good at it. BARTON +oesn%t surprise me at all. CHARLIE Hell yes. Because ! belie#e in it. 0ire, the t, and casualty are not things that only happen to other people * that%s what ! tell %em. /riting doesn%t work out, you might want to look into it. 5ro#iding or basic human need * a ella could do worse. BARTON "hanks, !%ll keep it in mind. CHARLIE /hat kind o scribbler are you * newspaperman did you say8 BARTON ,o, !%m actually writing pictures now * CHARLIE 5ictures) Jesus) He gu aws. CHARLIE ...!%m sorry, brother, ! was 3ust sitting here thinking ! was talking to some ambitious youngster, eager to make good. Hell, you%#e got it made) /riting or pictures) Beating out that competition) &nd me being patroni4ing) He gestures toward his ace$ or the or the empty

CHARLIE ...!s the egg showing or what8) BARTON "hat%s okay> actually ! am 3ust starting out in the mo#ies * though ! was pretty well established in ,ew 6ork, some renown there, CHARLIE :h, it%s an exciting time then. !%m not the best1read mug on the planet, so ! guess it%s no surprise ! didn%t recogni4e your name. Jesus, ! eel like a heel. 0or the irst time Barton smiles. BARTON "hat%s okay, Charlie. !%m a playwright. 'y shows%#e only played ,ew 6ork. -ast one got a hell o a write1up in the Herald. ! guess that%s why they wanted me here. CHARLIE Hell, why not8 E#eryone wants ;uality. /hat kind o #enue, that is to say, thematically, uh... BARTON /hat do ! write about8 Charlie laughs. CHARLIE Caught me trying to be that%s it, Bart. ancy) 6eah,

BARTON /ell, that%s a good ;uestion. Strange as it may seem, Charlie, ! guess ! write about people like you. "he a#erage working sti . "he common man. CHARLIE /ell ain%t that a kick in the head) BARTON 6eah, ! guess it is. But in a way, that%s exactly the point. "here%s a ew people in ,ew 6ork * hope ully our numbers are growing * who eel

we ha#e an opportunity now to orge something real out o e#eryday experience, create a theater or the masses that%s based on a ew simple truths * not on some shopworn abstractions about drama that doesn%t hold true today, i they e#er did... He ga4es at Charlie. BARTON ...! don%t guess this means much to you. CHARLIE Hell, ! could tell you some stories* BARTON &nd that%s the point, that we all ha#e stories. "he hopes and dreams o the common man are as noble as those o any king. !t%s the stu o li e * why shouldn%t it be the stu o theater8 7oddamnit, why should that be a hard pill to swallow8 +on%t call it new theater, Charlie> call it real theater. Call it our theater. ! can see you about it. CHARLIE eel pretty strongly

BARTON /ell, ! don%t mean to get up on my high horse, but why shouldn%t we look at oursel#es up there8 /ho cares about the 0i th Earl o Bastrop and -ady Higginbottom and * and * and who killed ,igel 7rinch17ibbons8 CHARLIE ! can eel my butt getting sore already. BARTON Exactly, Charlie) 6ou understand what !%m saying * a lot more than some o these literary types. Because you%re a real man) CHARLIE &nd ! could tell you some stories * BARTON

Sure you could) &nd yet many writers do e#erything in their power to insulate themsel#es rom the common man * rom where they li#e, rom where they trade, rom where they ight and lo#e and con#erse and * and * and... so naturally their work su ers, and regresses into empty ormalism and * well, !%m spouting o again, but to put it in your language, the theater becomes as phony as a three dollar bill. CHARLIE 6eah, ! guess that%s tragedy right there. BARTON 0re;uently played, seldom remarked. Charlie laughs. CHARLIE /hate#er that means. Barton smiles with him. BARTON 6ou%re all right, Charlie. !%m glad you stopped by. !%m sorry i * well ! know ! sometimes run on. CHARLIE Hell no) Jesus, !%m the kind o guy, !%ll let you know i !%m bored. ! ind it all pretty damned interesting. !%m the kind schmoe who%s generally interested in the other guy%s point o #iew. BARTON /ell, we%#e got something in common then. Charlie is getting to his eet and walking to the door.

CHARLIE /ell Christ, i there%s any way ! can contribute, or help, or whate#er* Barton chuckles and extends his hand. BARTON Sure, sure Charlie, you can help by

3ust being yoursel . CHARLIE /ell, ! can tell you some stories * He pumps Barton%s hand, then turns and pauses in the doorway. CHARLIE ...&nd look, !%m sorry as hell about the interruption. "oo much re#elry late at night, you orget there are other people in the world. BARTON See you, Charlie. Charlie closes the door and is gone. Barton goes back to his desk and sits. 'u led, we can hear the door o and closing. Barton looks at the wall. HIS POV "he bathing beauty. 0rom o screen we hear a sticky, adhesi#e1gi#ing1way sound. BARTON He looks around to the opposite * bed * wall. HIS POV "he wallpaper is lightly sheened with moisture rom the heat. the ad3acent room opening

:ne swath o wallpaper is 3ust inishing sagging away rom the wall. &bout three eet o the wall, where it meets the ceiling, is exposed. "he strip o wallpaper, its glue apparently melted, sags and nods abo#e the bed. !t glistens yellow, like a leshy tropical lower. BACK TO BARTON He goes o#er to the bed and steps up onto it. He smooths the wallpaper back up against the wall. He looks at his hand.

HIS HAND Sticky with tacky yellow wall sweat. He wipes it onto his shirt. /e hear a aint mos;uito hum.

Barton looks around. FADE OUT & "65E/9!"E9 /hirring at high speed. "he keys strike too ;uickly or us to make out the words. SLOW TRACK IN :n Barton, sitting on a couch in an o ice anteroom, staring blankly. +istant phones ring. Barton%s eyes are tired and bloodshot. HIS POV & gargoyle secretary sits typing a document. "he o ice door opens in the background and a short middle1 aged man in a dark suit emerges. "o his secretary$ EXECUTIVE !%m eating on the lot today * He notices Barton. EXECUTIVE .../ho%s he8 "he secretary looks o#er o paper on her desk. rom her typing to consult a slip

SECRETARY Barton 0ink, 'r. 7eisler. GEISLER 'ore please. BARTON !%m a writer, 'r. 7eisler. "ed :kum said ! should drop by morning to see you about the * GEISLER

E#er act8 BARTON ...Huh8 ,o, !%m * GEISLER /e need !ndians or a ,orman Steele western. BARTON !%m a writer. "ed : * GEISLER "hink about it, 0ink. /riters come and go> we always need !ndians. BARTON !%m a writer. "ed :kum said you%re producing this /allace Beery picture !%m working on. GEISLER /hat)8 "ed :kum doesn%t know shit. "hey%#e assigned me enough pictures or a goddamn year. /hat "ed :kum doesn%t know you could almost s;uee4e into the Hollywood Bowl. BARTON "hen who should ! talk to8 7eisler gi#es a hostile stare. /ithout looking at her, he addresses the secretary$ GEISLER 7et me -ou Bree4e. He perches on the edge o the desk, an open hand out toward the secretary, as he glares wordlessly at Barton. & ter a moment$ !s he in SECRETARY or 'r. 7eisler8

She puts the phone in 7eisler%s hand. GEISLER -ou8 How%s -ipnik%s ass smell this morning8... 6eah8... 6eah8... :kay, the reason !%m calling, ! got a writer here, 0ink, all screwy. Says !%m producing that /allace Beery wrestling picture * what%m !, the goddamn

3anitor around here8... 6eah, well who%d you get that rom8... 6eah, well tell -ipnik he can kiss my dimpled ass... Shit) ,o, alright... ,o, no, all right. /ithout looking he reaches the phone back. "he secretary takes it and cradles it. GEISLER ...:kay kid, let%s chow. COMMISSARY Barton and 7eisler sit eating in a semicircular booth. 7eisler speaks through a mouth ul o ood$ GEISLER +on%t worry about it. !t%s 3ust a B picture. ! bring it in on budget, they%ll book it without e#en screening it. -i e is too short. BARTON But -ipnik said he wanted to look at the script, see something by the end o the week. GEISLER Sure he did. &nd he orgot about it be ore your ass le t his so a. BARTON :kay. !%m 3ust ha#ing trouble getting started. !t%s unny, !%m blocked up. ! eel like ! need some kind o indication o ... what%s expected * GEISLER /allace Beery. /restling picture. /hat do you need, a road map8 7eisler chews on his cottage cheese and stares at Barton. GEISLER ...-ook, you%re con used8 6ou need guidance8 "alk to another writer. BARTON /ho8 7eisler rises and throws his napkin onto his plate.

GEISLER Jesus, throw a rock in here, you%ll hit one. &nd do me a a#or, 0ink$ "hrow it hard. COMMISSARY MEN'S ROOM Barton stands at a urinal. He stares at the wall in ront o him as he pees. & ter a moment, he cocks his head, listening. /e hear a throat clearing, as i by a tenor preparing or a di icult passage. !t is ollowed by the gurgling ruch o #omit. Barton buttons his pants and turns to ace the stalls.

"here is more businesslike throat clearing. Barton stoops. HIS POV /e boom down to show the blue serge pants and well1polished shoes o the stall%s kneeling occupant. & white handkerchie the trouser knees. "he toilet up o the BARTON He ;uickly straightens and goes to the sink. He starts washing his hands. /e hear the stall door being unlatched. Barton glances o#er his shoulder. HIS POV "he stall door opening. BARTON Duickly, sel 1consciously, he looks back down at his hands. HIS POV His hands writhing under the running water. /e hear approaching. ootsteps has been spread on the loor to protect

lushes. "he man rises, picks up his handkerchie loor and gi#es it a smart lap.

BARTON 0orcing himsel to look at his hands. /e hear the man reach the ad3acent sink and turn on the tap. Barton can%t help glancing up. THE MAN & dapper little man in a neat blue serge suit. He has warm brown eyes, a patrician nose, and a salt1and1pepper mustache. He smiles pleasantly at Barton. BARTON He gi#es a ner#ous smile * more like a tic * and looks back down at his hands. /e hear the man gargling water and spitting into the sink. & ter a moment, Barton looks up again. THE MAN 9eacting to barton%s look as he washes his hands. "his time, a curt nod accompanies his pleasant smile. BARTON -ooks back down, then up again. THE MAN Extends a dripping hand. MAN Bill 'ayhew. Sorry about the odor. His speech is so tly accented, BARTON Barton 0ink. "hey shake, then return to their ablutions. /e hold on Barton as we hear 'ayhew%s aucet being turned o and his oot1steps receding. 0or some reason, Barton%s eyes are widening. BARTON ...Jesus. /.5.) "he dapper little man stops and turns. rom the South.

MAYHEW ! beg your pardon8 BARTON /.5. 'ayhew8 "he writer8 MAYHEW Just Bill, please. Barton stands with his back to the sink, acing the little man, his hands dripping onto the loor. "here is a short pause. Barton is strangely agitated, his #oice halting but urgent. BARTON Bill)... 'ayhew cocks his head with a politely patient smile. 0inally Barton brings out$ ...6ou%re the time. BARTON inest no#elist o our

'ayhew leans against a stall. MAYHEW /hy thank you, son, how kind. Bein% occupied here in the worship o 'ammon, ! ha#en%t had the chance yet to see your play * He smiles at Barton%s surprise. MAYHEW ...6es, 'istuh 0ink, some o the news reaches us in Hollywood. He is taking out a lask and unscrewing its lid.

BARTON Sir, !%m lattered that you e#en recogni4e my name. 'y 7od, ! had no idea you were in Hollywood. MAYHEW &ll o us undomesticated writers e#entually make their way out here to the 7reat Salt -ick. 'ebbe that%s why ! allus ha#e such a power ul thrust. He clears his throat, takes a swig it at Barton. rom the lask, and wa#es

MAYHEW ...& little social lubricant, 'istuh 0ink8 BARTON !t%s still a little early MAYHEW So be it. He knocks back some more. BARTON ...Bill, i !%m imposing you should say so, ! know you%re #ery busy * ! 3ust, uh... ! 3ust wonder i ! could ask you a a#or... "hat is to say, uh... ha#e you e#er written a wrestling picture8 'ayhew eyes him appraisingly, and at length clears his throat. MAYHEW ...6ou are drippin%, suh. Barton looks down at his hands, then pulls a rough brown paper towel rom a dispenser. 'ayhew sighs$ MAYHEW ...'istuh 0ink, they ha#e not in#ented a genre o picture that Bill 'ayhew has not, at one time or othuh, been in#ited to essay. ! ha#e taken my stabs at the wrastlin% orm, as ! ha#e stabbed at so many others, and with as little success. ! gather that you are a resh1man here, eager or an upperclassman%s council. Howe#er, 3ust at the moment... He wa#es his lask. or me.

MAYHEW ...! ha#e drinkin% to do. /hy don%t you stop at my bungalow, which is numbah i teen, later on this a ternoon... He turns to lea#e.

MAYHEW ...and we will discuss wrastlin% scenarios and other things lit%rary. THE NUMBER " !" /e are close on brass numerals tacked up on a white door. 'uted, rom inside, we hear 'ayhew%s #oice * enraged, bellowing. /e hear things breaking. So ter, we hear a woman%s #oice, its tone placating. REVERSE TRACKING SLOWLY IN :n Barton, standing in "he noise abates again. ront o the door.

or a moment. /e hear the woman%s #oice

Barton hesitates, listening> he thinks, decides, knocks. /ith this the woman%s #oice stops, and 'ayhew starts wailing again. "he door cracks open. "he woman looks as i she has been crying.

WOMAN ...Can ! help you8 BARTON !%m sorry, !... 'y name is 0ink... .h, Bill asked me to drop by this a ternoon. !s he in8 WOMAN 'r. 'ayhew is indisposed at the moment* 0rom inside, we hear 'ayhew%s wail. MAYHEW HONEY!! WHERE'S M'HONEY!! "he woman glances uncom ortably o#er her shoulder and steps outside, closing the door behind her. WOMAN 'r. 0ink, !%m &udrey "aylor, 'r. 'ayhew%s personal secretary. ! know this all must sound horrid. ! really do apologi4e...

"hrough the door 'ayhew is still wailing piteously. BARTON !s, uh... !s he okay8 AUDREY He will be... /hen he can%t write, he drinks. MAYHEW WHERE ARE YOU" DAMMIT! WHERE'S M'HONEY!! She brushes a wisp o hair out o her eyes.

AUDREY ! am sorry, it%s so embarassing. BARTON How about you8 /ill you be alright8 !%ll be 0ink8 AUDREY ine... &re you a writer, 'r

BARTON 6es ! am. !%m working on a wres * please call me Barton. &udrey reaches out and touches Barton%s hand. AUDREY !%ll tell Bill you dropped by. !%m sure he%ll want to reschedule your appointment. BARTON 5erhaps you and ! could get together at some point also. *!%m sorry i that sounds abrupt. ! 3ust... ! don%t know anyone here in this town. &udrey smiles at him. AUDREY 5erhaps the three o us, 'r. 0ink. BARTON 5lease, Barton. AUDREY Barton. 6ou see, Barton, !%m not 3ust Bill%s secretary * Bill and !

are... ! lo#e. /e1 MAYHEW'S VOICE M'HONEY!! WHERE'S M'HONEY!! &udrey glances back as we hear the sound o and hea#y ootsteps. BARTON ! see. AUDREY ...! know this must look... BARTON ,o, no * Hurriedly$ AUDREY /e need each other. /e gi#e each other... the things we need * VOICE '%H:,E6))... bastard1ass sons o bitches... the water%s lappin% up... M'HONEY!! AUDREY !%m sorry, 'r. 0ink. 5lease don%t 3udge us. 5lease... 0lustered, she backs away and closes the door. CLOSE ON A SMALL WRAPPED PACKAGE Hand1printed on the package is the message$ 2Hope these will turn the trick, 'r. 0ink. * Chet)2 "he wrapping is torn away and the small box is opened. "wo thumbtacks are taken out. BARTON'S HOTEL ROOM -ate at night. "he swath o wallpaper behind the bed has sagged away rom the wall again, and has been 3oined by the swath next to it. Barton enters rame and steps up onto the bed. irst swath and pushes in a thumbtack near unny. shattering dishes

He smooths up the the top.

EXTREME CLOSE SHOT :n the tack. &s Barton applies pressure to push it in, tacky yellow goo oo4es out o the puncture hole and beads around the tack. ON BARTON Smoothing up the second swath. &s he pushes in the second tack he pauses, listening. 'u led, through the wall, we can hear a woman moaning.

& ter a motionless beat, Barton eases his ear against the wall. CLOSE ON BARTON &s his ear meets the wall. "he woman%s moaning continues. /e hear the creaking o bedsprings and her partner, incongruously giggling. Barton grimaces, gets down o the bed and crosses to the secretary, where he sits. He stares at the paper in the carriage. HIS POV "he blank part o the page around the key1strike area, under the metal prongs that hold the paper down. /e begin to hear moaning again. BACK TO BARTON Still looking> sweating. HIS POV "racking in on the paper, losing the prongs rom rame so that we are looking at the pure unblemished white o the page. "he moaning is cut short by two sharp knocks. THE DOOR &s it swings open. Charlie 'eadows leans in, smiling.

CHARLIE Howdy, neighbor.

BARTON Charlie. How are you. CHARLIE Jesus, ! hope !%m not interrupting you again. ! heard you walking around in here. 0igured !%d drop by. BARTON 6eah, come in Charlie. Hadn%t really gotten started yet * what happened to your ear8 * or Charle%s le t ear is plugged with cotton wadding. &s he enters$ CHARLIE :h, yeah. &n ear in ection, chronic thing. 7oes away or a while, but it always comes back. 7otta put cotton in it to staunch the low o pus. +on%t worry, it%s not contagious. BARTON Seen a doctor8 Charlie gi#es a dismissi#e wa#e. CHARLIE &h, doctors. /hat%s he gonna tell me8 Can%t trade my head in or a new one. BARTON ,o, ! guess you%re stuck with the one you%#e got. Ha#e a seat. Charlie perches on the corner o the bed.

CHARLIE "hanks, !%d in#ite you o#er to my place, but it%s a goddamn mess. 6ou married, Bart8 BARTON ,ope. ! mysel He takes his CHARLIE ha#e yet to be lassoed.

lask out. CHARLIE

...7ot a sweetheart8 BARTON ,o... ! guess it%s something about my work. ! get so worked up o#er it, ! don%t know> ! don%t really ha#e a lot o attention le t o#er, so it would be a little un air... CHARLIE 6eah, the ladies do ask or attention. !n my experience, they pretend to gi#e it, but it%s generally a smoke1 screen or demanding it back * with interest. How about amily, Bart8 How%re you ixed in that department8 Barton smiles. BARTON 'y olks li#e in Brooklyn, with my uncle. CHARLIE 'ine ha#e passed on. !t%s 3ust the three o us now... He taps himsel on the head, chuckling.

CHARLIE .../hat%s the expression * me mysel and !. BARTON Sure, that%s tough, but in a sense, we%re all alone in this world aren%t we Charlie8 !%m o ten surrounded by amily and riends, but... He shrugs. CHARLIE 'm... 6ou%re no stranger to loneliness, then. ! guess ! got no bee > especially where the dames are concerned. !n my line o work ! get opportunities galore * always on the wing, you know what !%m saying. ! could tell stories to curl your hair * but it looks like you%#e already heard %em) He laughs at his re erence to Barton%s curly hair, and pulls a dog1eared photograph rom his wallet. &s he hands it to

Barton$ CHARLIE ..."hat%s me in (ansas City, plying my trade. THE PHOTO Charlie smiles and wa#es with one oot up on the running board o a EFGF roadster. & battered leather brie case dangles rom one hand. CHARLIE ...!t was taken by one o my policy holders. "hey%re more than 3ust customers to me, Barton. "hey really appreciate what ! ha#e to o er them. 6a see, her hubby was out o town at the time * BARTON 6ou know, in a way, ! en#y you Charlie. 6our daily routine * you know what%s expected. 6ou know the drill. 'y 3ob is to plumb the depths, so to speak, dredge something up rom inside, something honest. "here%s no road map or that territory... He looks rom Charlie to the .nderwood.

BARTON ...and exploring it can be pain ul. "he kind o pain most people don%t know anything about. He looks back at Charlie. BARTON ..."his must be boring you. CHARLIE ,ot at all. !t%s damned interesting. BARTON 6eah... He gi#es a sad chuckle. BARTON ...5robably sounds a little grand coming rom someone who%s writing a wrestling picture or /allace Beery.

CHARLIE Beery) 6ou got no bee there) He%s good. Hell o an actor * though, or my money, you can%t beat Jack :akie. & stitch, :akie. 0unny stu , unny stu . But don%t get me wrong * Beery, a wrestling picture, that could be a pip. /restled some mysel back in school. ! guess you know the basic mo#es. BARTON ,ope, ne#er watched any. !%m not that interested in the act itsel

CHARLIE :kay, but hell, you should know what it is. ! can show you in about thirty seconds. He is getting down on his hands and knees. CHARLIE ...6ou%re a little out o your weight class, but 3ust or purposes o demonstration * BARTON "hat%s all right, really * CHARLIE ,ot a bit o it, compadre) Easiest thing in the world) 6ou 3ust get down on your knees to my le t, slap your right hand here... He indicated his own right bicep. CHARLIE ...and your le t hand here. He indicated his le t bicep. Barton hesitates. CHARLIE ...6ou can do it, champ) Barton complies. CHARLIE ...&ll right now, when ! say 29eady... wrestle)2 you try and pin me, and !

try and pin you. "hat%s the whole game. 7ot it8 BARTON ...6eah, okay. CHARLIE 9eady... wrestle) /ith one clean mo#e Charlie lips Barton onto his back, his head and shoulders hitting with a thump. Charlie pins Barton%s shoulders with his own upper body. But be ore the mo#e e#en seems completed Charlie is standing again, o ering his hand down to Barton. CHARLIE +amn, there ! go again. /e%re gonna wake the downstairs neighbors. ! didn%t hurt ya, did !8 Barton seems da4ed, but not put out. BARTON !t%s okay, it%s okay. CHARLIE /ell, that%s all that wrestling is. Except usually there%s more grunting and s;uirming be ore the pin. /ell, it%s your irst time. &nd you%re out o your weight class. Barton has propped himsel up and is pain ully massaging the back o his head. "his registers on Charlie. CHARLIE ...Jesus, ! did hurt you) He clomps hurriedly away. CHARLIE ...!%m 3ust a big, clumsy lug. ! sure do apologi4e. /e hear water running, and Charlie reenters with a wet towel. Barton accepts the towel and presses it to his head. CHARLIE ...6ou sure you%re okay8 Barton gets to his eet.

BARTON !%m ine, Charlie. 9eally ! am. &ctually, it%s been help ul, but ! guess ! should get back to work. Charlie looks at him with some concern, then turns and heads or the door. CHARLIE /ell, it wasn%t air o me to do that. !%m pretty well endowed physically. He opens the door. CHARLIE ...+on%t eel bad, though. ! wouldn%t be much o a match or you at mental gymnastics. 7imme a holler i you need anything. "he door closes. Barton crosses to the secretary and sits down, rubbing the back o his head. He rolls up the carriage and looks at the page in the typewriter. HIS POV "he page. FADE IN: A TENEMENT BUILDING :n 'anhattan%s -ower East Side. Early morning tra audible, as is the cry ishmongers. BACK TO BARTON He rubs the back o page. His ga4e dri ts up. HIS POV "he bathing beauty. BARTON -ooking at the picture. He presses the heels o against his ears. his hands his head, wincing, as he stares at the ic is

HIS POV "he bathing beauty. 0aint, but building, is the sound o sur . BARTON Head cocked. "he sur is mixing into another li;uid sound. Barton looks sharply around. THE BATHROOM Barton enters. "he sink, which Charlie apparently le t running when he wet Barton%s towel, is o#er lowing. /ater spills onto the tile loor. Barton hurriedly shuts o reaches into the sink. the tap, rolls up one slee#e and the

&s his hand emerges, holding something, we hear the unclogged sink gulp water. BARTON'S HAND Holding a dripping wad o BARTON & ter a brie , pu44led look he reali4es where the cotton came rom * and con#ulsi#ely lips it away. FADE OUT FADE IN: ON THE TITLE PAGE OF A BOOK: "NEBUCHADNE##AR BY /.5. 'ayhew2 & hand enters with pen to inscribe$ 2"o Barton * 'ay this little entertainment di#ert you in your so3ourn among the 5hilistines. * Bill2 "he book is closed and picked up. WIDER &s1thoomp)1the hea#y #olume is deposited across the table, cotton.

in

ront o

Barton, by 'ayhew.

Barton, 'ayhew, and &udrey are seated around a picnic table. !t is one o a ew tables littering the lot o a small stucco open1air hamburger stand. !t is peace ul early e#ening. "he last o the sunlight slopes down through palm trees. Barton, 'ayhew, and &udrey are the only customers at the stand. 'ayhew%s black 0ord stands alone at the edge o 'ayhew leans back in his chair. MAYHEW ! ! close m%eyes ! can almost smell the li#e oak. AUDREY "hat%s hamburger grease, Bill. MAYHEW /ell, m%ol actory%s turnin% womanish on me * lyin% and deceit ul... His eyes still closed, he wa#es a limp hand gently in the bree4e. MAYHEW ...Still, ! must say. ! ha#en%t elt peace like this since the grand producti#e days. +on%t you ind it so, Barton8 &in%t writin% peace8 BARTON /ell... actually, no Bill... Barton looks ner#ously at &udrey be ore continuing. BARTON ...,o, !%#e always ound that writing comes rom a great inner pain. 'aybe it%s a pain that comes rom a reali4ation that one must do something or one%s ellow man * to help somehow to ease his su ering. 'aybe it%s a personal pain. &t any rate, ! don%t belie#e good work is possible without it. MAYHEW 'mm. /al, me, ! 3ust en3oy maikn% things up. 6essir. Escape... !t%s when ! can%t write, can%t escape the lot.

m%sel , that ! want to tear m%head o and run screamin% down the street with m%balls in a ruitpickers pail. 'm... He sighs and reaches or a bottle o /ild "urkey.

MAYHEW ..."his%ll sometimes help. AUDREY "hat doesn%t help anything, Bill. BARTON "hat%s true, Bill. !%#e ne#er it to help my writing. 'ayhew is becoming testy$ MAYHEW 6our writing8 Son, ha#e you e#er heard the story o Soloman%s mammy1 &udrey, anticipating, 3umps hastily in. She taps the book on the table. AUDREY 6ou should read this, Barton. ! think it%s Bill%s inest, or among his inest anyway. 'ayhew looks at her narrowly. MAYHEW So now !%m s%posed to roll o#er like an ol% bitch dog gettin% ger belly scratched. AUDREY Bill * BARTON -ook, maybe it%s none o my business, but a man with your talent * don%t you think your irst obligation would be to your gi t8 Shouldn%t you be doing whate#er you ha#e to do to work again8 MAYHEW &nd what would that be, son8 BARTON ! don%t know exactly. But ! do know ound

what you%re doing with that drink. 6ou%re cutting yoursel o rom your gi t, and rom me and &udrey, and rom your ellow man, and rom e#erything your art is about. MAYHEW ,o son, thisahere moonshine%s got nothin% to do with shuttin% olks out. ,o, !%m usin% it to build somethin%. BARTON /hat%s that8 MAYHEW !%m buildin% a le#ee. 7ulp by gulp, brick by brick. 9aisin% up a le#ee to keep that ragin% ri#er o manure rom lappin% at m%door. AUDREY 'aybe you better too, Barton. Be ore you get buried under his manure. 'ayhew chuckles. MAYHEW '%honey pretends to be impatient with me, Barton, but she%ll put up with anything. AUDREY ,ot anything, Bill. +on%t test me. BARTON 6ou%re lucky she puts up with as much as she does. 'ayhew is getting to his eet.

MAYHEW &m !8 'aybe to a schoolboy%s eye. 5eople who know about the human heart, though, mebbe they%d say, Bill o#er here, he gi#es his honey lo#e, and she pays him back with pity * the basest coin there is. AUDREY Stop it, Bill) He wanders o#er to a corner o trees, the lot between two palm

still clutching his bottle, his back to Barton and &udrey, and urinates into the grass. He is singing * loudly * 2:ld Black Joe.2 &udrey walks o#er to him. BARTON /atching her go. HIS POV &udrey touches 'ayhew%s elbow. He looks at her, stops singing, she murmurs something, and he bellows$ MAYHEW "he truth, m%honey, is a tart that does not bear scrutiny. She touches him again, murmuring, and he lashes out at her, knocking her to the ground. MAYHEW Breach my le#ee at your peril) BARTON He rises. AUDREY Coming back to Barton. MAYHEW Stumbling o down the dusty road, muttering to himsel wa#ing his bottle o /ild "urkey. AUDREY -et him go. BARTON "hat son o a bitch... +on%t get me wrong, he%s a ine writer. He looks down the road. 'ayhew is a small lone wea#ing in the dust. MAYHEW !%ll 3us% walk on down to the 5aci ic, and rom there !%ll... impro#ise. igure, and

BARTON &re you all right8 /e hear distant bellowing$ MAYHEW Silent upon a hill in +arien) &udrey bursts into tears. Barton puts his arms around her and she leans into him. BARTON &udrey, you can%t put up with this. 7radually, she collects hersel , wiping her tears. AUDREY ...:h Barton, ! eel so... sorry him) BARTON /hat8) He%s a son o a bitch) AUDREY ,o, sometimes he 3ust... well, he thinks about Estelle. His wi e still li#es in 0ayettes#ille. She%s... disturbed. BARTON 9eally8... He considers this or a moment, but his anger returns. or

BARTON .../ell that doesn%t excuse his beha#ior. AUDREY He%ll wander back when he%s sober and apologi4e. He always does. BARTON :kay, but that doesn%t excuse his * AUDREY Barton. Empathy re;uires... understanding. BARTON /hat. /hat don%t ! understand8 &udrey ga4es at him.

MAYHEW He is #ery distant now, wea#ing but somehow digni ied in his light summer suit. 2:ld Black Joe2 loats back to us in the twilight. FADE OUT BARTON'S HOTEL ROOM 0rom a high angle, booming down on Barton. "he room is dark. Barton lies on the bed, asleep. "he hum o stillness. remains still. "he hum ades up again. Barton reaches o#er and turns on the bedside lamp. His eyes shi t this way and that as he waits, listening. "he hum ades down to silence. ully clothed, stretched out the mos;uito ades up in the

Suddenly Barton slaps his cheek. His eyes open, but he

Barton%s eyes shi t. HIS POV "he typewriter sits on the secretary, a piece o hal way through the carriage. THE TYPEWRITER Barton enters HIS POV ,ext to the typewriter are se#eral crumpled pieces o "he page in the carriage reads$ paper. rame and sits down in ront o the typewriter. paper rolled

FADE IN: A TENEMENT HOTEL :n the -ower East Side. /e can aintly hear the cry o the ishmongers. !t is too early or us to hear tra ic> later, perhaps, we will. BACK TO BARTON -ooking down at the page. CLOSE ON BARTON'S FEET

Swinging in the legwell. :ne oot idly swings o#er to nudge a pair o nicely shined shoes rom where they rest, under the secretary, into the legwell. /e hear typing start. THE PAGE & new paragraph being started$ 2& large man...2 BARTON'S FEET &s he slides them into the shoes. THE PAGE 2& large man in tights...2 "he typing stops. BARTON -ooking ;ui44ically at the page. /hat%s wrong8 HIS FEET Sliding back and orth * swimming * in his shoes, which are se#eral si4es too large. /e hear a knock at the door. BARTON He rises and answers the door. Charlie stands smiling in the doorway, holding a pair o nicely shined shoes. CHARLIE ! hope these are your shoes. BARTON Hi, Charlie. CHARLIE Because that would mean they ga#e you mine. BARTON 6eah, as a matter o act they did. Come on in.

"he two stocking1 ooted men go into the room and Barton reaches under the secretary or Charlie%s shoes. CHARLIE Jesus, what a day !%#e had. E#er had one o those days8 BARTON Seems like nothing but, lately. Chalrie perches on the edge o the bed.

CHARLIE Jesus, what a day. 0elt like ! couldn%t%#e sold ice water in the Sahara. Jesus. :kay, so you don%t want insurance, so okay, that%s your loss. But 7od, people can be rude. 0eel like ! ha#e to talk to a normal person like 3ust to restore a little o my... BARTON /ell, my pleasure. ! could use a little li t mysel . CHARLIE & little li t, yeah... Smiling, he takes out his lask.

CHARLIE ...7ood thing they bottle it, huh pal8 He takes a glass shot$ rom the bedstand and, as he pours Barton a

CHARLIE ...+id ! say rude8 5eople can be goddamn cruel. Especially some o their housewi#es. :kay, so !%#e got a weight problem. "hat%s my cross to bear. ! dunno... BARTON /ell it%s... it%s a de ense mechanism. CHARLIE +e ense against what8 !nsurance8 Something they need8 Something they should be thanking me or o ering8 & little peace o mind8...

He shakes his head. CHARLIE ...0inally decided to knock o early, take your ad#ice. /ent to see a doctor about this. He indicates his ear, still stu ed with cotton.

CHARLIE ...He told me it was an ear in ection. "en dollars, please. ! said, hell, ! told 6:. my ear was in ected. /hy don%t 6:. gi#e 'E ten dollars8 /ell, "H&" led to an argument... He gi#es a rue ul chuckle. CHARLIE ...-isten to me belly1achin%. &s i my problems amounted to a hill o beans. How goes the li e o the mind8 BARTON /ell, it%s been better. ! can%t seem to get going on this thing. "hat one idea, the one that lets you get started * ! still ha#en%t gotten it. 'aybe ! only had one idea in me * my play. 'aybe once that was done, ! was done being a writer. Christ, ! eel like a raud, sitting here staring at this paper. CHARLIE "hose two lo#e1birds next door dri#in% you nuts8 Barton looks at him curiously. BARTON How did you know about that8 CHARLIE (now about it8 ! can practically see how they%re doin% it. Brother, ! wish ! had a piece o that. BARTON 6eah, but * CHARLIE Seems like ! hear e#erything that

goes on in this dump. 5ipes or somethin%. !%m 3ust glad ! don%t ha#e to ply '6 trade in the wee1wee hours. He laughs. CHARLIE ...&h, you%ll lick this picture business, belie#e me. 6ou%#e got a head on your shoulders. /hat is it they say8 /here there%s a head, there%s a hope8 BARTON /here there%s li e there%s hope. Charlie laughs. CHARLIE "hat pro#es you really are a writer) Barton smiles. BARTON &nd there%s hope or you too, Charlie. "omorrow ! bet you sell a hal 1do4en policies. CHARLIE "hanks, brother. But the act is, ! gotta pull up stakes temporarily. BARTON 6ou%re lea#ing8 CHARLIE !n a ew days. :ut to your stompin% grounds as a matter o act * ,ew 6ork City. "hings ha#e gotten all balled up at the Head : ice. BARTON !%m truly sorry to hear that, Charlie. !%ll miss you. CHARLIE /ell hell, buddy, don%t pull a long ace) "his is still home or me * ! keep my room, and !%ll be back sooner or later... Barton rises and walks o#er to his writing table.

CHARLIE ...&nd * mark my words * by the time ! get back you%re picture%ll be inished. ! know it. Barton scribbles on a notepad and turns to hand it to Charlie. BARTON ,ew 6ork can be pretty cruel to strangers, Charlie. ! you need a home1cooked meal you 3ust look up 'orris and -illian 0ink. "hey li#e on 0ulton Street with my uncle +a#e. /e hear a tacky, tearing sound. Barton looks toward the door. Charlie rises and walks o#er to the stand next to where Barton sits. "he two staring men orm an odd, motionless tableau * the slight, bespectacled man seated> the big man standing in a hunch with his hands on his thighs> their heads close together. THEIR POV & swath o wallpaper in the entryway has pulled away the wall. !t sags and nods. CHARLIE <o Christ) THE TWO MEN 0ro4en, looking. CHARLIE ...6our room does that too8 BARTON ! guess the heat%s sweating o wallpaper. CHARLIE /hat a dump... He heads or the door and Barton CHARLIE ollows. the = rom

...! guess it seems pathetic to a guy like you. BARTON /ell... CHARLIE /ell it%s pathetic, isn%t it8 ! mean to a guy rom ,ew 6ork. BARTON /hat do you mean8 "his kind o CHARLIE heat. !t%s pathetic.

BARTON /ell, ! guess you pick your poison. CHARLIE So they say. BARTON +on%t pick up and lea#e without saying goodbye. CHARLIE Course not, compadre. 6ou%ll see me again. Barton closes the door. He goes back to the desk, sits, and stares at the typewriter. & ter a beat he tips back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling. /e hear a loud thump. HIS POV "he ceiling * a white, seamless space. &s we track in the thumping continues * slowly, rhythmically, progressi#ely louder * the e ect, it seems, o odd doings upstairs. LOOKING DOWN ON BARTON 0rom a high angle, tipped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. /e track slowly down toward him. "he thumping continues, growing louder, sharper.

HIS POV 'o#ing in on the ceiling. /e close in on an unblemished area and cease to ha#e any sense o mo#ement. /ith a blur something huge and dark sweeps across the rame to land with a dea ening crash, and an instant later it is gone, ha#ing le t a huge black 2"2 stamped into the white ceiling. /e are pulling back rom the white, past the metal prongs o the key1strike area on a typewriter. 'ore letters appear rapid1 ire, growing smaller as the pull back continues. "he thumpimg becomes the clacking o the typewriter. BEN GEISLER !s emerging rom his o ice. &s he enters the secretary stops typing, glances down at a slip o paper, and murmurs tonelessly, without looking up$ SECRETARY Barton 0ink. GEISLER 6eah. 0ink. Come in. "he clack o the typewriter resumes as Barton rises.

GEISLER'S OFFICE "he two men enter. "his o ice is considerably smaller than -ipnik%s, done in grays and black. "here are pictures on the wall o 7eisler with #arious celebrities. 7eisler sits behind his desk. GEISLER /uddya got or me * what the hell happened to your ace8 BARTON ,othing. !t%s 3ust a mos;uito bite. GEISLER -ike hell it is> there are no mos;uitos in -os &ngeles. 'os;uitos breed in swamps * this is a desert town. /uddya got or me8 BARTON /ell !...

GEISLER :n the Beery picture) /here are we8 /uddya got8 BARTON /ell, to tell you the truth, !%m ha#ing some trouble getting started* GEISLER 7etting S"&9"E+) Christ Jesus) Started8) 6ou mean you don%t ha#e &,6thing8) BARTON /ell not much. 7eisler leaps to his eet and paces.

GEISLER /hat do you think this is8 H&'-E"8 GONE WITH THE WIND$ RUGGLES OF RED 7&58 !t%s a goddamn B picture) Big men in tights) 6ou know the drill) BARTON !%m a raid ! don%t really understand that genre. maybe that%s the prob1 GEISLER .nderstand shit) ! though you were gonna consult another writer on this) BARTON /ell, !%#e talked to Bill 'ayhew1 GEISLER Bill 'ayhew) Some help) "he guy%s a souse) BARTON He%s a great writer * GEISLER & souse) BARTON 6ou don%t understand. He%s in pain, because he can%t write1 GEISLER Souse) Souse) He manages to write his name on the back o his paycheck e#ery week)

BARTON But... ! thought no one cared about this picture. GEISLER 6ou thought) /here%d you get "H&" rom8 6ou thought) ! don%t know what the hell you said to -ipnik, but the sono abitch -!(ES you) 6ou understand that, 0ink8 He -!(ES you) He%s taken an interest. ,EHE9 make -ipnik like you. ,EHE9) Some pu44lement shows through Barton%s weariness. BARTON ! don%t understand1 GEISLER &re you dea , he -!(ES you) He%s taken an interest) /hat the hell did you say to him8 BARTON ! didn%t say anything1 GEISLER /ell he%s taken an interest) "hat means he%ll make your li e hell, which ! could care less about, but since ! drew the short straw to super#ise this turkey, he%s gonna be all o#er me too) 0at1assed sono abitch called me yesterday to ask how it%s going * don%t worry, ! co#ered or you. "old him you were making progress and we were all #ery excited. ! told him it was great, so now '6 ass is on the line. He wants you to tell him all about it tomorrow. BARTON ! can%t write anything by tomorrow. GEISLER /ho said write8 Jesus, Jack can%t read. 6ou gotta "E-- it to him1tell him S:'Ething or Chrissake. BARTON /ell what do ! tell him8 7eisler rubs a temple, studies Barton or a beat, then picks

up a telephone. GEISLER 5ro3ection... &s he waits, 7eisler gi#es Barton a withering stare. !t continues throughout the phone con#ersation. GEISLER ... Jerry8 Ben 7eisler here. &ny o the screening rooms ree this a ternoon8... 7ood, book it or me. & writer named 0ink is gonna come in and you%re gonna show him wrestling pictures... ! don%t gi#e a shit which ones) /9ES"-!,7 pictures) /ait a minute1 isn%t Hictor S3oderberg shooting one now8... Show him some o the dailies on that. He slams down the phone. GEISLER ..."his ought to gi#e you some ideas. He 3ots an address on a piece o Barton. GEISLER ...Eight1 i teen tomorrow morning at -ipnik%s house. !deas. Broad strokes. +on%t cross me, 0ink. SCREEN Black1and1white ootage. & middle1aged man with a clapstick enters and shouts$ CLAPPER +EH!- :, "HE C&,H&S, twel#e baker take one. Clap) "he clapper withdraws. "he angle is on a corner o the ring, where an old corner man stands behind his charge, a huge man in tights who is a little too labby to be a real athlete. His hair is plastered against his bullet skull and he has a small mustache. VOICE &ction. "he wrestler rises rom his stool and heads toward center ring and the camera. He a ects a 7erman accent$ paper and hands it to

WRESTLER ! will destroy him) He passes the camera. VOICE Cut. 0lash rames.

"he clapper enters again. CLAPPER "wel#e baker take two. Clap) He exits. "he wrestler mo#es toward the camera. WRESTLER ! will destroy him) VOICE Cut. "he clapper enters CLAPPER "wel#e baker take three. Clap) WRESTLER ! will destroy him) SLOW TRACK IN ON BARTON Seated alone in a dark screening room, the sha t o pro3ection beam lickering o#er his le t shoulder. &s we creep in closer$ WRESTLER <o = ! will destroy him)... ! will destroy him)... ! will destroy him)... ! will destroy him)... &nother o 1microphone, distant #oice VOICE i#e... rom the screen$ the

:kay, take THE SCREEN

& 3erky pan, interrupted by lash rames. "he wrestler is standing in a corner 3oking with a makeup girl who pats down his ace as he smokes a cigarette. & cut in the ilm and another clapstick enters.

CLAPPER "wel#e charlie take one1 ON THE CLAP: BACK TO BARTON Staring at the screen, dull, wan, and VOICE <o &ction. THE SCREEN "he angle is low * can#as le#el. /e hold or a brie moment on the empty can#as be ore two wrestlers crash down into rame. "he 7erman is underneath, on his back, pinned by the other man. "he re eree enters, cropped at the knees, and throws counting ingers down into rame. REFEREE :ne... two... WRESTLER AAAAHHHH!! "he 7erman bucks and throws his opponent out o VOICE Cut. CLAPPER "wel#e charlie take two. Crash. REFEREE :ne... two... WRESTLER AAAAHHHH!! rame. = orlorn.

BARTON 7la4ed. WRESTLER <o = AAAAAAHHHHHH!!... AAAAAAHHHHHH!!... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!... PAGE IN TYPEWRITER "he screaming drops out abruptly at cut. /e hear only the sound o hea#y oot alls on carpet. Below the opening paragraph, two new words ha#e been added to the typescript$ 2:rphan82 2+ame82 "he oot alls continue.

THE HOTEL ROOM ,ight. Barton paces rantically back and orth.

He looks at his watch. HIS POV !t is EI$GA. CLOSE ON THE PHONE !t is li ted out o the cradle.

BARTON Hello, Chet, it%s Barton 0ink in @AB. Can you try a number or me in Hollywood... Slausen @1CGAC. /e pull back to rame in Barton as we hear his call ring through. Barton sweats. BARTON 5ick it up... 5ick it up. 5ick it1 AUDREY Hello. BARTON &udrey, listen, ! need help. ! know it%s late and ! shouldn%t be calling

you like this * belie#e me ! wouldn%t ha#e i ! could see any other alternati#e, but ! * !%m sorry 1 listen, how are you * !%m sorry. 6ou doing okay8 AUDREY .../ho is this8 BARTON Barton. !%m sorry, it%s Barton 0ink. "hrough the phone, in the background, we hear 'ayhew%s drunken bellowing. Sons o loor. AUDREY Barton, !%m a raid it%s not a good time1 MAYHEW +rown all those rascals... BARTON !%m sorry, ! 3ust eel like *! know ! shouldn%t ask, ! 3ust need some kind o help, ! 3ust, ! ha#e a deadline tomorrow1 MAYHEW ! said drown %em all) /ho is that8 "here is more clatter. &udrey%s #oice is hushed, close to the phone$ AUDREY &ll right Barton, !%ll see i slip away1 ! can MAYHEW bitches) +rown %em all)

/e hear #arious ob3ects dropping or being thrown to the

MAYHEW /ho is that8) 7addamn #oices come into the house... sons o bitches... ! BARTON you could, !%d * AUDREY

! can. He gets 3ealous> he1

MAYHEW 7oddamn #oices... +9:/, %E') BARTON ! need help, &udrey. AUDREY !%ll try to slip out. ! he ;uiets down, passes out... !%m a raid he thinks * well, he said you were a bu oon, Barton. He becomes irrational* MAYHEW Hesh up) Be still now) +9:/, %E') DROWN 'EM! DROWN WIDE ON THE ROOM -ater. !t is ;uiet. /e are craning down toward the bed, where Barton lies stretched out, his head buried beneath a pillow as i to blot out the world. "he track re#eals the wristwatch on Barton%s dangled arm$ :%&. THE HALLWAY &t the end o the dimly lit corridor a red light blinks on o#er the ele#ator, with a aint bell. BACK TO BARTON /ith two #iolent and simultaneous motions he whips the pillow o his head and throws out his other wrist to look at his watch. "here is a knock at the door. Barton swings his THE DOORWAY Barton opens the door to &udrey. AUDREY Hello, Barton. BARTON &udrey, thank you or coming. "hank you. !%m sorry to be such a... such a... "hank you. eet o the bed.

"hey enter the main room, where &udrey perches on the edge o the bed. AUDREY ,ow that%s all right, Barton. E#erything%ll be all right. BARTON 6es. "hank you. How%s Bill8 AUDREY :h, he%s... he dri ted o . He%ll sleep or a while now. /hat is it you ha#e to do, exactly8 Barton paces. BARTON /ell ! ha#e to come up with * an outline, !%d guess you call it. "he story. "he whole goddamn story. Soup to nuts. "hree acts. "he whole goddamn1 AUDREY !t%s alright, Barton. 6ou don%t ha#e to write actual scenes8 BARTON ,o, but the whole goddamn * &udrey8 Ha#e you e#er had to read any o Bill%s wrestling scenarios8 &udrey laughs. AUDREY 6es, !%m a raid ! ha#e. BARTON /hat are they like8 /hat are they about8 AUDREY /ell, usually, they%re... simply morality tales. "here%s a good wrestler, and a bad wrestler whom he con ronts at the end. !n between, the good wrestler has a lo#e interest or a child he has to protect. Bill would usually make the good wrestler a backwoods type, or a con#ict. &nd sometimes, instead o a wai , he%d ha#e the wrestler protecting an idiot manchild. "he studio always hated

that. :h, some o so... spirited)

the scripts were

She laughs * then stops, reali4ing that she has laughed. She looks at Barton. AUDREY ...Barton. She shakes her head. AUDREY ...-ook, it%s really 3ust a ormula. 6ou don%t ha#e to type your soul into it. /e%ll in#ent some names and a new setting. !%ll help you and it won%t take any time at all. ! did it or Bill so many times * Barton%s pacing comes up short. +id what 7uardedly$ AUDREY /ell... "H!S. BARTON 6ou wrote his scripts or him8 re;uently BARTON or Bill8

AUDREY /ell, the basic ideas were his1

BARTON 6ou wrote Bill%s scripts) Jesus Christ, you wrote his * what about be ore that8 AUDREY Be ore what8 BARTON Be ore Bill came to Hollywood. &udrey is clearly reluctant to tra#el this path. AUDREY /ell, Bill was &-/&6S the author, so to speak1 BARTON

/hat do you mean so to speak8) &udrey, how long ha#e you been his... secretary8 AUDREY Barton, ! think we should concentrate on :.9 little pro3ect1 BARTON ! want to know how many o books you wrote) AUDREY Barton) BARTON ! want to know) AUDREY Barton, honestly, only the last couple1 BARTON Hah) AUDREY &nd my input was mostly... E+!":9!&-, really, when he%d been drinking1 BARTON !%ll bet. Jesus * 2"he grand producti#e days.2 /hat a goddamn phony. He resumes pacing. BARTON .../.5. 'ayhew. /illiam 7oddamn 5hony 'ayhew. &ll his gu about escape. Hah) !%-- say he escaped) Barton sighs and looks at his watch. BARTON .../ell, we don%t ha#e much time. He sits down next to &udrey. &udrey%s tone is gentle. AUDREY !t%ll be ine... +on%t 3udge him, Barton. +on%t condescend to him... She strokes Barton%s hair. AUDREY Bill%s

...!t%s not as simple as you think. ! helped Bill most by appreciating him, by understanding him. /e all need understanding, Barton. E#en you, tonight, it%s all you really need... She kisses him. &s Barton tentati#ely responds, we are panning away. /e rame up on the door to the bathroom and track in toward the sink. /e can hear the creak o bedsprings and &udrey and Barton%s breath, becoming labored. "he continuing track brings us up to and o#er the lid o the sink to rame up its drain, a per ect black circle in the porcelain white. /e track up to the drain and are en#eloped by it as the sound o lo#emaking mixes into the groaning o pipes. BLACK FADE IN: BARTON "he hum o a mos;uito brings us out o the black and we are looking down at Barton, in bed, asleep. !t is dawn. Barton%s eyes snap open. HIS POV "he white ceiling. & humming black speck white. BARTON Slowly, cautiously, he props himsel the sound o the mos;uito. up, his look ollowing lits across the

His ga4e tra#els down and to one side and is arrested as the hum stops. HIS POV &udrey lies acing away on her side o by a blanket. BARTON 7ingerly, he reaches o#er and draws the blanket down &udrey%s back. the bed, hal co#ered

HIS POV "he alabaster white o "he mos;uito is &udrey%s back.

eeding on it.

EXTREME CLOSE ON BARTON'S EYES -ooking. EXTREME CLOSE ON THE MOS'UITO Swelling with blood. WIDER &s Barton%s hand comes through She doesn%t react. Barton draws his hand away. &udrey%s back is smeared with blood. ON BARTON He looks at his hand. HIS POV His hand is dripping with blood. "oo much blood. BACK TO BARTON Eyes wide, he looks down at the bed. HIS POV Blood seeps up into the sheet beneath the cur#e o back. BARTON He pulls &udrey%s shoulder. AUDREY She rolls onto her back. Her eyes are wide and li eless. Her stomach is nothing but blood. "he top sheet, drawn to her waist is drenched red and clings to her body. BARTON &udrey%s rame and slaps &udrey%s back.

He screams. He screams again. /e hear rapid and hea#y oot alls next door, a door opening and closing, and then a loud banging on Barton%s door. Barton%s head spins towards the door. He is momentarily ro4en. &nother knock. Barton leaps to his THE DOORWAY :#er Barton%s shoulder as he cracks the door. Charlie stands in the hall in his boxer shorts and a slee#eless tee. CHARLIE &re you all right8 Barton stares dumbly or a moment. eet and hurries to the door.

CHARLIE ...Can ! come in8 ,o)... !%m BARTON ine. "hank you. CHARLIE &re you sure * BARTON ,o... no... Barton is nodding as he shuts the door in Charlie%s He walks back into the room. HIS POV &udrey%s corpse, in long shot, BARTON He walks toward the bed, wheels be ore he reaches it, and starts back toward the door. He stops short and turns back again to the room. He a#erts his eyes * as it happens, toward the secretary. ace up on the bed. ace.

He walks sti

ly o#er and sits, his back to &udrey.

CLOSE ON BARTON &s he sits in. He stares emptily down at the desk, in shock, totally shut down. Behind him, we can see &udrey on the bed. He stares or a long beat. rom his throat. He is not

Strange, in#oluntary noises come in control. Becoming aware o He lurches to his THE DOORWAY

the noise he is making, he stops. eet.

&s Barton enters, opens the door, and sticks his head out. HALLWAY Barton peers out the see i HIS POV "he long hallway. !n the deep background, Chet, the night clerk, is stooping in ront o a door to pick up a pair o shoes. ,ext to him is a castored shoe caddy. &ll o CHET Close on him as, mid1stoop, he looks up. CHET'S POV .p the long hall. !n the deep background a door is closing. CHET He pauses, then straightens up and puts the shoes on the shoe caddy. !t s;ueaks as he pushes it on down the hall. BARTON'S ROOM Barton stands at the door, listening to a #ery E#entually it becomes inaudible. He cracks the door again, looks out, and exits. aint s;ueak. the doorways between us and Chet are empty o shoes. the coast is clear.

HALLWAY Barton goes to Charlie%s room and knocks. 0oot alls end as the door is cracked open. CHARLIE Barton. &re you all right8 BARTON ,o... Can ! come in8 CHARLIE /hy don%t we go to your room1 BARTON Charlie, !%m in trouble. 6ou%#e gotta help me. :nce again he is breathing hard. Charlie steps out into the hall and shuts the door behind him. CHARLIE 7et a grip on yoursel , brother. /hate#er the problem is, we%ll sort it out. BARTON Charlie, !%m in trouble * something horrible%s happened * !%#e gotta call the police... Charlie leads him towards his room. BARTON .../ill you stay with me till they get here8 CHARLIE +on%t worry about it, Barton. /e can sort it1 He is pushing Barton%s door open, but Barton grabs an elbow to stop him. BARTON Be ore you go in * ! didn%t do this. ! don%t know how it happened, but ! didn%t... ! want you to know that... Charlie looks into his eyes. 0or a moment the two men stare at each other * Charlie%s look in;uisiti#e, Barton%s

supplicating. 0inally, Charlie nods. CHARLIE :kay. He turns and pushes open the door. BARTON'S ROOM "he two men enter. Barton lingers by the door. Charlie walks into the to look o toward the bed. His eyes widen and he screams. He turns and disappears into the bathroom. /e hear #omiting, then the lush o a toilet. CHARLIE Jesus... Jesus... Jesus ha#e mercy... His reaction has not encouraged Barton, who is more and more agitated. Charlie emerges rom the bathroom, sweating. oreground

CHARLIE ...Jesus, Barton, what the hell is this8 /hat%re we gonna do8 BARTON !%#e gotta call the police * or you could call or me * CHARLIE Hold on * BARTON 6ou gotta belie#e me * CHARLIE Hold on * BARTON ! didn%t do this, ! did ,:" do this* CHARLIE Hold on. Stop. "ake a deep breath. "ell me what happened. BARTON

! don%t know) ! woke up, she was... 7od, you gotta belie#e me) Charlie, in spite o back into the room. himsel , is sneaking horri ied glances

CHARLIE ! belie#e you, brother, but this don%t look good. BARTON /e gotta call the police * CHARLIE Hold on. ! said hold on, so hold on. BARTON 6eah. CHARLIE /hat do you think happened8 BARTON ! don%t know) 'aybe it was her... boy riend. ! passed out. ! don%t know. /on%t the police be able to * CHARLIE Stop with the police) /ake up, riend) "his does not look good) "hey hang people or this) BARTON But ! didn%t do it * don%t you belie#e me8 CHARLIE ! belie#e you * ! (,:/ you. But why should the police8 Barton gi#es him a dumb stare. CHARLIE ...+id you... Barton, between you and me, did you ha#e sexual intercourse8 Barton stares at Charlie. He swallows. Charlie shakes his head. CHARLIE Jesus... "hey can tell that...

BARTON "hey 7:""& belie#e me, Charlie) "hey gotta ha#e mercy) CHARLIE 6ou%re in pictures, Barton. E#en i you got cleared e#entually, this would ruin you. He turns and starts toward the bed. CHARLIE .../ait in the bathroom. BATHROOM -ater. Barton, still in his underwear, sits leaning against the wall, staring glassily at his eet. 0rom the other room we hear the creak o sounds o bed clothes being torn o . bedsprings and the

0inally there is a last creak o bedsprings and the sound o Charlie grunting under great weight. /e hear hea#y ootsteps approaching.

Barton looks up through the open bathroom door. HIS POV Charlie is groping or the ront doorknob, cradling the sheetswaddled body in his arms. BACK TO BARTON His neck goes rubbery. His eyes roll up. His head lolls back to hit the wall. BLACK Slap) Slap) /e are low on Charlie, who is ollowing through on a slap and backing away, ha#ing aroused Barton. Charlie is now wearing pants but is still in his slee#eless tee, which has blood lecks across the belly. CHARLIE 6ou passed out. Barton looks groggily up. BARTON

....h1huh... /here%s &udrey8 CHARLIE She%s dead, Barton) ! that was her name. TRACKING IN ON BARTON He stares at Charlie. CHARLIE <o = Barton, listen to me. 6ou gotta act like nothing%s happened. 5ut this totally out o your head. ! know that%s hard, but your play rom here on out is 3ust to go about business as usual. 7i#e us some time to sort this out... Barton looks at his watch. THE WATCH (:)!. CHARLIE <o = ...Just put it out o you head... TRACKING "oward a pool set in a grand yard with shaped hedges and statuary set amid palms trees. Sunlight glitters angrily o the water> we are approaching Jack -ipnik who sits poolside in a white deck chair. LIPNIK Bart) So happy to see ya) REVERSE 5ulling Barton, who is being escorted by -ou Bree4e. Barton is haggard, sunken eyes s;uinting against too much sun. LIPNIK Sit) "alk) 9elax or a minute, then talk) +rink8 &s Barton sits$

BARTON 6eah... rye whiskey8 LIPNIK Boy) 6ou writers) /ork hard, play hard) "hat%s what ! hear, anyway... He laughs, then barks at -ou Bree4e. LIPNIK ... -ou. -ou exits. LIPNIK &nyway. Ben 7eisler tells me things%re going along great. "hinks we%#e got a real winner in this one. &nd let me tell you something, !%m counting on it. !%#e taken an interest. ,ot to inter ere, mind you * hardly seems necessary in your case. & writer * a storyteller * o your stature. 7i#itta me in bold strokes, Bart. 7imme the broad outlines. !%m sitting in the audience, the lights go down, Capitol logo comes up... you%re on) He beams expectantly at Barton. lips. BARTON 6eah, okay... well... we Barton licks his parched

ade in...

-ipnik is nodding, already in#ol#ed in the story. BARTON ...!t%s a tenement building. :n the -ower East Side... LIPNIK 7reat) He%s poor, this wrestler) He%s had to struggle) BARTON &nd then... well... Barton looks back out at the pool, his eyes closed to slits against the sun. He looks back at -ipnik. BARTON ...Can ! be honest, 'r. -ipnik8 LIPNIK

C&, you8 6ou damn well better be. Jesus, i ! hadn%t been honest in my business dealings * well, o course, you can%t always be honest, not with the sharks swimming around this town * but i you%re a writer, you don%t think about those things * i !%d been totally honest, ! wouldn%t be within a mile o this pool * unless ! was cleaning it. But that%s no reason or you not to be. Honest, ! mean. ,ot cleaning the pool. -ou has entered with a drink, which he sets next to Barton. -ou sits. Barton looks around, takes the drink, sips at it greedily, but must inally take the plunge. BARTON /ell... to be honest, !%m ne#er really com ortable discussing a work in progress. !%#e got it all worked out in my head, but sometimes i you orce it out in words * prematurely * the wrong words * well, your meaning changes, and it changes your own mind, and you ne#er get it back * so !%d 3ust as soon not talk about it. -ipnik stares at him. His smile has disappeared. "here is a long beat. -ou Bree4e clears his throat. He apparently ill the silence. LOU ...'r. 0ink. ,e#er mind me. ,e#er mind how long !%#e been in pictures. 'r. -ipnik has been in pictures 3ust about since they were in#ented. HE practically in#ented them. -ipnik has turned to look curiously at -ou. LOU ...,ow ! think i he%s interested in what one o his contract employees is doing while he draws pay, ! think that employee ought to tell him, i he wants to stay an employee. 9ight now the contents o your head are the property o Capitol 5ictures, so i ! were you ! would speak up. &nd eels obliged to

pretty goddamn

ast.

-ou looks at Barton, expectantly. -ipnik continues to stare at -ou. "here is a long silence, terribly hea#y. 0inally, -ipnik explodes * at -ou. LIPNIK 6ou lousy sono abitch) 6ou%re telling this man * this &9"!S" * what to do8) -ou Bree4e is stunned. LOU 'r. -ipnik, ! * LIPNIK "his man creates or a li#ing) He puts ood on your table and on mine) "H&,( him or it) "hank him, you ungrate ul sono abitch) "hank him or 6:.%9E ired) Barton is staring, aghast. BARTON 'r. -ipnik, that%s not really necessar1 -ipnik, still staring at -ou, gi#es no sign o Barton. He rises and points. LIPNIK 7et down on your knees, you sono abitch) 7et down on your knees and kiss this man%s eet) LOU 'r. -ipnik, please * BARTON ! * 'r. -ipnik * LIPNIK KISS THIS MAN'S FEET!! -ou, aghast, looks at Barton. Barton, aghast, can only return the same stunned look. -ipnik snarls at -ou$ hearing

LIPNIK ...:kay, get out o here. 6ou%re ired, you understand me8 7et out o my sight. -ou gets sti ly to his eet and stumbles away.

BARTON 'r. -ipnik, ! * LIPNIK ! apologi4e, Barton. BARTON ,o no, 'r. Bree4e has actually been a great help * LIPNIK 6ou don%t ha#e to co#er or him. !t%s noble o you, but these things happen in business. BARTON 'r. -ipnik, ! really would eel much better i you could reconsider * LIPNIK &h, orget it, kid. ! want you to pull this out o your head. ! that sono abitch wouldn%t apologi4e to you, goddammit, ! will. ! respect your artistry and your methods, and i you can%t ill us in yet, well hell, we should be kissing your eet or your ine e orts. He gets down on his knees in ront o Barton.

LIPNIK ...6ou know in the old country we were taught, as #ery young children, that there%s no shame in supplicatin% yoursel when you respect someone. Barton stares, horri ied, at -ipnik, on the ground at his eet. LIPNIK ...:n behal o Capitol 5ictures, the administration, and all a the stockholders, please accept this as a symbol o our apology and respect.

BARTON'S POV -ipnik kisses his shoe and looks up at him. Behind -ipnik the pool glitters. BARTON'S ROOM "he cut has a hard musical sting. :ut o loud but distorted thumping noise. the sting comes a

/e are looking down, high angle, orm one corner o the room. /e are presented with a motionless tableau$ Barton sits, hunched, in the ar corner, elbows on knees, staring at the bed in ront o him. He wears only trousers and a "1shirt and his body and ace glisten with sweat. "he bed%s sheets ha#e been stripped and the ratty gray mattress has an enormous rust1red stain in the middle. & ter a beat, in the scene$ & bead o wall. tacky yellow wall1sweat dribbles down the near to a oreground, the only motion in the

Silence, then the thumping repeats, resol#ing itsel knock at the door. Barton rises slowly and crosses to the door. THE DOOR

Barton opens it to Charlie, who is dressed in a baggy suit, his hair slicked back, a tan edora pushed back on his head. !t is the irst time we ha#e seen him well turned out. & battered brie case is on the loor next to him. He holds a parcel in his le t hand, about one oot s;uare, wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine. CHARLIE Barton. Can ! come in8 Barton stands back rom the door and Charlie picks up his brie case and enters. THE ROOM &s the two men enter. BARTON Jesus... 6ou%re lea#ing. CHARLIE

Ha#e to, old timer. Just Barton sounds desperate$ BARTON Jesus, Charlie, !...

or a while.

CHARLIE E#erything%s okay, belie#e me. ! know it%s rough mentally, but e#erything%s taken care o . BARTON Charlie) !%#e got no one else here) 6ou%re the only person ! know in -os &ngeles... He starts weeping BARTON ...that ! can talk to. Charlie, also disturbed and unhappy, wraps both arms around Barton. Barton sobs unashamedly into his shoulder. Charlie is somber. CHARLIE !t%s okay... !t%s okay... BARTON Charlie, ! eel like !%m going cra4y * like !%m losing my mind. ! don%t know what to do... ! didn%t do it, belie#e me. !%m sure o that, Charlie. ! 3ust... His breath comes in short gasping hea#es. BARTON ...! 3ust don%t know what... to do* CHARLIE 6ou gotta get a grip on, brother. 6ou gotta 3ust carry on * 3ust or a ew days, till ! get back. "ry and stay here, keep your door locked. +on%t talk to anyone. /e 3ust gotta keep our heads and we%ll igure it out. BARTON 6eah, but Charlie *

CHARLIE +ammit, don%t argue with me. 6ou asked me to belie#e you * well ! do. ,ow don%t argue with me. He looks at Barton or a beat.

CHARLIE ...-ook, pal * can you do something or me8 Charlie hands him his parcel. ...(eep this Barton, snu CHARLIE or me, till ! get back.

ling, accepts the package.

CHARLIE ...!t%s 3ust personal stu . ! don%t wanna drag it with me, but ! don%t trust %em downstairs, and !%d like to think it%s in good hands. Still snu ling$ BARTON Sure, Charlie. CHARLIE 0unny, huh, when e#erything that%s important to a guy, e#erything he wants to keep rom a li etime * when he can it it into a little box like that. ! guess... ! guess it%s kind o pathetic. /allowing in sel 1pity$ BARTON !t%s more than !%#e got. CHARLIE /ell, keep it or me. 'aybe it%ll bring you good luck. 6eah, it%ll help you inish your script. 6ou%ll think about me... He thumps his chest. CHARLIE ...'ake me your wrestler. "hen you%ll lick that story o yours.

Barton is tear ully sincere$ BARTON "hanks, Charlie. Charlie solemnly thrusts out his hand. CHARLIE 6eah, well, see you soon, 6ou%re gonna be ine. riend.

Barton shakes. &s they walk to the door$ BARTON 6ou%ll be back8 CHARLIE +on%t worry about that, compadre. !%ll be back. Barton shuts the door behind Charlie, locks it, and turns around. HIS POV "he room. "he bed. "he blood1stained mattress. Barton walks across the room and sits care ully at the edge o the bed, a#oiding the rust1colored stain. 0or a long beat, he sits still, but something is building inside. 0inally, when we hear the distant ding o arri#ing or Charlie, it erupts$ the ele#ator o an abandoned

Barton sobs, with the unsel 1conscious grie child. HIGH WIDE SHOT

Barton weeping, alone on the bed, next to the rust1colored stain. FADE OUT FADE IN: BATHING BEAUTY /ith the ade in, the sound o the sur mixes up.

/e pan down the picture to disco#er that a snapshot has been tucked into a corner o the picture rame$ it is the snap o Charlie, smiling and wa#ing, with his oot up on the running board o the EFGF 0ord roadster.

BARTON Sitting at the desk, staring at the picture. 0rom his gla4ed eyes and the way his mouth hangs open, we may assume he has been staring at the picture or some time. He notices something on the desk and picks it up. HIS POV "he Holy Bible * 5laced by the 7ideons. Barton opens it, randomly, to the Book o is set in ornately 7othic type. +aniel. "he text

2B. &nd the king, ,ebuchadne44ar, answered and said to the Chaldeans, ! recall not my dream> i ye will not make known unto me my dream, and its interpretation, ye shall be cut in pieces, and o your tents shall be made a dunghill.2 BARTON Staring at the passage. His mouth hangs open. THE BIBLE Barton ri les to the irst page.

!n bold type at the top$ "THE BOOK OF GENESIS" .nderneath, in the same ornately 7othic type$ 2Chapter :ne E. 0ade in on a tenement building on 'anhattan%s -ower East Side. 0aint tra ic noise is audible> I. &s is the cry o ishmongers.2 BARTON S;uinting at the page through bloodshot eyes. His mouth hangs open. BARTON'S ROOM DAY &t the cut the harsh clackety1clack o typing bangs in. Sunlight burns against the sheers o Barton%s window, making it a pain ully bright patch in the room which itsel remains airly dim. Barton sits at the secretary, typing uriously.

He it

inishes a page, yanks it out o the carriage, and places ace1down on a short stack o ace1down pages.

He eeds in a blank sheet and resumes his rapid typing. He is sweating, unsha#en, and more haggard e#en than when we le t him the pre#ious night. "he telephone rings. & ter se#eral rings Barton stops typing and answers it, absently, still looking at his work. His #oice is hoarse. BARTON Hello... Chet... /ho8... He puts the recei#er down on the desk, leans o#er the typewriter, and examines something he has 3ust written. He picks the phone back up and listens BARTON ... ,o, don%t send them up here. !%ll be right down. ELEVATOR & small oscillating an whirs up in a corner o the ele#ator. or a beat.

/e pan down to Barton, who is riding down with 5ete, the old ele#ator operator. Barton%s #oice is hoarse with atigue. BARTON ...6ou read the Bible, 5ete8 PETE Holy Bible8 BARTON 6eah. PETE ! think so... &nyway, !%#e heard about it. Barton nods. "hey ride LOBBY -ate a ternoon sun slants in rom one side. "he lobby has the same golden ambiance as when irst we saw it. Barton is walking toward two wing chairs in the shadows, rom which two men in suits are rising. :ne is tall, the or a beat.

other short. POLICEMAN 0ink8 BARTON 6eah. POLICEMAN *+ +etecti#e 'astrionotti. POLICEMAN * +etecti#e +eutsch. MASTRIONOTTI L.A.P.D. BARTON .h1huh. &ll three sit in ancient maroon swing chairs. 'astrionotti perches on the edge o his chair> +eutsch slumps back in the shadows, studying Barton. DEUTSCH 7ot a couple ;uestions to ask ya. MASTRIONOTTI /hat do you do, 0ink8 Still hoarse$ BARTON ! write. DEUTSCH :h yeah8 /hat kind o write8 BARTON /ell as a matter o act, ! write or the pictures. Big MASTRIONOTTI uckin% deal.

DEUTSCH 6ou want my partner to kiss your ass8 MASTRIONOTTI /ould that be good enough or ya8 BARTON ,o, ! * ! didn%t mean to sound *

DEUTSCH /hat +!+ you mean8 BARTON ! * !%#e got respect or * guys, like you * or working

MASTRIONOTTI Jesus) &in%t that a load o ) 6ou li#e in @AB8 BARTON 6eah. DEUTSCH How long you been up there, 0ink8 BARTON & week, eight, nine days * MASTRIONOTTI !s this multiple choice8 BARTON ,ine days * "uesday * DEUTSCH 6ou know this slob8 He is holding a small black1and1white photograph out toward Barton. "here is a long beat as Barton studies the picture. BARTON ...6eah, he... he li#es next door to me. MASTRIONOTTI "hat%s right, 0ink, he li#es next door to you. DEUTSCH E#er talk to him8 BARTON ...:nce or twice. His name is Charlie 'eadows. MASTRIONOTTI 6eah, and !%m Buck 9ogers. DEUTSCH

His name is 'undt. (arl 'undt. MASTRIONOTTI &lso known as 'adman 'undt. He%s a little DEUTSCH unny in the head.

BARTON /hat did... /hat did he * MASTRIONOTTI 0unny. &s in, he likes to #entilate people with a shotgun and then cut their heads o . 6eah, he%s I... MASTRIONOTTI Started in (ansas City. Couple o housewi#es. DEUTSCH Couple o days ago we see the same '.:. out in -os 0eli4. MASTRIONOTTI +octor. Ear, nose and throat man,. &ll o DEUTSCH which he%s now missin%. MASTRIONOTTI his throat was there. DEUTSCH unny that way. BARTON

/ell, some o

DEUTSCH 5hysician, heal thysel . MASTRIONOTTI 7ood luck with no uckin% head. DEUTSCH &nyway. MASTRIONOTTI Hollywood precinct inds another sti yesterday. ,ot too ar rom here. "his one%s better looking than the doc.

DEUTSCH 0emale caucasian, thirty years old. ,ice tits. ,o head. 6ou e#er see 'undt with anyone meets that description8 MASTRIONOTTI But, you know, with the head still on. BARTON ...,o. ! ne#er saw him with anyone else. DEUTSCH So. 6ou talked to 'undt, what about8 BARTON ,othing, really. Said he was in the insurance business. +eutsch indicates 'astrionotti. DEUTSCH 6eah, and he%s Buck 9ogers. MASTRIONOTTI ,o reputable company would hire a guy like that. BARTON /ell that%s what he said. DEUTSCH /hat else8 BARTON He... !%m trying to think... ,othing, really... He... He said he liked Jack :akie pictures. 'astrionotti looks at +eutsch. +eutsch looks at 'astrionotti. & ter a beat, 'astrionotti looks back at Barton. MASTRIONOTTI 6a know, 0ink, ordinarily we say anything you might remember could be help ul. But !%ll be rank with you$ "hat is not help ul. DEUTSCH 6a see how he%s not writing it down8 MASTRIONOTTI

0ink. "hat%s a Jewish name, isn%t it8 BARTON 6eah. 'astrionotti gets to his eet, looking around the lobby.

MASTRIONOTTI 6eah, ! didn%t think this dump was restricted. He digs in his pocket. MASTRIONOTTI ...'undt has disappeared. ! don%t think he%ll be back. But... He hands Barton a card. MASTRIONOTTI ...gi#e me a call i you see him. :r i you remember something that isn%t totally idiotic. BARTON'S ROOM /e are tracking toward the paper1wrapped parcel that sits on the nightstand next to Barton%s bed. Barton enters and picks it up. He holds it looking at it, then brings it o#er to the secretary and sits. He shakes it. ,o sound> whate#er is inside is well packed. Barton holds it up to his ear and listens or a long beat, as i it were a seashell and he is listening or the sur . 0inally he puts it on his desk, beneath the picture o the bathing beauty, and starts typing, ;uickly and steadily. DISSOLVE THROUGH TO: REVERSE Some time later> Barton still types. He is ace to us> beyond him we can see the bed with its rust1colored stain. "he phone rings. Barton ignores it. !t continues to ring. or a beat,

Barton rises and exits rame> we hold on to the bed in the background. /e hear Barton%s ootsteps on the bathroom tile as the phone continues ringing. Barton sits back into He resumes typing. ANOTHER ANGLE Barton typing. "he desk trembles under the working o typewriter. Charlie%s parcel chatters. the rame stu ing cotton into each ear.

Barton takes a inished page out o the carriage and places it ace down on the growing stack to his right. He eeds in a new page. /e hear the muted ding o the ele#ator down the hall. Barton resumes typing. /e hear a knock on Barton%s door. Barton does not react, apparently not hearing. THE DOORWAY /e are close on the bottom o hallway is sliding a note beneath the door> then his shadow disappears and his ootsteps recede. "he note is a printed message headed$ 2/hile 6ou /ere :ut... 2 .nderneath are the printed words$ 26ou were called by2 and, handwritten in the space ollowing$ 2'r. Ben 7eisler.2 Handwritten below, in the message space$ 2"hank you. -ipnik lo#ed your meeting. (eep up the good work.2 Barton%s o screen typing continues steadily. FADE OUT HALLWAY & per ectly symmetrical wide low angle shot o the empty hall. Shoes are set put in ront o each door except or one in the middle background. &t the cut in we hear aint, regular typing. the door. Someone in the

/e hold or a beat. "here is no motion. "he long, empty hall. "he distant typing. /e hold.

"he typing stops. "here is a beat o

;uiet.

!t is broken by the sound o a door opening. !t is the shoeless door in the middle background. & hand reaches out to place a pair o "he hand withdraws. "he door closes. & short beat o silence. shoes in the doorway.

"he distant typing resumes. "he long empty hall. "he distant typing. FADE OUT OVER THE BLACK /e hear the distant sound o indistinct. a woman%s #oice, tinny and

WOMAN Just a minute and !%ll connect you... FADE IN: CLOSE ON BARTON His eyes are red1rimmed and wild. He sits on the edge o bed holding the phone to his ear. His #oice is unnaturally loud$ BARTON Hello8 :perator) ! can%t... :h) He stops, reaches up, takes a cotton wad out o his ear. his

/e hear #arious clicks and clacks as the telephone lines switch, and then a distant ring. "he phone rings three or our times be ore it is answered by a groggy #oice. VOICE ...Hello. BARTON 7arland, it%s me. GARLAND Barton8 /hat time is it8 &re you all

right8 BARTON 6eah, !%m ine, 7arland * ! ha#e to talk to you. !%m calling long distance. GARLAND :kay. 'u led, we hear 7arland speaking to someone else. GARLAND ...!t%s Barton. Calling long distance. Back into the recei#er$ GARLAND .../hat is it Barton8 &re you okay8 BARTON !%m ine, garland, but ! ha#e to talk with you. GARLAND 7o ahead, son. BARTON !t%s about what !%m writing, 7arland. !t%s really... ! think it%s really big. GARLAND /hat do you mean, Barton8 BARTON ,ot big in the sense o large * although it%s that too. ! mean important. "his may be the most !'5:9"&," work !%#e done. GARLAND /ell, !%m... glad to hear that * BARTON Hery important, 7arland. ! 3ust thought you should know that. /hate#er happens. ..."hat%s GARLAND ine.

BARTON Ha#e you read the Bible, 7arland8

GARLAND ...Barton, is e#erything okay8 BARTON 6es... !sn%t it8 GARLAND /ell, !%m 3ust asking. 6ou sound a little * 7uardedly$ BARTON Sound a little what8 GARLAND /ell, you 3ust... sound a little* Bitterly$ BARTON "hanks, 7arland. "hanks encouragement. He slams down the phone. OVER HIS SHOULDER & one1;uarter shot on Barton rom behind as he picks up the cotton wad and sticks it back in his right ear. He resumes typing, uriously. or all the

& ter a beat he mutters, still typing. BARTON ...,itwit. THE BATHING BEAUTY -ater. /e hear typing and the roar o CLOSE ON TYPEWRITER /e are extremely close on the key1strike area. &s we cut in Barton is typing$ 2p1o1s1t1c1a1r1d1.2 "he carriage returns a couple o typed in. "he paper is ripped out o times and 2"1H1E*E1,1+2 is the sur .%

the carriage.

CLOSE ON A STACK OF PAGES -ying ace down on the desk> the last page is added, ace down, to the pile. "he pile is picked up, its edges are straightened with a couple o thumps against the desktop, and then the pile is replaced on the desk, ace up. "he title page reads$ "THE BURLYMAN 'otion 5icture Scenario By Barton 0ink2 Barton%s right hand enters wad on top o the script. rame to deposit a small cotton

Barton%s le t hand enters to deposit another small cotton wad on top o the script. /e hear Barton walk away. /e hear bath water run. THE BATHING BEAUTY Still looking out to sea. USO HALL /e are booming down to the dance plays an up1tempo number. BARTON +ancing animatedly, almost maniacally, his the air. "he hall is crowded, but Barton is one o uni orm. USO GIRL 7iggling, dancing opposite Barton. GIRL 6ou%re cute) BARTON Caught up in his dancing, obli#ious to the girl. & white uni ormed arm reaches in to tap Barton on the shoulder. SAILOR ingers 3abbing ew men not in loor as a raucous band

%Scuse me, buddy, mind i Barton glares at him. BARTON "his is '6 dance, sailor)

! cut in8

SAILOR C%mon buddy, !%m shipping out tomorrow. 0or some reason, Barton is angry. BARTON !%m a writer) Celebrating the completion o something 7::+) +o you understand that, sailor8 !%m a WRITER! His bellowing has drawn onlookers% attention. VOICES Step aside, our1eyes) -et someone else spin the dame) 7i#e the na#y a dance) Hey, 0our10, take a hike) Barton turns uriously against the crowd.

BARTON !%m a writer, you monsters) ! C9E&"E) He points at his head. BARTON ..."his is my uni orm) He taps his skull. BARTON ..."H!S is how ! ser#e the common man) "H!S is where ! * /H&55) &n in antry man tags Barton%s chin on the button. Bodies surge. "he crowd gasps. "he band blares nightmarishly on. HOTEL HALLWAY Duiet at the cut. & ter a beat, there is a aint ding at the end o the hall and, as the ele#ator door opens, we aintly hear$ PETE "his stop$ six.

Barton, dishe#eled, emerges and stumbles wearily down the hall. He stops in ront o his door, takes his key out, and enters the room. BARTON'S POV 'astrionotti is sitting on the edge o Barton%s manuscript. +eutsch stands in beauty. ront o the bed reading

the desk staring at the bathing

MASTRIONOTTI 'other$ /hat is to become o him. 0ather$ /e%ll be hearing rom that cra4y wrestler. &nd ! don%t mean a postcard. 0ade out. "he end. He looks up at Barton. MASTRIONOTTI ...! thought you said you were a writer. DEUTSCH ! dunno, +uke. ! kinda liked it. (eep your BARTON ilthy eyes o that. olded newspaper at

+eutsch turns toward Barton and throws a him. DEUTSCH 6ou made morning papers, 0ink.

Barton opens the paper. & headline reads$ /riter 0ound Headless in Cha#e4 9a#ine. "he story has two pictures * a studio publicity portrait o 'ayhew, and a photograph o the crime scene$ two plainclothes detecti#es stare down into a gulley as a uni ormed cop restrains a pair o leashed dogs. Second one o dead. MASTRIONOTTI your riends to end up

DEUTSCH 6ou didn%t tell us you knew the dame. /ith a 3erk o his thumb, 'astrionotti indicates the bloodstained bed. MASTRIONOTTI

Sixth

loor too high

or you, 0ink8

DEUTSCH 7i#e you nose bleeds8 Barton crosses the room and sits at the staring at the newspaper. oot o the bed,

DEUTSCH Just tell me one thing, 0ink$ /here%d you put their heads8 +istractedly$ BARTON Charlie... Charlie%s back... MASTRIONOTTI ,o kidding, bright boy * we smelt 'undt all o#er this. /as he the idea man8 DEUTSCH "ell us where the heads are, maybe they%ll go easy on you. :nly MASTRIONOTTI ry you once.

Barton rubs his temples. BARTON Could you come back later8 !t%s 3ust... too hot... 'y head is killing me. DEUTSCH &ll right, orget the heads. /here%s 'undt, 0ink8 MASTRIONOTTI He teach you to do it8 DEUTSCH 6ou two ha#e some sick sex thing8 BARTON Sex8) He%s a '&,) /e /9ES"-E+) 6ou%re a sick MASTRIONOTTI uck, 0ink.

DEUTSCH &ll right, moron, you%re under arrest.

Barton seems obli#ious to the two men. BARTON Charlie%s back. !t%s hot... He%s back. +own the hall we hear the ding o the arri#ing ele#ator.

'astrionotti cocks his head with a ;ui44ical look. He rises and walks slowly out into the hall. +eutsch wathces him go. HIS POV 'astrionotti in the hallway in still looking pu44led. ...0red... +eutsch stands and pushes his suit coat back past the gun on his hip, re#ealing a pair o handcu s on his belt. He unhitches the cu s and slips one around Barton%s right wrist and the other around a loop in the wrought iron ootboard o the bed. DEUTSCH Sit tight, 0ink. THE HALLWAY &s +eutsch 3oins 'astrionotti. DEUTSCH /hy%s it so goddamn hot out here8 MASTRIONOTTI ...0red... +eutsch looks where 'astrionotti is looking. THE WALL "acky yellow luid streams down. "he walls are pouring sweat. ull shot, ramed by the door,

MASTRIONOTTI

"he hallway is ;uiet. MASTRIONOTTI AND DEUTSCH "hey look at each other. "hey look down the hall. THEIR POV

"he ele#ator stands open at the 0or a long beat, nothing.

ar end o

the empty hall.

0inally 5ete, the ele#ator man, emerges. &t this distance, he is a small igure, stumbling this way and that, his hands presseed against the sides o his head. He turns to ace 'astrionotti and +eutsch and takes a steps orward, still clutching his head. MASTRIONOTTI AND DEUTSCH /atching. PETE He takes on last step, then collapses. &s he pitches orward his hands all away rom his head. His head separates rom his neck, hits the loor, and rolls away rom his body with a dull irregular trundle sound. MASTRIONOTTI AND DEUTSCH /ide1eyed, they look at each other, then back down the hall. &ll is ;uiet. THE HALLWAY Smoke is beginning to dri t into the /e hear a muted rumble. MASTRIONOTTI AND DEUTSCH 'astrionotti tugs at his tie. He slowly unholsters his gun. +eutsch slowly, hypnotically, ollows suit. DEUTSCH ... Show yoursel , 'undt) 'ore ;uiet. THE HALLWAY 'ore smoke. LOW STEEP ANGLE ON ELEVATOR DOOR "he crack where the loor o the ele#ator meets that o the ar end o the hall. ew

hall. !t lickers with red light up. CLOSE ON MASTRIONOTTI Standing in the his ace. oreground, gun at ready. Sweat pours down rom rom below. Bottom1lit smoke si ts

Behind him, +eutsch stands ner#ously in the light1spill Barton%s doorway. "he rumble and crackle o THE HALLWAY 'ore smoke. PATCH OF WALL Sweating. & swath o wallpaper sags away rom the top o exposing glistening lath underneath. /ith a light airy pop, the lathwork catches on MASTRIONOTTI AND DEUTSCH Sweating. DEUTSCH ...'undt) THEIR POV "he hallway. !ts end1 acing1wall slowly spreads where the wallpaper droops. LOW STEEP ANGLE ON ELEVATOR DOOR 'ore red bottom1lit smoke seeps up ele#ator and hallway loors. rom the crack between lame the wall, ire. ire grows louder.

rom

/ith a groan o tension relie#ed cables and a swaying o the ele#ator door, a pair o eet crosses the threshold into the doorway. ,UMPING BACK /ide on the hallway. Charlie 'eadows has emerged ele#ator and is hellishly backlit by the lame. rom the

His suit coat hangs open. His hat is pushed back on his head. 0rom his right hand his brie case dangles. He stands motionless, acing us. "here is something monumental in his posture, shoulders thrown back. MASTRIONOTTI "ensed. Behind him, +eutsch gulps. MASTRIONOTTI "here%s a boy, 'undt. 5ut the policy case down and your mitts in the air. CHARLIE He leans slowly down to put the brie case on the CLOSE ON MASTRIONOTTI 9elax. He murmurs$ MASTRIONOTTI He%s complying. BACK TO CHARLIE He straightens up his hands. rom the brie case, a sawed1o ire. shotgun in loor.

B::') "he shotgun spits

'astrionotti%s ace is peppered by buckshot and he is blown back down the hallway into +eutsch. Bellowing ills the hallway o#er the roar o the ire$

CHARLIE LOOK UPON ME! LOOK UPON ME! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND!! THE HALLWAY "he ire starts racing down the hallway.

CLOSE STEEP ANGLE ON PATCH OF WALL 0ire races along the wall1sweat goopus. TRACK IN ON DEUTSCH His eyes widen at Charlie and the approaching dangles orgotten rom his right hand. ire> his gun

HIS POV Charlie is charging down the hallway, holding his shotgun loosely in ront o his chest, in double1time position. "he ire races along with him. He is bellowing$ CHARLIE LOOK UPON ME! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND! DEUTSCH "erri ied, he turns and runs. REVERSE PULLING DEUTSCH &s he runs down the smoke, and (arl 'undt * who, also on the run, le#els his shotgun. BOOM! PUSHING DEUTSCH His legs and eet spout blood, paddle utilely at the air, then come down in a twisting wobble, like a car on blown tires, and pitch him helplessly to the loor. PULLING CHARLIE He slows to a trot and cracks open the shotgun. PUSHING DEUTSCH /eeping and dragging himsel PULLING CHARLIE He slows to a walk. BARTON'S ROOM Barton strains at his handcu HIS POV "hrough the open doorway we see Charlie pass, pushing two shells into his shotgun. PULLING DEUTSCH s. orward on his elbows. laming hallway, pursued by lames,

Charlie looms behind him and * "H/&C( * snaps the shotgun closed. +eutsch rolls o#er to rest on his elbows, Charlie primes the shotgun * C-&C(. He presses both barrels against the bridge o CHARLIE Heil Hitler. DEUTSCH Screams. CHARLIE "ightens a BLAM! TRACK IN ON BARTON He linches. inger o#er both triggers. He s;uee4es. +eutsh%s nose. acing Charlie.

"he gunshot echoes away. Barton strains at the handcu /e hear Charlie%s THE DOORWAY Charlie, walking down the hall, glances in and seems mildly surprised to see Barton. "he set o his 3aw relaxes. His expression so tens. He pushes his hat arther back on his head. CHARLIE Barton) He shakes is head and whistles. CHARLIE ...Brother, is it hot. He walks into the room. BARTON'S ROOM &s Charlie wearily enters. s.

ootsteps approach * slowly, hea#ily.

CHARLIE How you been, buddy8 He props the shotgun in a corner and sits stared at him. CHARLIE ...+on%t look at me like that, neighbor. !t%s 3ust me * Charlie. BARTON ! hear it%s 'undt. 'adman 'undt. Charlie reaches a lask rom his pocket. acing Barton, who

CHARLIE Jesus, people can be cruel... He takes a long draught stare. rom his lask, then gi#es a haunted

CHARLIE ...i it%s not my build, it%s my personality. Charlie is perspiring hea#ily. "he hallway. ire rumbles in the

CHARLIE ..."hey say !%m a madman, Barton, but !%m not mad at anyone. Honest !%m not. 'ost guys ! 3ust eel sorry or. 6eah. !t tears me up inside, to think about what they%re going through. How trapped they are. ! understand it. ! eel or %em. So ! try and help them out... He reached up to loosen his tie and pop his collar button. CHARLIE ...Jesus. 6eah. ! know what it eels like, when things get all balled up at the head o ice. !t puts you through hell, Barton. So ! help people out. ! 3ust wish someone would do as much or me... He stares miserably down at his eet.

CHARLIE ...Jesus it%s hot. Sometimes it gets so hot, ! wanna crawl right out o my skin.

Sel 1pity$ BARTON But Charlie * why me8 /hy * CHARLIE Because you +:,%" -!S"E,) & tacky yellow luid is dripping running down his cheek. rom Charlie%s le t ear and

CHARLIE ...Jesus, !%m dripping again. He pulls some cotton rom his pocket and plugs his ear.

CHARLIE ...C%mon Barton, you think you know about pain8 6ou think ! made your li e hell8 "ake a look around this dump. 6ou%re 3ust a tourist with a typewriter, Barton. ! li#e here. +on%t you understand that... His #oice is becoming choked. CHARLIE ...&nd you come into '6 home... &nd you complain that !%' making too... much... noise. He looks up at Barton. "here is a long silence. 0inally$ BARTON ...!%m sorry. /earily$ CHARLIE +on%t be. He rises to his eet and kneels in oot o the bed. "he two men regard each other. Charlie grabs two bars o the ootboard rame, still staring at Barton. His muscles tighten, though nothing mo#es. His neck ans with e ort. &ll o his muscles tense. His ace ront o Barton at the

is a reddening grimace. /ith a shriek o protest, the metal gi#es. "he bar to which Barton is handcu ed had come loose at the top and Barton slides the cu o it, ree. Charlie gets to his !%m getting o eet. CHARLIE the merry1go1round.

He takes his shotgun and walks to the door. CHARLIE ...!%ll be next door i you need me. ace Barton.

& thought stops him at the door and he turns to Behind him the hallway bla4es. CHARLIE ...:h, ! dropped in on your &nd .ncle +a#e8 olks.

He smiles. Barton looks at him dumbly. CHARLIE ...7ood people. By the way, that package ! ga#e you8 ! lied. !t isn%t mine. He lea#es. Barton rises, picks up Charlie%s parcel, and his script. THE HALLWAY &s Barton emerges. 0lames lick the walls, causing the wallpaper to run with the tack glue sap. Smoke ills the hallway. Barton looks down the hall. HIS POV Charlie stands in ront o the door to his room, his brie case dangling rom one hand, his other hand umbling in his pocket or his key. /ith his hat pushed back on his head and his shoulders slumped with atigue, he could be any drummer returning to any hotel a ter a long hard day on the road. He opens the door and goes into his room.

BACK TO BARTON He turns and walks up the hallway, his script in one hand, the parcel in the other. & horrible moaning sound * almost human * can be heard under the roar o the ire. BLACKNESS STUDIO HALLWAY /e are tracking laterally across the lobby o building. 0rom o screen we hear$ BARTON 0ink) 'orris or -illian 0ink) Eighty1 i#e 0ulton Street) 0iltered through phone$ OPERATOR ! understand that, sir * BARTON :r .ncle +a#e) :ur track has brought Barton into rame in the oreground, unsha#en, unkempt, bellowing into the telephone. !n a hallway in the background, a secretary gestures or Barton to hurry up. OPERATOR ! understand that, sir, but there%s still no answer. Shall ! check or trouble on the line8 Barton slams down the phone. LIPNIK'S OFFICE Barton enters, still clinging on to Charlie%s parcel. -ou Bree4e stands in one corner censoriously watching Barton. -ipnik is at the ar end o the room, ga4ing out the window. LIPNIK 0ink. BARTON 'r. -ipnik. LIPNIK Colonel -ipnik, i you don%t mind. an executi#e

He turns to ace Barton and we see that he is wearing a smartly pressed uni orm with a lot o ruit salad on the chest. LIPNIK ...Siddown. Barton takes a seat acing -ipnik%s desk.

LIPNIK ...! was commissioned yesterday in the &rmy 9eser#e. Henry 'orgenthau arranged it. He%s a dear riend. BARTON Congratulations. LIPNIK &ctually it hasn%t o icially gone through yet. Had wardrobe whip this up. 6ou gotta pull teeth to get anything done in this town. ! can understand a little red tape in peacetime, but now it%s all1out war are against the Japs. -ittle yellow bastards. "hey%d lo#e to see me sit this one out. BARTON 6es sir, they * LIPNIK &nyway, ! had -ou read your script or me. He taps distaste ully at the script on his desk, which has a slightly charred title page. LIPNIK ...! gotta tell you, 0ink. !t won%t wash. BARTON /ith all due respect, sir, ! think it%s the best work !%#e done. LIPNIK +on%t gas me, 0ink. ! you%re opinion mattered, then ! guess !%d resign and let 6:. run the the studio. !t doesn%t and you won%t, and the lunatics are not going to run "H!S particular asylum. So let%s put a

stop to "H&" rumor right now. -istlessly$ BARTON 6es sir. LIPNIK ! had to call Beery this morning, let him know we were pushing the picture back. & ter all !%d told him about ;uality, about that Barton 0ink eeling. How disappointed we were. /ally was heartbroken. "he man was de#astated. He was * well, ! didn%t actually call him, -ou did. But that%s a air description, isn%t it -ou8 LOU 6es, Colonel. LIPNIK Hell, ! could take you through it step by step, explain why your story stinks, but ! won%t insult your intelligence. /ell all right, irst o all$ "his is a wrestling picture> the audience wants to see action, drama, wrestling, and plenty o it. "hey don%t wanna see a guy wrestling with his soul * well, all right, a little bit, or the critics * but you make it the carrot that wags the dog. "oo much o it and they head or exits and ! don%t blame %em. "here%s plenty o poetry right inside that ring, 0ink. -ook at 2Hell "en 0eet S;uare2. LOU 2Blood, Sweat, and Can#as2. LIPNIK -ook at 2Blood, Sweat, and Can#as2. "hese are big mo#ies, 0ink. &bout big men, in tights * both physically and mentally. But especially physically. /e don%t put /allace Beery in some ruity mo#ie about su ering * ! thought we were together on that. BARTON

!%m sorry i

! let you down.

LIPNIK 6ou didn%t let 'E down. :r e#en -ou. /e don%t li#e or die by what you scribble, 0ink. 6ou let Ben 7eisler down. He liked you. "rusted you. &nd that%s why he%s gone. 0ired. "hat guy had a heart as big as the outdoors, and you ucked him. He tried to con#ince me to ire you too, but that would be too easy. ,o, you%re under contract and you%re gonna stay that way. &nything you write will be the property o Capitol 5ictures. &nd Capitol 5ictures will not produce anything you write. ,ot until you grow up a little. 6ou ain%t no writer, 0ink * you%re a goddamn write1o . BARTON ! tried to show you something beauti ul. Something about all o US "his sets -ipnik o $

LIPNIK 6ou arrogant sono abitch) 6ou think you%re the only writer who can gi#e me that Barton 0ink eeling8) ! got twenty writers under contract that ! can ask or a 0inktype thing rom. 6ou swell1headed hypocrite) 6ou 3ust don%t get it, do you8 6ou think the whole world re#ol#es inside whate#er rattles inside that little kike head o yours. 7et him outta my sight, -ou. 'ake sure he stays in town, though> he%s still under contract. ! want you in town, 0ink, and outta my sight. ,ow get lost. "here%s a war on. THE SURF Crashing against the 5aci ic shore. THE BEACH &t midday, almost deserted. !n the distance we see Barton walking.

"he paper1wrapped parcel swings hand. BARTON

rom the twine in his le t

He walks a ew more paces and sits down on the sand, looking out to see. His ga4e shi ts to one side. HIS POV +own the beach, a bathing beauty walks along the edge o water. She looks much like the picture on the wall in Barton%s hotel room. BARTON He stares, trans ixed, at the woman. THE WOMAN Hery beauti ul, backlit by the sun, approaching. BARTON 0ollowing her with his eyes. THE WOMAN Her eyes meet Barton%s. She says something, but her #oice is lost in the crash o the sur . Barton cups a hand to his ear. BEAUTY ! said it%s a beauti ul day... BARTON 6es... !t is... BEAUTY /hat%s in the box8 Barton shrugs and shakes his head. BARTON ! don%t know. BEAUTY !sn%t it yours8 BARTON !... ! don%t know... the

She nods and sits down on the sand se#eral paces away rom him, acing the water but looking back o#er her shoulder at Barton. BARTON ...6ou%re #ery beauti ul. &re you in pictures8 She laughs. BEAUTY +on%t be silly. She turns away to look out at the sea. WIDER 0acing the ocean. Barton sits in the middle to us, the box in the sand next to him. oreground, back

"he bathing beauty sits, back to us, in the middle background. "he sur pounds. "he sun sparkles o THE END the water.