Manhattan murder mystery
Screenplay Story Analysis
How scenes compare to the Scripts in our Library
| Percentile | Before | After | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dialogue | 7.6 | 47 | Shaun of the Dead: 7.5 | get out: 7.6 |
| Plot | 7.9 | 39 | Queens Gambit: 7.8 | Everything everywhere all at once: 7.9 |
| High Stakes | 6.6 | 29 | The whale: 6.5 | Manhattan murder mystery: 6.6 |
| Concept | 7.6 | 28 | Birdman: 7.5 | face/off: 7.6 |
| Conflict Level | 6.9 | 27 | Community: 6.8 | Erin Brokovich: 6.9 |
| Story Forward | 7.3 | 22 | The whale: 7.2 | Manhattan murder mystery: 7.3 |
| Overall | 7.9 | 13 | Mind Hunter: 7.8 | heathers : 7.9 |
| Emotional Impact | 6.3 | 12 | Mind Hunter: 6.2 | Rear Window: 6.3 |
| Characters | 7.8 | 11 | Catch me if you can: 7.7 | sense 8: 7.8 |
| Character Changes | 4.8 | 8 | Rear Window: 4.7 | Manhattan murder mystery: 4.8 |
| Story Content | Character Development | Scene Elements | Audience Engagement | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scene Number | Full Analysis | Tone | Overall Grade | Concept | Plot | Characters | Character Changes | Conflict | High stakes | Story forward | Emotional Impact | Dialogue | |
| 1 | Manhattan Murder Mystery | "Light-hearted and witty" | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | |
| 2 | The Invitation | "Light-hearted" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 7 | |
| 3 | Stamp Collections and Dinner Plans | "Light-hearted" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
| 4 | Date Night and Neighborhood Chats | "Light-hearted" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
| 5 | Unexpected Tragedy | "Somber" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 7 | |
| 6 | Desserts and Dreams | "Light-hearted" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 | |
| 7 | A Night of Conversation and Tragedy | "Humorous, with a tinge of sadness" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 9 | |
| 8 | Tragedy at Every Turn | "somber" | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | |
| 9 | Discovering Paul's Secret | "Serious" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 | |
| 10 | Late Night Tension | "Suspenseful" | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |
| 11 | Paranoia and Suspicion | "suspenseful" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | |
| 12 | Investigating Paul | "Suspenseful" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | |
| 13 | Carol's Investigation | "Suspenseful" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 14 | Poker Lessons and Paranoia | "Nervous" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | |
| 15 | Undercover Investigation | "Tense" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | |
| 16 | The Glasses | "Tense" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | |
| 17 | Stakeout | "suspenseful" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 6 | |
| 18 | Behind the Screen | "Tense" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |
| 19 | Carol and Larry Break into Paul's Apartment | "Tense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | |
| 20 | Larry and Carol Break into Paul's Apartment | "Tense" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 21 | Surveillance and Wine Tasting | "Tense" | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | |
| 22 | Carol's Discovery | "somber" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | |
| 23 | The Bus Sighting | "tense" | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 24 | The Bus Sighting | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 25 | The Search for Paul's Wife | "Tense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | |
| 26 | Larry and Carol's Awkward Car Conversation | "Tense" | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | |
| 27 | The Hotel Lobby | "tense" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | |
| 28 | Mrs. Caine's Room | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | |
| 29 | Carol and Larry Identify a Dead Body in Hotel Room | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 30 | Dead Body Find | "Uneasy" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 31 | Misguided Investigation | "tense, comedic" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | |
| 32 | Stuck in the Elevator | "Suspenseful" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 33 | Elevator Panic | "Tense and comedic" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 34 | Chasing the Suspect | "Tense and humorous" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | |
| 35 | Discovering the Corpse | "Suspenseful, Dramatic" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | |
| 36 | Puzzle-solving and Late Night Dinners | "tense" | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | |
| 37 | The Perfect Murder Theory | "Light-hearted" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 9 | |
| 38 | Bluffing About a Dead Body | "Humorous and Tense" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | |
| 39 | The Perfect Murder Plan | "Suspenseful" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | |
| 40 | Auditioning the Suspects | "Serious" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | |
| 41 | Helen's Voice | "suspenseful" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |
| 42 | The Phone Call | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | |
| 43 | The Failed Phone Call Trap | "tense" | 8.5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | |
| 44 | Trapping the Killer | "tense" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | |
| 45 | Backstage Showdown | "Suspenseful" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | |
| 46 | Confrontation on the Backstage | "Tense" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |
| 47 | The Final Showdown | "Tense and dramatic with moments of humor" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | |
Scene 1 - Manhattan Murder Mystery
Screenplay by
Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
NOTE
Most of the sequences in this production are filmed using a
hand-
held camera or a Steadycam. These very mobile cameras move
around
the set, and get constantly closer and further from the
characters. Still, we'll be using the usual technical terms,
such
as «long shot» or «full shot» or «medium shot» here and
there to
give the reader an idea of the location of the camera at the
beginning of each sequence. And then we'll mention the
movements
of the camera.
TRISTAR LOGO
Winged white horse flying over clouds
BLACK SCREEN
CREDITS IN WHITE LETTERS ON BLACK SCREEN
We hear jazz music during the credits.
END OF CREDITS
NEW-YORK - AERIAL VIEW - EXTERIOR NIGHT
While the camera is flying over New-York, we keep on hearing
the
jazz music.
The camera reaches a round building that looks like a
stadium and
starts moving around the building.
HOCKEY GAME - INTERIOR NIGHT
Long shot on the skating rink. A hockey game is in progress
on the
rink. The camera follows a player, and then pans on the
audience.
The camera stops on a medium shot of Larry and Carol, a
couple in
their early fifties. Larry seems fascinated by the game, but
Carol
seems to find it boring. She looks at the ceiling, and then
puts
her hand over her mouth to suppress a yawn. Larry turns
toward
her.
LARRY
Come on.
CAROL
What?
LARRY
You promised to sit through the entire hockey game without
being bored and I'll sit through the Wagner opera with you
next week.
CAROL
I know, honey, I promised. I know.
LARRY
I already bought the earplugs.
CAROL
Yeah. Well, with your eyesight, I'm surprised you can see
the puck.
The crowd starts yelling and we guess that one of the
players has
done something really good. Carol mockingly claps her hands.
CAROL
Yay, hooray.
Then she raises her eyes to the ceiling, seeming more bored
than
ever.
LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR NIGHT
A nice-looking apartment building in New-York.
Full shot of the lobby. We see the street through the glass
door.
An uniformed attendant is standing near a counter, on which
he is
writing on a book.
Larry and Carol are coming from the street and entering the
building. He is carrying some shopping bags, and she is
reading a
newspaper, the «Daily News».
LARRY
God. I can't wait to get into bed and stretch out.
CAROL
Yeah.
The attendant slightly turns around and bows to them. They
bow
back to him. He goes back to his book-keeping, and the
couple
keeps on walking through the lobby.
LARRY
You know, there's a Bob Hope movie on television later.
CAROL
know. Can you believe this guy in Indiana ? Killed twelve
victims, dismembered them and ate them.
LARRY
Really ? Well, it's an alternative lifestyle.
CAROL
Yeah, I'll say.
They reach the two elevators. Larry presses the call-button
on the
wall between the two elevators.
LARRY'S BUILDING - ELEVATOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot inside the cabin of the elevator. The inner door
slides open. Carol enters first, still reading her
newspaper.
Larry enters behind her and presses a button on the control
panel.
PAUL (voice over)
Hold the elevator.
LILLIAN (voice over)
I'm coming.
Hearing people's voices, Larry puts his hand on the edge of
the
door to keep it from closing.
PAUL (voice over)
Hold the elevator.
Paul and Lilian enter the elevator. They are a middle-aged
couple.
He is bald and tall, and very smily. She is small, with grey
hair.
LILLIAN
That's right.
PAUL
Thank you.
Lilian has a broad smile when she recognizes Larry and
Carol. The
elevator door slides shut. Lilian looks at Carol.
LILLIAN
I, uh, I see you at the gym sometimes.
CAROL
Oh, you do ?
LILLIAN
Yeah, we live in the apartment down the hall.
CAROL
Oh, well, I go whenever I have the discipline.
LILLIAN
It's important to put that time in. It does wonders.
CAROL
Oh god, yeah. I agree with you.
LILLIAN
Exercising changed my life.
CAROL
Well, geez...
LARRY
I prefer to atrophy. I'm not a very exercise person.
PAUL
We bought a treadmill last week.
CAROL
Oh, well, we had one. But you know, we got rid of it
because it was just taking up too much space.
LILLIAN
Oh, it-it-it...
LARRY
Because you have to turn it on and get on it once in a
while. That was her problem.
LILLIAN
Hey, I... exactly, I... and it's so confusing, with all
those buttons and computerized programs. I'm just never
gonna get that.
LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
Ratings
Scene 2 - The Invitation
walls,
grey carpeting, dark wooden doors.
We hear the elevator door opening and Carol comes out,
followed by
Lilian, Larry and Paul. They all talk together and we can
hardly
understand the following dialogue.
CAROL
Oh, I know. It's late.
LILLIAN
It's so wonderful, meeting.
CAROL
Oh, well, yeah.
PAUL
It is just like New York. You have neighbors. You never
meet them... You guys...
The following line, said by Lilian, is clearer and we
understand
it better.
LILLIAN
... I've seen you so many times in the hallway, you know...
and I've always wanted to come up and say hallo.
PAUL
Well, anyway... good night.
Larry and Carol walk away from Lilian and Paul, who remain
near
the elevator.
CAROL (voice over)
Good night. Such a lovely couple. You know that...
Paul bends down to pick up something on the carpet. Lilian
walks
one step in Larry's direction.
LILLIAN
Oh, uh, say, hello ?
Paul starts opening his apartment door, just across the
hallway
from the elevator.
CAROL (voice over)
Huh ? Yeah ?
LILLIAN
Huh, listen... why don't you come in for a-a-a second and
have a drink with us ? I mean, we'd really love that.
The camera pans around toward Larry and Carol. Larry makes a
negative sign with his hand.
CAROL
Oh, oh well that'd be fine...
PAUL (voice over)
She makes great Irish coffee.
Mute conversation between Carol and Larry. Larry evidently
doesn't
want to accept Lilian's invitation, but Carol wants to.
LILLIAN (voice over)
Oh, please ? Uh uh, I want you to give me a treadmill
lesson.
LARRY
There's a movie on television I want to watch.
Carol starts walking toward Lilian and Paul's apartment,
followed
reluctantly by Larry.
The camera pans around during Carol's next line, and we see
Carol
entering Lilian an Paul's apartment.
CAROL
Oh, about the tread... oh, well, if I can figure it out,
then believe me, anybody can.
She laughs, and Larry, entering the apartment behind her,
utters a
forced laugh.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
The cosy apartment of middle upper-class people. The
decoration
looks like them.
Medium shot of Lilian walking across the bedroom toward the
large
double bed. She walks near the famous treadmill.
LILLIAN
Have a look at the instructions. They drive me crazy. You
know ? I don't know what I'm doing at all. Let's look...
CAROL (voice over)
No. Please, it's easy.
Lilian picks up a book on a table near the bed.
LILLIAN
Wonderful book they've given me. Now I'm at level five.
CAROL (voice over)
What ?
LILLIAN
That I know.
CAROL (voice over)
You're that advanced ?
LILLIAN
Well, yeah.
CAROL (voice over)
God, I only got to level two.
Lilian brings the book to Carol.
LILLIAN
Look at these diagrams. Do you believe this ?
CAROL
That's amazing.
She is standing near the treadmill. Lilian shows her one of
the
diagram in the book.
LILLIAN
I can't understand this even.
CAROL
Let me see.
LILLIAN
Yeah, well. See this ?
CAROL
Okay.
PAUL'S APPARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
One of the wall could be a bay window, but, for the moment,
it is
entirely covered by a beige drape.
Medium shot of Paul bringing a stamp book to Larry.
PAUL
Now, let me show you a mint 1933 airmail. Very rare... and
very beautiful.
Larry is seated near a small table, on which Paul puts the
book
down. Paul sits down next to Larry.
LARRY
Yeah.
Paul picks up a special philatelist magnifying glass and
puts it
in front of the stamp, for Larry to have a better look at
it.
PAUL
Look at that. And this plate block is quite unique because
it has a flaw in the engraving. See if you can see it.
Larry, who is not interested in philately at all, scratches
his
head.
LARRY
Uh, it's hard for me.
PAUL
Actually I'll give you a little hint. Right down here in
the corner.
LARRY
That tiny thing there ?
PAUL
Interesting, yeah.
LARRY
Ah, you have a really...
PAUL
That makes it quite valuable, you see. And I just got a
commemorative set of issues that are going to be quite
valuable, too.
He picks up a transparent envelope inside which are several
stamps.
LARRY
Yes.
PAUL
Look at the color, right there. All these are gonna become
a real f...
Larry stands up.
LARRY
Well, listen... we're probably keeping you up, right ?
PAUL
Oh, no-no-no. This is wonderful.
LARRY
I should be going.
PAUL
What do you do, if I may ask ?
LARRY
Me ? I'm in book publishing. I work up at Harper's.
PAUL
Are you really ?
LARRY
Yeah.
PAUL
I own an old, uh, cinema. Having it redone.
Ratings
Scene 3 - Stamp Collections and Dinner Plans
Oh.
PAUL
Used to have a string of three, but, you know, business is
not what it used to be.
He picks up some more stamps from the table.
PAUL
Now, look at these presidentials. Look at the color work.
Even the perforations are still intact.
LARRY
Where's Carol ?
PAUL
All the...
LARRY
Because I should really be going, actually.
PAUL
Oh, really ?
LARRY
Yeah. I mean, so, we...
In the background, behind Larry, we see Carol and Lilian
entering
the room.
LILLIAN
Coffee's ready !
LARRY
Oh, coffee. I forgot coffee.
He turns around to face the women.
PAUL (voice over)
Good. We can get back to this later. Come on in.
We see Paul's hand on Larry's shoulder, pushing him toward
the
centre of the room.
A little later.
Full shot of the room. They are all seated around a low
table,
Larry and Carol on the sofa, Paul and Lilian on two
armchairs.
They've just finished their coffee.
LILLIAN
Well, we've never had any children, but it's easy to
empathize. Oh, um, uh, what college does your son attend ?
CAROL
Brown.
LILLIAN
Oh.
PAUL
Nice color.
They all laugh.
LILLIAN
Paul never attended college. He's self-made.
PAUL
Always regretted it. I think knowledge is the second most
important thing. First is health, then knowledge, then
money.
Larry puts his cup down on the low table.
LARRY
You know, it's amazing how time, we,... we'll just...
LILLIAN
And, do you work ?
Larry stands up.
CAROL
Huh ? Do I ?
LILLIAN
Yes.
Larry looks at Carol and sits back on the sofa.
CAROL
Oh, well, I actually, um, I used to work at an ad agency,
but that was many years ago.
The camera moves closer to Carol and Larry.
CAROL
But... You know, I've been seriously thinking of starting a
little restaurant. But, well, Larry, he's trying to talk me
out of it.
LARRY
Oh, she's a great cook, though, really. Her duck and fennel
omelette on a bed of scallops and Hollandaise sauce with
truffles and sweetbreads'll make you snap into a fetal
position and have you in bed screaming for a month.
CAROL
He loves to tease me, but actually, he really loves exotic
food.
LILLIAN
My weakness is any rich dessert, cream, butter, anything
with fat.
CAROL
Oh, really ? Oh well, let... listen... I'll fix you a
dessert that'll make your eyeballs roll up. You'll have to
exercise for a month to work it off.
LILLIAN
Yeah.
PAUL (voice over)
We're going to Le Cirque for our anniversary.
CAROL
No, really ?
The camera moves around, away from Larry and Carol, to Paul.
LILLIAN (voice over)
Yes. Twenty-eight years. November.
CAROL (voice over)
Really ?
PAUL
Well, what do you buy the woman who buys everything ?
The camera moves around backward, away from Paul and back to
Larry
and Carol.
LILLIAN
We already have twin cemetery plots.
LARRY
Well, it's... I always think a Bentley is in good taste.
You know, or you can go the route that I went with her. On
her twentieth, I got her some very lovely handkerchiefs.
CAROL
Yeah. Oh no. But, you know, they had my initials on them.
LARRY
Yeah, it was a very, very high-class item. I didn't even
know her size. I'm going over.
Carol bursts out laughing.
Black screen. Actually, we are in :
LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
Carol and Larry's apartment is quite different from the one
we've
just left. It is the apartment of a couple of New-York
intellectuals, with nice, artistic furniture. We hear a door
opening.
LARRY
Jesus, couldn't you keep the conversation going a little
longer in there ?
Lights are switched on.
Full shot. We see only part of the hall, the camera being in
a
corridor, and the walls of the corridor concealing part of
the
hall.
Carol enters the apartment, and Larry holds the door for
her.
LARRY
I was signaling you frantically.
Larry closes the door.
CAROL
I was just trying to be neighborly.
LARRY
Neighborly ? If this guy showed me his stamp collection one
more time... I mean, my favorite thing in life is to, you
know, look at canceled postage.
The camera follows Larry walking in the corridor toward :
LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
Actually there are two large beds in the bedroom, the room
being
divided by a partition set between the two beds. The
partition is
only a half wall. There is a opening, without door, at each
end of
the partition, to go from one section of the room to the
other.
CAROL (voice over)
Oh, come on, Larry. It was sweet. They, you know, they're
looking forward to their anniversary.
Medium shot of Larry taking his jacket off. He puts it on a
chair.
LARRY
Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing that Bob Hope movie.
I don't know why they put it on so late.
The camera turns back to the corridor and Carol, still in
the
front hall.
CAROL
You know, do you think that's gonna happen to us ?
LARRY (voice over)
What ?
Ratings
Scene 4 - Date Night and Neighborhood Chats
CAROL
Well, that we'll become like them ? You know, just another
dull aging couple, you know, with our little walks, you
know...
She walks into the bedroom.
LARRY (voice over)
We are a dull aging couple.
CAROL
Our TV, our lox and bagels. And... and our twin cemetery
plots ?
Larry is seated on his bed. Carol looks at some pills
bottles on
the night table.
LARRY
No, we should be as lucky as them. To, you know, to be in
their physical shape, at their age ? They look great. Did
you see the dumbbells this guy lifts ? If I lifted
dumbbells like those, I would get a hernia the size of the
San Andrea's Fault.
CAROL
How often do you think they make love ?
She goes out of the main part of the room, and the camera
follows
her.
She sits down on the other bed and starts taking her shoes
off.
LARRY (voice over)
Oh, you know, probably more than we do, in their shape. You
know, I'm sure as much as once a week.
CAROL
Larry ?
LARRY (voice over)
I'm exhausted. What ?
CAROL
Do you still find me attractive ?
LARRY (voice over)
Of course. What kind of question is that ? Of course I do.
Carol stands up from the bed and moves across the room. The
camera, still located in the main part of the room, follows
Carol,
so we don't actually see her walking, but we see the
partition and
the large clock on it.
CAROL (voice over from behind the partition)
Yeah, but we're not turning into a pair of comfortable old
shoes, are we ? Do you think ?
Carol reappears on the other side of the partition.
LARRY (voice over)
Never comfortable.
CAROL
No ?
Larry's head appears in the forefront of the shot. He is
still
seated on the bed.
LARRY
I don't think you have to worry about that.
MARKET PLACE - EXTERIOR DAY
Long shot on a large outdoor antique market place in New-
York.
The camera pans along the stands in the market, showing
sellers
and customers.
LARRY (voice over)
How you guys doing ?
SY (voice over)
We're fine.
MARILYN (voice over)
We're good.
SY (voice over)
We like that. We're gonna get this one.
MARILYN (voice over)
That's very nice, actually.
LARRY (voice over)
So, actually...
MARILYN (voice over)
Listen, are we going to see you at Elaine's Thursday ?
CAROL (voice over)
Oh, no. Thursday's our Wagner opera.
Medium shot on a stand around which Larry, Carol, Sy and
Marilyn
are standing. Sy and Marilyn are a couple about the same age
as
Carol and Larry.
MARILYN
Uh...hum. You know... Ted's coming to Elaine's with us.
CAROL
Ted.
MARILYN
Yeah.
CAROL
How is Ted ?
MARILYN
He's... he seems to be doing well. I mean, I... I actually
think he's glad... I think he's glad he's divorced.
SY
Well, I don't think he's... no, he's not doing... Come on,
he's not doing well at all. He's not used to it.
MARILYN
Well he looks... I think he looks, you know, like he's
glad.
Sy looks at some of the antique displayed on the stand.
SY
Yeah, yeah. This.
LARRY
So what do you want to do ? you guys gonna browse, or...
SY
No, we're gonna go to a movie.
MARILYN
Yeah, we're gonna go see «Double indemnity».
CAROL
Oh, really ?
MARILYN
Yeah.
SY
Why don't you come with us ?
MARILYN
It starts in a little while.
MOVIE THEATER - INTERIOR NIGHT
Full shot of the screen of the theater, on which the film
«Double
Indemnity» is shown. And under the screen, in the dark, the
back
of some of the spectator's heads.
This film is a very famous 1944 film directed by Billy
Wilder, and
referred by the Library of Congress as one of the hundred
best
films of the Twentieth Century. The term «double indemnity»
refers
to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles
the
payout in cases when death is caused by certain accidental
means.
BARTON KEYES (played by Edward G. Robinson)
I'd have the police after her so fast, it'd make her head
spin. They'd put her through the wringer. And brother, the
things they would squeeze out.
WALTER NEFF (played by Fred MacMurray)
They haven't got a single thing to go on, Keyes.
BARTON KEYES
Oh, not too much, I guess. Just twenty-six year
experience... All the percentage there is, and this hunk of
concrete in my stomach.
The third character in the sequence, Phyliss Dietrichson,
played
by Barbara Stanwyck, is half-hiding behind a wall.
NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR NIGHT
Full shot of the street, where Larry's apartment building is
located. The camera is set near the entrance of the
building, and
Carol and Larry are walking toward us.
CAROL
God, that movie was great, wasn't it ?
LARRY
Yeah, I... I... it was one of my favorites.
CAROL
I loved it.
Ratings
Scene 5 - Unexpected Tragedy
It just... they were all so wonderful, in the picture.
CAROL
You know, who could we fix Ted up with ? I mean, there must
be somebody in your office.
LARRY
Ted ?
CAROL
Yeah.
LARRY
Well, I don't know. Ted... I always thought Ted had a crush
on you.
CAROL
Me ?
She laughs. They have reached their building. The camera
turns
around to follows them inside the building. Larry puts his
hand on
Carol's back to guide her inside the building. We see an
ambulance
revolving light reflected in the glass door of the building.
LARRY
Yeah. Why are you so stunned ? I think that...
CAROL
Please. I mean, you know, I adore him, but you know, he's
like a girlfriend to me.
LARRY
Uh. Now he's divorced, you know ?
CAROL
Do I detect a note of jealousy ?
The camera is still on the sidewalk near the entrance of the
building and we see Carol and Larry walking toward the
elevators.
LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
A short black screen, which actually is just a close shot on
the
outer door of the elevator. This door slides open, and we
get a
medium shot of Larry and Carol inside the elevator.
They seem surprised by what they see on the landing. There
is a
gathering of neighbors, which we don't yet see. But we hear
their
voices.
NEIGHBOR (voice over)
I had to come up here and call nine-one-one.
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
So what's the trouble ?
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR
Oh, is that the-that the E.M.S.
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
That guy's so excited.
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
The doctor and the E.M.S.
The camera follows Larry walking toward the group of
neighbors.
Paul's door is wide open.
LARRY
What's the matter ? What's going on ? What happened ?
He is answered by a tall male neighbor.
TALL NEIGHBOR
She had a heart attack.
CAROL (voice over)
Oh my God !
TALL NEIGHBOR
Sh-She's dead.
The camera turns around to show us inside the apartment.
There is
a stretcher standing in the corridor. On the stretcher, a
body -
Lilian's body - is covered by a white sheet. Three men are
standing near the stretcher, one of them wearing green
gloves and
writing on a clipboard, another one carrying a black leather
case
(he is evidently a doctor).
LARRY (voice over)
She-she's dead ?
CAROL (voice over)
Dead ?
NEIGHBOR (voice over)
They're giving Mr. House a sedative right now. He's running
around like crazy.
The camera turns back to the tall neighbor standing near the
front
door. A policeman enters the apartment.
TALL NEIGHBOR
I called E.M.S. and they got here as soon as they could,
but it was too late.
LARRY
Sh-We just met her last night.
The camera turns back inside the corridor. The doctor is
coming
toward the front door.
OLD FEMALE NEIGHBOR (voice over)
Awful, just awful.
LARRY (voice over)
What happened ?
DOCTOR
Well, it was a classic coronary. She just went like that.
The camera turns back toward the group of neighbors.
CAROL
Is there anything we can do ?
LARRY
Oh, my God.
DOCTOR (voice over)
You can be good neighbors. You know, we calmed him down,
uh...
LARRY
Th-Th-Th-The first time we saw them was last night. We just
met them. W-We had... They invited us in for coffee.
TALL NEIGHBOR
Such a... S... Such a nice lady.
OLD FEMALE NEIGHBOR
Nice lady.
NEIGHBOR WITH A MOUSTACHE
Sweet person.
NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR NIGHT
Full shot on the entrance of Larry's building. Larry and
Carol are
coming out. They are very elegantly dressed, Larry wearing a
suit
and a necktie.
CAROL
God, okay.
LARRY
You look wonderful.
Paul is coming down the street toward the entrance of the
building. He is carrying some grocery in a paper bag.
CAROL
Oh, hallo.
PAUL
Hi.
CAROL
Hi, Mr. House, so... sorry.
PAUL
Thank you so much for those wonderful flowers.
Paul seems very relax. He smiles a lot, which could be
surprising,
when we understand he put his wife in the grave only a
couple of
days ago.
CAROL
Oh.
PAUL
It was quite nice of you.
CAROL
That's... sure.
LARRY
If there's anything we can do. You know, anything you need,
just tell us and we'll...
CAROL
No, anything. Anything at all. I mean, God, it's just such
a shock when anyone... It was just so sudden. I mean, she
seemed so... God, well, healthy.
LARRY
Yeah.
PAUL
She had a heart condition.
CAROL
She did ? She never mentioned it... It... that she was...
LARRY
Ah.
Ratings
Scene 6 - Desserts and Dreams
She wouldn't have.
CAROL
No. Right. Well...
LARRY
If there's anything we can do.
CAROL
Yeah, anything. Really.
LARRY
You know, if you need anything, if you are lonely, come by.
You know.
PAUL
Thank you. You know, you owe me a wonderful French dessert.
CAROL
Oh, no, no, no. I know, I haven't forgotten. Believe me, I
haven't forgotten.
PAUL
Well, have a nice time. You seem all gussied up.
CAROL
Yeah. Oh, I know. We're going to the opera.
PAUL
Oh, enjoy.
LARRY
My favorite, my favorite.
PAUL
Goodnight.
He walks away toward the entrance of the building, still
smiling a
lot and looking very happy. Carol looks at him with a
question on
her face.
LARRY
Goodnight.
CAROL
Goodnight.
LARRY
Come, we're gonna be late.
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE - EXTERIOR NIGHT
Long shot on the Met building.
We hear the music from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman.
The camera slowly tilts down. We don't see Carol and Larry
yet,
but we hear their voices.
CAROL (voice over)
The deal was, I sit through the ice hockey game and you
watch the whole opera.
The camera is now on ground level, and we see Carol and
Larry
coming out of the Met.
LARRY
I can't listen to that much Wagner, you know. I start to
get the urge to conquer Poland.
They cross the esplanade in front of the Met.
ELAINE'S RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
Elaine's is a cosy place, like there are many around
Greenwich
Village.
Carol and Larry are eating at Elaine's with Sy, Marilyn and
Ted.
Ted is a quite handsome man in his forties.
We get a medium full view of the party, with a very mobile
camera
moving around the table and going from one person to
another,
getting closer to one person, then moving slightly away.
SY
I'll tell you something. I think it's weird. I mean, listen
to this. One night she's having coffee, and the next night
they are carrying her out in a rubber bag.
CAROL
Oh, I know, I know. And she did not look like she was ready
to go.
TED
Maybe this guy killed her, you know ? Like, he's got, like,
a young tootsie stashed someplace, or something.
LARRY
No, no, not this... you gotta, you gotta see this guy. This
guy gets his jollies from licking the back of postage
stamps. He's a-a boring old...
TED
Well, I can see that. Yeah, depending on whose picture is
on the stamp.
CAROL
She never once mentioned that she had a heart condition.
LARRY
Well, what is she gonna say ? Oh, yeah, hello, I'm Mrs.
House and I have a bad heart.
CAROL
Well, she had no problem telling me about her hysterectomy
in the first five minutes.
SY
It is much easier to talk about a hysterectomy than it is
to talk about a heart condition.
TED
You said she liked... she liked eating high cholesterol
desserts. Is that what you said ?
LARRY
So, she had one too many.
CAROL
No. No ! She wasn't on a diet. We discussed diets.
LARRY
So she wasn't on a diet. But...
TED
This would be a really great way to kill somebody.
SY
How ?
TED
You clog their arteries with whipped cream, chocolate
mousse, butter. They go like that.
Carol is laughing very heartily at Ted's joke.
SY
That's great.
LARRY
I like a... It's disgusting.
TED
you know what I mean ?
LARRY
It's disgusting, but a... It's fatal.
TED
Wouldn't that be great ?
MARILYN
I'd like to French-pastry myself to death right now.
SY
I'll help you.
MARILYN
I really would.
SY
All right.
MARILYN
In fact, I'd like another piece of pie, right after this.
Do I dare ? I like yours better than this.
TED
Are you gonna start a restaurant ? Are you serious about
that ?
MARILYN
You really should. you're a great cook.
TED
Because, if you do, count me in. I wanna be part of that.
Really.
LARRY
Really ?
MARILYN
You should.
CAROL
No. Well, I don't know. I mean, you... Are you serious ?
TED
Yeah. Oh, oh, God, it'd be wonderful.
LARRY
What are you encouraging her for ? It's so...
TED
She's great. She's a great cook.
LARRY
I know, but...
CAROL
Well, it's thanks to you, actually. I mean, it was his
idea. The cooking lessons, so I mean...
TED
Yes, I had...
SY
Yes, but a restaurant is a serious business. I mean, you
just can't take that lightly. You can't be cavalier about a
restaurant.
CAROL
I'm not being cavalier about it.
LARRY
Do you know how time-consuming it is ? Yeah. You have to be
there every night.
SY
Absolutely.
LARRY
You'd be stuck there, you know.
TED
Wait. Look, look.
LARRY
They steal from, if you're not... You gotta be hap...
CAROL
But it's bi... it's what I do. It's-It's what I do, Larry.
TED
She'll cook... She's great. She's-She's a pro. She's a pro.
She'll be cooking... She'll be cooking in the kitchen. I'll
be at the front, running the joint like Rick, you know, in
«Casablanca».
Ratings
Scene 7 - A Night of Conversation and Tragedy
It's not that easy.
MARILYN
You do it anyway. Right as well get paid for it.
LARRY
Right. Directs...
TED
I'm set, I'm serious about it. I don't... I mean, it's not
like a hobby. I mean, it's gotta be a serious thing.
SY
I'll be the first customer.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot of Carol coming out of the bathroom. She
switches the
bathroom light off. She is wearing a pink night dress.
The camera turns toward Larry's bed, in which Larry is
already
lying. He has a book in his hands.
LARRY
You know, I was thinking of fixing Ted up with Helen Dubin.
You know, I figured they would just, you know, get into an
argument over penis envy, or something.
CAROL
Oh.
LARRY
The poor guy suffers from it so...
Carol puts something on the night-table on her side of the
bed.
CAROL
Did he seem a little too cheerful ?
She looks at some pills bottles on the night table.
LARRY
No, he seemed like his regular self to me, but-but, uh,
when you brought up the notion of the restaurant... the guy
lit up like Mr. Glowworm.
CAROL
The restaurant ?
She picks up a hair brush.
LARRY
Yeah. He sees himself as, uh, you know, as Humphrey Bogart
in Casablanca. I-I see him more as Peter Lorre, wringing
his hands.
Carol starts walking toward the other section of the room.
The
camera follows her.
CAROL
No, no, no. No, no, no. I mean, Mr. House, Mr. House.
Didn't seem a little too cheerful to you ?
LARRY (voice over)
Mr. House, our next-door widower ?
Carol stops in front of a large mirror set on the wall in
one
corner of the room.
CAROL
Yes. Yes. I mean, there's... Well, you know. I mean, didn't
he seem too compose for a man whose wife just died. Don't
you think ?
LARRY (voice over)
Well, Jesus. What do you want the guy to do, walk down the
street sobbing hysterically ?
Carol starts brushing her hair.
CAROL
Well, I don't know. All I know is, they were supposedly
looking forward to their, you know... anniversary, and,
and, and, you know, uh-uh, i-i-if... I suddenly dropped
dead... wouldn't you sob for months, or-or years, if I...
You know...
LARRY (voice over)
Hey, don't make those kind of jokes, okay ? I don't like
those remarks. And, meanwhile, I'm the guy who needs a
physical check-up.
CAROL
Oh, I don't know.
LARRY (voice over)
Uh, uh.
Carol walks to a chest of drawers, on top of which she drops
the
hairbrush. Then she switches the lights off in the other
section
of the bedroom, and walks back to the bed.
CAROL
I mean, to me he just seemed a little too perky. You know ?
Now, suddenly he wants his French desserts, and, «Have a
nice time, you know, at the opera». And, my God, «We're
certainly dressed up». I mean, you know. This guy should be
a wreck.
She sits down on her side of the bed, and takes her socks
off.
While talking, Larry puts the book and his glasses on the
night-
table. Carol switches the light off on her night table and
gets
into the bed.
LARRY
Right. Meanwhile, I can't get the-the Flying Dutchman theme
out of my mind, you know ? Remind me tomorrow to buy up all
the Wagner records in town and rent a chainsaw.
He switches the lights off on his bed table. The room is
completely dark, and we hear the next sentences on a black
screen.
CAROL
Helen Dubin's wrong for Ted.
LARRY
Yeah ?
CAROL
She's too mousey.
LARRY
Well, he's a little mousey, too. They could have their
little rodent time. They can eat cheese together.
Carol bursts out laughing. The phone starts ringing.
LARRY
Oh, Christ.
He switches the light back on, puts his glasses on his nose
and
picks up the phone.
LARRY
Hallo ? Yes. Yes, of.... Yes, of course you woke us. You
know, not everybody's up at one o'clock in the morning
watching the porn channel. I'll put her on.
He gives the phone receiver to Carol.
CAROL
Who is it ?
LARRY
Ted. For you.
CAROL
Ted, hi.
RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot of Ted, dressed in a night-gown, and standing
near the
counter of a restaurant. The room is very dark, only lit by
a lamp
on the counter.
TED
I figured out how he killed her and made it look like a
coronary. He gagged her and tied her to the treadmill, and
then he turned the exercise program up to the Olympic
levels.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
Carols bursts out laughing.
CAROL
No, no. You know, I mean, I just think this guy is too
perky. You know, I mean he's not acting like a man whose
beloved of twenty-eight years died just a few days ago.
Larry is trying to get the telephone cord, stretched from
his
night-table to the handset hold by Carol, away from his
face.
LARRY
Jesus, are you onto that ? My God, I thought you were just
joking.
CAROL
Yeah, I know.
Ratings
Scene 8 - Tragedy at Every Turn
Let me speak to him, all right ?
CAROL
What? Oh. Here. Just a sec. Here's Larr...
She gives the handset to Larry.
LARRY
Hey, listen. She was not murdered. She... she had a heart
attack. It was a coronary. There was a doctor there. He
said to.... He was an old man.
RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
Close shot on Ted, drinking from a mug.
TED
How do you know it was a real doctor ?
LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
LARRY
I'm not gonna touch that. I'm tired. I want to go to sleep.
Look...
RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot of Ted.
TED
Wait-wait-wait a minute, wait a minute, put Carol back on,
I called about something else. Listen, I know a great
location for a restaurant.
NEW-YORK - A YARD - EXTERIOR DAY
A yard in the middle of old New-York buildings.
The camera is located at the inner end of the passage
leading from
the street to the yard. We gets a full shot of Carol and Ted
coming from the street and walking toward us and the yard.
TED
Hah, look at this. Isn't this great ?
CAROL
Well, it's dark.
TED
Aren't these walls great ? A cave, you know, like you have
to go through a little cave.
CAROL
Oh, I see.
TED
And then you come out, to this here.
They have reached the yard. The camera moves back to get a
medium
shot of them both.
CAROL
Oh, look at this though. It's really so beautiful.
TED
Yeah. Isn't it great ?
CAROL
But... it's kind out of the way for a restaurant, isn't
it ?
TED
No, no... that's the appeal. That's just the appeal,
because it's... it's, I mean it's so romantic... tucked
away back in here like this.
The camera leaves Carol and Ted in the middle of the yard
and
moves up and around to show us the old building around the
yard.
CAROL (voice over)
Yeah.
TED (voice over)
And, you don't want street traffic. You want...
CAROL (voice over)
No.
TED (voice over)
you want a little out of the way spot that people hear
about and lovers go to.
CAROL (voice over)
Yeah.
TED (voice over)
It takes months to take a reservation, you know ? Very few
tables.
The camera moves down to ground level to give us a better
view of
the yard. It does look a bit neglected, with weeds growing
in
between the stones covering the ground. There are some trees
and a
small out-of-order fountain with a statue on top of it.
CAROL (voice over)
You know, you've really thought this out.
TED (voice over)
Oh, well, I used to come here all the time with-with July,
when we were married.
CAROL (voice over)
Uh uh. Right.
The camera moves back to Carol and Ted.
TED
Used to walk around here. Really beautiful at night. It's
gorgeous at night.
CAROL
It's beautiful, I bet.
TED
I used to think, «What am I doing here with July ? We don't
love each other any more», you know ? It made the moment
doubly poignant.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot of the corridor, showing the front door. Paul
opens
the front door. Larry and Carol are standing in the doorway.
Larry
is wearing a necktie and Carol is carrying a large tray.
PAUL
Hi. How are you ?
CAROL
Hi. How are you ?
PAUL
Oh, my...
CAROL
These are my floating islands. I hope you like meringue.
Paul takes the tray from Carol's hands.
PAUL
I love it. Come on in, come on in.
CAROL
Well, okay.
PAUL
This is unbelievable.
Carol enters the apartment, followed by Larry.
CAROL
I know, it's just...
PAUL
Did you do it ?
Larry closes the door behind him.
CAROL
I did do it. I told you. Anyway, this has got... this is
vanilla sauce here and I put little chocolate truffles.
PAUL
Well, come on in.
CAROL
Do you like chocolate truffles ?
PAUL
Would you share it with me ?
LARRY
Oh, no. She made these just for you. This is...
CAROL
Oh, well...
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
They all enter the living room.
PAUL
No, no, no, it's too much for one. I'll I make some coffee.
Please.
LARRY
They're only half a dozen.
CAROL
No, no, no. Look, I'll make the coffee. That'd be better.
Let me make it.
PAUL
Oh, you've already done so much.
CAROL
No, no. I insist, I insist. Go on, sit down, relax.
She takes the tray from Paul's hands.
PAUL
Aren't you nice.
CAROL
Enjoy yourself, you've been through enough.
She walks to the kitchen, carrying the tray.
LARRY
She worked on those for... How're you holding up ?
PAUL
Oh, I don't know. I was thinking after a while. I'd get
away from here. From this place and all its memories.
LARRY
Uh uh, so you have someone to go with, or are you...
PAUL
I have a brother in Florida.
LARRY
Oh, really ?
PAUL
I'm hoping he can get away for a while.
Ratings
Scene 9 - Discovering Paul's Secret
Good. It's a good idea.
PAUL
Do you like snorkeling ?
LARRY
Snorkeling ? No, no. I get nervous when brightly colored
fish are staring at me face to face, you know.
PAUL
Hey, I've got some stamps I wanted to show you.
He turns to his desk to pick up a stamp album.
LARRY
Oh, stamps. Well, that's...
PAUL
Come on, look at these.
The camera pans to the kitchen.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
The conversation between Paul and Larry keeps going in the
living-
room but we can't understand the words.
Carol puts water in the glass jar of the coffee machine. She
puts
the lid on the jar and turns around to put the jar in the
machine.
She looks in the coffee plastic container and notices there
is no
coffee inside. She bends down and opens the cupboard door.
Not
finding any coffee in the cupboard, she closes it, stands up
and
turns around to look inside the cupboard above the sink. She
closes it, and bends down to look inside the cupboard next
to the
dishwasher. She seems surprised by something and pauses.
Then she
takes a copper funeral urn from inside the cupboard. She
stands up
and takes the lid off the urn. She looks inside the urn and
closes
it. She seems a bit shocked and bends down to put the urn
back
inside the cupboard. Then she stands up and looks absently
around
her.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
A little later.
Full shot of the room. Larry and Carol are sitting next to
each
other on the sofa. Carol is drinking coffee from a cup, and
Larry
is staring, with his arms crossed on his chest, looking a
little
bored. Paul is sitting on an armchair and eating the
floating
islands from a plate he is holding in his other hand.
PAUL
This is very delicious.
CAROL
Thank you.
PAUL
You are an artist.
CAROL
Well, thanks very much. Uh, was it a large... funeral ?
PAUL
Oh, no. We had... very few friends, no family.
The camera moves closer to Larry and Carol.
CAROL
Right. Just a simple affair, uh ? Well, they're the best,
aren't they ?
PAUL
Yeah.
CAROL
I guess. Anyway, then you're laid the rest, and, you know,
I was just... where, um, where are the twin cemetery
plots ? We... because, we were thinking that that was just
such a romantic idea. Weren't we, Larry ? You know ?
Larry ? You remember when we were talking about the twin
cemetery plots and, you know, how kind of romantic that
is ? Remember ?
Larry looks at his wife. He has a little difficulty to come
back
into a conversation he wasn't following.
LARRY
Uh-huh. Yes, yes. We were. We were spending the eternity
with the beloved. I sound like... I sound like one of those
guys, now.
The camera pans to Paul. He has put his plate on the low
table.
PAUL
Yes.
CAROL (voice over)
Yes but, I was just wondering where, um, where is the
cemetery ?
PAUL
Oh, it's... uh, in... uh, it's in Nyack. We used to summer
there occasionally.
He wipes his lips with his napkin.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium shot. Larry enters the apartment, followed by Carol,
who
then walks in front of him.
LARRY
What was all that stuff about twin cemetery plots ?
CAROL
Listen, Larry.
LARRY
You know ? I mean, we-we never discussed it at all, but I
knew that you were trying to tell me something, so I picked
up on it quickly.
He closes the door behind him.
CAROL
Listen.
LARRY
But I... You know, we...
CAROL
Okay, just... I was in the kitchen okay ? And I was making
the coffee. There were no beans, so, I was looking in his
cupboards, just to see, you know, and I came across this
urn, okay ? And I opened it and there were ashes in it.
LARRY
Ashes ? Funeral ashes ? Did you wash your hands ?
CAROL
Larry, he had her cremated !
LARRY
How did you know it was her, for Christ's sake ? They were
ashes. What, did they resemble Mrs. House ?
He walks into the living-room.
CAROL
Oh, and who else would it be, okay ?
Larry picks up his jacket from the back of an armchair.
LARRY
Anybody. Could it be, an associate, an old relative, his
accountant, his cat. Who knows ?
CAROL (voice over)
Right, right. Hidden, uh ? Hidden away ?
LARRY
What do you mean? Th-th-the guy didn't do anything.
The camera pans across the hall toward the kitchen. She has
a box
(cereals ?) in her hand.
CAROL
Look, Larry. All I know is he lied, okay ? He lied.
She puts the box in a cupboard above the sink. Then she
picks up
the phone on the wall.
LARRY (voice over)
Look. Maybe-maybe-maybe he is embarrassed. Maybe he didn't
want to spend eternity next to the beloved, so he-he told
us that-uh... You know, what's the difference ? Who are you
calling ?
CAROL
Ted !
Ratings
Scene 10 - Late Night Tension
walks
behind a partition, still holding his jacket. The camera
follows
his movement.
LARRY
Oh, Jesus. Leave the guy alone. You know, he-he... he's a
poor widower, he wants to go on a vacation or something.
CAROL (voice over)
Yeah. Where ? Oh, I know where, ah ah. Snorkeling, right ?
Ah ah.
Larry puts the jacket on something we don't see because it
is
hidden by the partition. Then he picks up a brochure on a
low
table and walks toward the kitchen. The camera follows him.
LARRY
So what ? Different strokes. You know, he has fun, uh,
sitting at the bottom of the water, face to face with
squid.
Carol is still standing in the kitchen, with the phone
handset on
her ear.
CAROL
Oh, I know. I know. What about this ? What if they had a
big insurance policy, or something like that, huh ?
LARRY
Too much «Double Indemnity», you know ?
CAROL
Hu-Huh.
(speaking on the phone)
Hi. Yeah. Hi, it's me. Listen, we were just in our
neighbor's apartment, right ?
Larry walks away from the kitchen.
CAROL
Yeah. And get this. I came across an urn with ashes in
it. Only he says he had his wife buried.
TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
Ted is lying on a large comfortable sofa, sipping beer from
a
bottle.
TED
That's what you do if you don't want an autopsy. You don't
want something discovered, you know ? Like-like poison.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
Carol is still standing up, the telephone handset stuck
between
her ear and her shoulder.
CAROL
Mm. Right. They'd have detected poison, wouldn't they ?
TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
TED
Uh, I don't know. There's a lot of different kinds of
exotic poisons, you know ?
LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
Full shot of the kitchen, seen from the hall. Carol is still
standing up but now she holding the phone handset with her
hand.
CAROL
Yeah, but why would he... Why would he be lying ? I mean,
why-why would he lie at all ?
Larry walks back into the kitchen.
LARRY
Jesus, you're up to poisons already. You guys are slipping
into a mad obsession.
CAROL
Yeah. Oh, would you do that ? Because... That'd be great.
Because, you know, I'm not good at that kind of thing,
okay ? All right. Okay. Well, I'll talk to you later. Okay,
bye.
She puts the phone back on its hook on the wall
LARRY
Let's go to bed. Could we go to bed, now ?
CAROL
Hey, I'm not tired.
LARRY
What do you mean, «You're not tired» ?
CAROL
You know, Ted's gonna check with the funeral home,
tomorrow.
LARRY
Great.
CAROL
You know what I mean ? I mean, I don't understand why
you're not, not more fascinated with this. We could be
living next door to a murderer, Larry.
LARRY
Well, New York is a melting pot. You know, get used to it.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
Later in the night.
Medium shot on the bed. Larry is asleep, but Carol is not.
She
moves in the bed, and then sits up. She turns around, pats
her
pillow, and tries to lie back on her side. But she sits up
again,
looking around the room. Eventually, she gets out of the
bed.
She walks around the bed in the dark, and switches on the
lights
in the corridor. The camera follows her in the corridor.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
Carol switches the lights on in the hall, then she looks
into the
peephole in the front door.
CAROL
Oh my God !
The camera turns around toward the corridor. Larry is
getting out
of the bedroom, putting his slippers on.
LARRY
Hey, are you okay ?
Carol walks in the corridor toward him.
CAROL
Larry. Larry, I heard a noise. I-I-I heard a noise in the
hallway, so I just... I... You know, I-I looked and I
think... I think Mr. House was getting on the elevator.
Larry hops toward her, still trying to put his slippers on.
She
backs up and they are now both in the front hall.
LARRY
Yeah ? You're sure ?
CAROL
Yeah, you know, I was... I'm-I'm... almost certain that it
was him.
LARRY
So-So-So what ?
CAROL
Just, you know... I mean, who else could it be ?
LARRY
So what ? It's not a crime. He can get on the elevator.
CAROL
I know. I know. But wh-who would it be at one-thirty in the
morning ?
LARRY
Oh, Jesus. I was in a deep sleep. What-What's the
difference ?
CAROL
But, you mean, you know how we're always complaining about
living on the geriatric floor. Do you know what I'm
saying ? A joke ?
While Larry is answering her, Carol opens the front door and
peeks
into the hallway.
Ratings
Scene 11 - Paranoia and Suspicion
All right, so it was Mr. House. So he got on the elevator.
It's not a felony. The guy pays rent. He's entitled. I
mean, what... Can you go back to bed ? This is crazy. You
woke me up out of a deep sleep. I gotta get up early
tomorrow morning.
Carol closes the door, and walks toward the kitchen. The
camera
follows her.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
Carol looks through a notebook.
CAROL
I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna ring him up. I'm gonna
ring his apartment. I'm gonna see if he's home.
LARRY (voice over)
You're gonna ring Mr. House, now ?
CAROL
Yes, because this is really...
LARRY (voice over)
What are you talking about ?
CAROL
It's very sus...
Larry joins Carol when she already has the handset in her
hand.
But she succeeds in dialing Paul's number.
LARRY
Don't ring Mr... What are you doing ? No, don't ring...
CAROL
Let me just... Larry, don't. Wait.
LARRY
Don't ring Mr. house. This is a widower. Leave the poor guy
alone. You're crazy. Stop it.
Carol listens to the phone.
CAROL
That's one ring.
LARRY
So you saw him go out. It's not a-not a crime.
CAROL
Okay, two rings. He's not there, yet.
Larry takes the handset from Carol's hand.
LARRY
Give me this. Give me this.
CAROL
What are you doing ?
LARRY
Look, if you want to find out if somebody left, just call
downstairs. Call the-the-the person at the desk.
CAROL
All right, I'll call. Just keep ringing.
LARRY
Ask if someone went out.
CAROL
Keep ringing.
LARRY
Yeah, um. Sure, I'm gonna keep ringing. You got it.
While Carol walks out of the kitchen, Larry puts the phone
back on
its hook on the wall.
CAROL
Oh, man.
Carol walks into the hall. The camera follows her.
LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
LARRY (voice over)
This is insane. What's gotten into you ?
Carol picks up the building internal telephone handset from
the
wall.
CAROL
I don't know. What is he doing ? Where is this guy at one-
thirty in the morning ? You know what I'm saying ?
LARRY (voice over)
It's not your business. He can go any place he wants.
CAROL (in the phone)
Hallo ? Yes, hallo. This is Mrs. Lipton. Yes. Did anybody
just leave the building ? I'm just... hmm. You're sure ?
You're sure no one ? No, okay. All right. Yes. Thank you.
While she was talking on the phone, the camera has moved
toward
Larry, standing at the entrance of the kitchen.
LARRY
Okay. Are you happy ?
We hear the noise of the phone being put back on its hook.
CAROL
I don't believe this. Man, I don't get it.
Larry joins his wife in the hall.
LARRY
Now, can we back to bed ?
CAROL
No.
LARRY
For crying out loud, it's no big deal. You're making a
mystery where nothing exists.
CAROL
Just let me think about this a second. Okay, I got it.
Wait. I know, it... No, wait. Listen to me. Larry...
Listen. He got on the elevator, okay ?
LARRY
You know, I'm gonna...
CAROL
No, wait. No, no, listen to this. No.
LARRY
I wanna go to sleep. I don't want to be standing here in
the middle of the night.
CAROL
I know. Larry, he got on the elevator and he took it to the
basement.
LARRY
Oh, great ! Great ! So what ? Now, what've you got ?
CAROL
He has a car, right ? He's got the garage door key, he
opened... he could... he has the...
LARRY
So what ? So what ?
CAROL
What do you mean, «so what» ? He's...
LARRY
What's the big deal ? So, the next-door neighbor went out
in the middle of the night and took his car. So, he went
someplace.
CAROL
All right. So, I'm right, though.
She starts walking back to the bedroom. Larry follows her.
The
camera remains in the front hall, filming them.
LARRY
That's all.
CAROL
I mean, I'm right.
LARRY
I mean, so you're right. So big deal.
CAROL
Yes, he isn't in his apartment.
LARRY
But this kind of right is gonna put us in the toilet. So,
you're right. You're suspicious.
CAROL
Yeah, that's right.
LARRY
It says more about your mind that about him.
CAROL
What about your rigidity ? How about that ?
LARRY
Get into bed. Get into bed.
CAROL
How about that point ?
LARRY
You're so... What's wrong with you ? Jesus !
They disappear in the bedroom.
NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Long shot on the crossroad between the street where Larry's
residence is located and another street. Carol is crossing
the
street. She stops walking while on the crosswalk. The camera
zooms
on her and we see an expression of surprise on her face.
Reverse angle long shot on the entrance of Larry's building.
Paul
comes out of the building. The camera zooms on him : he
looks
around him as if afraid to be followed.
Reverse angle shot on Carol looking at him from a distance.
She
enters her building. She smiles to the attendant on duty.
CAROL
Hi !
LARRY'S BUILDING - BASEMENT - INTERIOR DAY
Ratings
Scene 12 - Investigating Paul
basement. We see her through the glass panel of a heavy
metal
safety door. She opens the door.
CAROL
Jack ?
The camera follows Carol to a reverse angle shot showing the
workshop of Jack, the factotum caretaker of the building.
With a
screwdriver and a plier in his hands, he is working on
something
we don't see.
CAROL
Jack, do you think you could come upstairs today, because I
got a leak in the kitchen ?
JACK
Well, yeah. Yeah.
CAROL
You can ?
JACK
Sure.
CAROL
Well, but, it will be this afternoon.
JACK
But I... I got...
CAROL
All right, you're not gonna go now ?
JACK
I'll be back in about a minute.
Jack walks out of his workshop and along one of the basement
corridors.
CAROL
In a minute.
JACK
Okay, just wait a second. I'll be right back.
The camera follows Jack walking away.
CAROL (voice over)
Yeah. Okay. All right. Oh, God.
The camera turns around to a reverse angle shot on Carol,
still in
the workshop. She looks around, apparently looking for
something.
She peeks through the door of the workshop, to make sure
Jack is
not coming back too early. Carol rushes to a key-box on the
wall,
into which there is a spare key for every apartment in the
building. She selects a key, takes it out of the box and
puts it
in her pocket. Then she leaves the workshop toward the
staircase.
LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
Full shot of the hallway. Carol comes out of the elevator,
and
looks around her. She walks back and forth in the hallway,
before
coming back to Paul's apartment door, just in front of the
elevator. She opens the door with the key she has just
stolen in
Jack's workshop.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR DAY
Full shot of the front door, seen from the living room. The
front
corridor is completely dark. The door opens and Carol walks
in.
She closes the door behind her.
Carol walks toward the living room, and the light coming
from the
windows.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
Carol crosses the kitchen. She kneels down to look into the
cupboard where she had found the funeral urn. Apparently the
urn
is not there anymore.
NEW YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Long shot on a crosswalk in New-York. Paul is crossing the
street.
The camera zooms on Paul. He has almost crossed the street,
but he
suddenly stops a few feet from the next sidewalk. He feels
his
jacket : apparently he has forgotten something in his
apartment.
He turns around and starts walking back on the crosswalk.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
Carol is still looking in all the cupboards of the kitchen.
She
gets out of the kitchen into the living-room.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
The camera pans around the room, following Carol, who looks
inside
every piece of furniture in the room.
NEW YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Medium shot of Paul walking along the sidewalk, going back
toward
his apartment.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Carol has picked up a few papers from a low table, and is
looking
at them. She puts her hand into her trouser pocket to get
her
glasses out. She puts her glasses on to have a better look
at the
documents she has found.
LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR DAY
Through the window of the lobby, we get a full shot of Paul
coming
toward the entrance of the building. An attendant rushes to
open
the door for him.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Carol is sitting at the desk. She has opened the drawer of
the
desk and is looking through its content. She takes an Air
France
ticket folder out of the drawer and looks inside it. Then
she
picks up another one.
LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR DAY
Medium shot of Paul entering the elevator.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Carol closes the drawer of the desk. She stands up and picks
up
the phone from the desk and starts dialing a number.
TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Full shot of the room, which is quite wide. Ted is seated at
his
desk, and the shot is taken from the other side of the room,
showing Ted's back. The phone rings. Ted picks it up.
TED
Hallo ?
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Medium close shot of Carol speaking on the phone.
CAROL
Ted... I'm in his apartment.
LARRY'S BUILDING - ELEVATOR - INTERIOR DAY
Medium close shot of Paul inside the cabin of the elevator.
He
gives a quick look up to the floor numbers above the door.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Same shot of Carol on the phone.
CAROL
The urn is missing. It's gone. Yeah, I think it might have
been. He had this satchel last night. He was carrying this
bag, and I think that might have been what he had in his
satchel.
TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Close shot of Ted's back. He is still seated at his desk and
talking on the phone
TED
Listen, I'd get out of there right away, if I were you.
Ratings
Scene 13 - Carol's Investigation
typing
on.
TED
No, no, no. Go, go, go. We'll do... We'll talk more from
your apartment.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Same shot of Carol on the phone.
CAROL
He's not going snorkeling with his brother. He's got two
tickets to Paris, and he's got reservations at the Georges
Cinq hotel with a woman named Helen Moss.
She turns around, because she feels she heard a noise in the
landing hallway.
LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
One of Paul's neighbor is standing in the hallway, waiting
for the
elevator. He's got some documents in his hand. The elevator
dings
and the door opens. Paul comes out.
NEIGHBOR
Oh. Hi. How are you ?
PAUL
Good morning. How are you ?
Paul has his key in his hand and is ready to open his
apartment
door.
NEIGHBOR
Good. You got the notice on the... Uh, maintenance
increase ?
Paul turns around to look at the neighbor.
PAUL
No. When did that happen ?
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Close shot on Carol, whispering in the phone and looking
toward
the front door.
CAROL
I'm gonna look around and see what else I can dig up here,
okay ? Yeah. I'm telling you, this is just... Ted, I-I'm
just dizzy with freedom. This is just... uh, this is just
the craziest thing I've ever done.
TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Close-up shot on the ashtray, where a cigarette is burning
slowly.
The camera pans to a close-up shot on Paul's face, still on
the
phone.
TED
Yes, it's crazy. But soon, we'll be too old to do anything
crazy. Go, leave, leave, leave.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Carol puts the phone down on the desk. She stands and turns
around
when she hears the front door opening.
Black screen shot on the front door in the dark of the
corridor,
then the camera quickly spins around to show Carol, standing
in
the living-room, with a frightened look on her face. She
walks
away from the room. The camera spins back to the front door,
which
opens. Paul enters and switches the lights on. He closes the
front
door, and walks along the corridor to the living-room.
Carol walks into the kitchen from the living-room.
The camera pans to Paul, looking for something on his desk.
He
looks through all the documents scattered on the desk.
The camera pans back to Carol, hiding in the kitchen, then
back to
Paul.
Paul opens both his hands in a gesture of despair :
apparently, he
hasn't found what he was looking for. He starts walking
across the
room, and the camera pans back to Carol in the kitchen. She
rushes
out of the kitchen.
The camera remains at the same spot, and we see Paul in the
living-room, still looking for whatever he is missing. He
walks
out of the living-room through the kitchen.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR DAY
Paul enters the room, looking in the inner pocket of his
jacket.
He walks around the room, and opens a closet. He looks
through the
hanging clothes, and finds a few documents in one of the
jackets.
He closes the closet, and starts looking through the
documents he
has found. He puts them inside the inner pocket of his
jacket. He
starts walking out of the room, when the phone rings. He
stops and
picks up the phone receiver on one of the night-tables.
PAUL
Hallo.
Medium shot of Carol hiding under the bed. We notice she
doesn't
have her glasses anymore.
PAUL (voice over)
Oh, hi. Yeah. I know. I-I...Yes, I miss you, too. I did. I
made all the arrangements.
Back to Paul standing by the bed and talking in the
telephone.
PAUL
Yeah, look. I... Okay, I have to run. But I'll see you
later, okay ? Okay.
He puts the phone down on its hook, and starts walking out
of the
room. He stops, thinks for a couple of seconds, turns
around, sits
on the bed and picks up the phone.
Back to Carol under the bed. The bed frame hits her back
when Paul
sits on it. She looks up. We hear Paul dialing a number.
PAUL (voice over)
Extension five. Well, keep ringing, would you please ?
Because I just talked to her. What ? Okay. Uh, will you
tell her... yes, tell her that Tom called. Tom. Thank you.
Back to Paul sitting on the bed. He puts the phone down on
its
hook, stands up and starts walking out of the room.
Back to Carol under the bed, waiting for Paul to get out of
his
apartment.
NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Starting from street level, the camera tilts up along a very
modern office building, all glass and steel. A sign, above
the
main entrance, says «10 East 53». This is the building where
Larry's office is located.
LARRY'OFFICE - INTERIOR DAY
Full shot of a large office room. In the forefront, a
reception
desk, with a young female receptionist talking to someone we
still
don't see. Coming from the other end of the room, Larry is
walking
with Marcia, a tall dark-haired lady, wearing sunglasses.
LARRY
So, I thought your rewrites were great. I really think you
helped your book, you know ? It's... It's dense a little
bit, but, uh...
MARCIA
Well, I don't want it to be too transparent, I mean...
Ratings
Scene 14 - Poker Lessons and Paranoia
camera is
following them, we can see the young gentleman the
receptionist is
talking with.
LARRY
That's... That's something you're never gonna have to worry
about, you know ? This book makes «Finnegan's Wake» look
like airplane reading, you know ? But-But it's long. It's-
It's-It's...
They are now walking along a corridor.
MARCIA
You know, you're the only editor in the world I'll take
suggestions from, but even you shouldn't push it.
LARRY
No, I'm not pushing it. I think the book is great.
Absolutely great. You know, but, uh... how much, how much
of Dorothy is you? As I was reading it, I kept thinking how
much is... you know, how much did you base it on your own
life ?
They have now reached a smaller room, actually Larry's
private
room. Marcia takes her glasses off, and then her coat, and
sits on
a sofa.
MARCIA
Well, I was a waitress. I lived with a poet. I was a film
critic.
LARRY (voice over)
Right, but not-not a blackjack dealer, right ?
MARCIA
No, but I put myself through school playing poker.
The camera pans to Larry, who is standing up at the other
end of
the room, looking through some documents.
LARRY
Oh, really ? Do you still play ?
MARCIA (voice over)
No, but I still know how.
LARRY
Yes ? Are you good ?
MARCIA (voice over)
Yeah.
LARRY
Yeah, because maybe you could give me some pointers.
MARCIA (voice over)
I could turn your game around in two hours.
LARRY
Could you ? That's great. That's... you know, you-you have
all these skills, and you're beautiful, and you can write
so well... and now it turns out you play poker. This is,
uh, too good to be true.
Larry sits down with the pile of documents on his laps. The
camera
pans back to Marcia. She has a cigarette in her hand.
MARCIA
Well, I wouldn't say beautiful.
LARRY (voice over)
Oh, I would.
MARCIA
But I do have tremendous sex-appeal.
The camera pans back to Larry, who is looking through the
huge
pile of paper on his laps, perhaps a manuscript.
LARRY
Okay, you sold me. Are-are you seeing anybody ?
MARCIA (voice over)
No. Don't let my confidence fool you, it's a facade. Why do
you ask ?
LARRY
Because I have a friend who became single recently, and I-I
know he would get a big kick out of you.
MARCIA (voice over)
Oh. So, when do you want your poker lessons ?
LARRY
Uh, next week. I could take you to lunch. We could-we
could, um, I'll put you on my expense account, and you
could... teach me when to... bet and when to fold.
MARCIA (voice over)
How about a cheeseburger right now ?
The phone rings.
LARRY
Now ? That's a possibility.
Larry picks up the phone from a small table.
LARRY
You know, we could, we could do...
(talking into the telephone)
Hallo. Yes ? Where are you ?
The camera pans back to Marcia, who listens to Larry,
smoking her
cigarette.
LARRY (voice over)
Is everything okay ? Really ? No, I could, sure.
The camera pans back to Larry.
LARRY
I could. Yeah. I need-I need, you know, five minutes, or
so. Okay. Yes. Yes. I know where it is. Okay, hold on.
He puts the telephone down on its hook.
LARRY
I can't do it. I have to... My wife, I have a little thing
I have to do. I'll do the cheeseburger with you next week,
or something.
The camera pans back to Marcia, who is smiling.
MARCIA
Story of my life !
She crushes her cigarette in and ashtray and stands up.
NEW-YORK - A PARK - EXTERIOR DAY
Full shot of a round concrete pond, with a fountain in the
middle
pouring water. In the background, a meadow, with chairs
scattered
on it. Carol is standing by the pond. Larry is talking to
her,
looking very nervous.
LARRY
What do you mean, you snuck into his apartment ? Are you
nuts ?
CAROL
Oh, stop being such a fuddy-dud.
LARRY
A fuddy-dud ?
Carol starts walking around the pond. Larry follows her.
CAROL
Yeah.
LARRY
What are you talking about ? That's a crime. You can't do
that. You... That's-That's burglary and breaking and
entering. But... What has gotten into you lately ? For
crying out loud, save a little craziness for menopause.
CAROL
It was a cinch. I took the key and I just let myself in.
LARRY
Hey, look. Do... I don't want to... You-You'll wind up
rooming with John Gotti. You can't do that. You can't just
steal the key and then go into somebody's apartment.
CAROL
Listen. He's not going snorkeling with his brother, okay ?
Okay ?
LARRY
I don't wanna know. I don't wanna be an accessory.
CAROL
He's going to Paris, to a fancy hotel with a woman named
Helen Moss.
LARRY
Tell Ted. I don't want to know. Leave me alone.
They keep on walking around the pond, the camera following
them
from a fixed location. They are now hidden by the fountain.
Ratings
Scene 15 - Undercover Investigation
I told Ted.
LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
You told Ted before you told me ?
CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
Yeah. He's more open-minded about these things.
LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
Yes, I know. I'm-I'm-I'm a bore. I'm-Because I-Because I
don't break the law, you know ?
CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
Yeah.
LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
I live within the Constitution, so I'm dull.
CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
Listen. Perhaps he got rid of the urn, okay ?
They appear back from behind the fountain.
LARRY
I-I don't wanna hear. Leave me alone. Don't tell me.
CAROL
He talked on the phone with a woman.
LARRY
How do you know ?
CAROL
Because he... Well, he came back while I was there, you
know, so...
LARRY
He did ?
CAROL
Yeah, but I hid under the bed.
LARRY
You hid under his bed ?
CAROL
He didn't see me, Larry. He didn't see me at all.
LARRY
I cannot believe this. My stomach is curdling, here I...
CAROL
He was-He was very lovey-dovey with his kind of bimbo, you
know ? He kept saying stuff like, you know, «don't worry,
it's gonna be all right. We're gonna be together.» That
kind of thing.
They keep on walking around the pond, slowly coming back
toward
the camera, which moves a little to meet them.
LARRY
But what would you have done if he, if he found you out ?
CAROL
I know, listen, I-I couldn't think that far ahead.
LARRY
That far ahead ? You're talking two seconds.
CAROL
No, I c...
LARRY
He could have looked under the bed and there you are. What
do you...
CAROL
Yeah, but... Larry, listen. And then, listen to this. He-He
called this woman back. Probably this-this Helen Moss
woman, right ?
LARRY
I don't wanna know. Leave me alone.
CAROL
And when he calls her back, she's not there. And then he
leaves this message, and he says : «Tell her Tom called».
You know what I'm saying ? Tom. Tom, Larry.
They are back at the same place where we saw them first by
the
pond. They stop walking.
LARRY
Yeah, yeah. I... I know, I get it, his name is Paul, but I
don't care. I don't wanna hear.
CAROL
Well, okay. Well, I'll tell you. I thought I did...
LARRY
I just don't...
CAROL
I thought I did a great job, and so did Ted. I don't think
a private eye could have done any better than me. I put
everything back where I found it, I was very careful. I
made one mistake.
LARRY
What ?
CAROL
I left my reading glasses on his table.
Larry looks at her with a very puzzled eye.
LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
Medium close shot on Paul's apartment front door. We get a
close
shot of the back of Carol's head. The door opens on Paul.
CAROL
Oh, hallo. Hi. I-I thought I'd bring you some chocolate
mousse. I know how much you enjoyed the last dessert.
Carol walks rapidly inside the apartment, followed by Larry.
Paul
looks a bit surprised by this intrusion. He follows them
along the
corridor. He doesn't even close his front door !
PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
The camera follows the three persons along the corridor.
PAUL
Well, thank you.
CAROL
I thought I'd-I'd give you, you know, another shot at
something really delicious. Do you want me to serve that
for you, because, you know, you should have it while it's
still fresh.
The shot becoming a bit wider, we notice that Paul is
carrying the
tray of chocolate mousse that Carol gave him when entering
his
apartment.
LARRY
And you can divide it up and we can all have some.
CAROL
That'd be great. That's a great idea.
LARRY
You'll really like this dessert.
PAUL
Okay, I'll get some plates for it. Wait a minute.
Paul walks out of the corridor toward his kitchen, and Carol
rushes into the living-room.
CAROL
Okay, that'd be really good.
LARRY
Yeah, that's great.
PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
They both start searching the room frenetically. While Larry
looks
on the desk, Carol searches the rest of the room, even
kneeling on
the floor.
CAROL (WHISPERING)
Come over here. I put'em... um... right here. Right in here
somewhere. The first... Wait. I should...
(to Paul, with a much louder voice)
Uh, how-How are you doing in there ? You need...
Larry drops things on the floor. With a nervous gesture,
Carol
shushes him.
CAROL
You need any help ?
The camera pans to the kitchen, where Paul is preparing the
dessert.
PAUL
No, I'm fine. I'll be right in.
CAROL (voice over)
Um... Okay, great.
The camera pans back to the living room, where Larry is
still
nervously messing things on the desk. Then he starts moving
around
the room, looking for his wife's glasses. Carol puts things
back
in order on the desk. Larry walks to her, and whisper
something we
can't understand.
LARRY (to Paul, with a louder voice)
Are you okay ? Can-can-can-can we do anything for you ?
Ratings
Scene 16 - The Glasses
Coffee or tea ?
CAROL
Tea. It's what... I'd like to have some tea.
Paul walks into the room, with a pair of glasses in his
hand.
PAUL
You know, I found your glasses.
CAROL
Mine ?
PAUL
These are yours, aren't they ?
CAROL
Yes.
LARRY
No.
CAROL
Uh, no. Yeah. Uh... No no no no no. They... They... Oh,
God.
Carol and Larry both look very nervous. Carol takes the
glasses
from Paul's hand.
LARRY
No, no, those aren't yours. These are the same, actually.
They are, aren't they ? These-These-These ones, are.
CAROL
They are actually... They're mine. Honey, they're mine.
I... You know what happened ? I think the other night, I
must have left them here. It's the strangest thing.
PAUL
Did you ? I didn't notice that.
CAROL
No, no. Yeah. I know. Because, remember, you were saying
that you thought that I left them at your mother's house ?
Carol and Larry both look very embarrassed. Paul looks at
them
with a slight surprised eye.
LARRY
At your mother's house.
CAROL
That's right. Of course, so...
She turns toward Paul, who has remained very calm.
PAUL
That mousse looks fabulous.
CAROL
Anyway, it's so good. I love mousse.
PAUL
Thank you very much.
CAROL
Hey, listen, are you looking forward to going snorkeling in
the Caribbean ?
PAUL
Very much. Very much.
CAROL
Uh uh.
PAUL
That's funny. I found those glasses under my bed.
CAROL
That's because I must have dropped them and they probably
got kicked under.
LARRY
Kicked under, right, because what she'll do, she'll drop...
CAROL
They were just...
LARRY
She'll always drop things and she'll kick them all around
the house.
CAROL
They f...
PAUL
The mousse ?
He walks away to the kitchen, with a strange smile on his
face.
LARRY
She's always-She's always kick...
Carol looks at Larry with a meaning look, to make him stop
rambling.
CAROL
Anyway, I'd love to have some mousse.
LARRY
Yes, really ? Remember there was the time you kicked the
mousse under the bed in the house. Remember that ? It
was...
Carol walks away toward the kitchen.
CAROL
I remember.
LARRY
It took-took six months to get the...
NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Medium full shot of Carol waiting under the awning of a
place
(hotel or club) called the «Five Hundred». She hears a car
stopping and she looks at the street.
TED (voice over)
Hi. I'm sorry I'm late. The traffic's murder.
Carol runs to the car.
CAROL
I know, but where... where are we going ?
TED (voice over from inside the car)
I looked up, looked up Helen Moss in the phone book.
Carol climbs into the car and closes the door.
CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
Yeah.
TED (voice over from inside the car)
It was just H. Moss.
CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
Right.
TED (voice over from inside the car)
So I-it's on Bank Street...
The car drives away, with Ted's voice fading as the car gets
away
from us.
TED (voice over from inside the car)
Bank Street... we're going to go down and do surveillance.
I got a lot whole of food. It's great. I called up this...
I called this number.
NEW-YORK - BANK STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Full view of the corner of two very quiet streets. A brick
building covered with vines. The camera pans away from the
building to Ted's car parked on the other side of the street
corner. Medium shot of the inside of the car, through the
open
window on the passenger's side, Carol's side.
TED
There's her house.
CAROL
Right. So we should just sit here and wait, huh ?
TED
Yeah.
CAROL
Okay.
They look at each other and laugh.
Slightly later. Medium shot through the windshield. The view
is a
little blurred by the daylight reflection on the windshield.
TED
Maybe he thought that if he, if he, if he divorced her,
she'd-she'd hit him for a ton of alimony. Or maybe she,
maybe she controls the family fortune. What do you think of
that ?
CAROL
Oh, I don't know. Yeah, maybe we're wrong, Ted. Maybe we're
just, you know... I mean, maybe she died of natural causes,
like the doctor said and we're just two people with, you
know, hyperactive imaginations whose lives need a little
shot of adrenaline.
Ted looks through the paper food-bag he has brought with
him.
TED
Does yours ? I'll tell you, mine needs something.
CAROL
Yeah? What's that, there ?
TED
You want ? They're jelly doughnuts. You want a jelly
doughnut ?
CAROL (with a disgusted tone in her voice)
Ooh.
TED
Eh ? Come on. No, come on. Come on. You gotta get into it.
CAROL
Okay.
TED
Oh my God. Look, look, look, look, look !
Ratings
Scene 17 - Stakeout
people, a
male and a female, are coming out of the brick building.
CAROL (voice over)
What ? What ? What ? What ?
TED (yelling in voice over)
Helen ! Helen !
(Back to a normal low voice)
Duck, duck, duck !
Neither one of the couple has turned around at the sound of
Ted's
yelling, and they start walking down the street, away from
the
corner.
CAROL (voice over)
Ted! God, oh...Oh.
TED (yelling in voice over)
Helen !
The camera pans back to the car, looking through the open
window
on the passenger's side. Carol is hiding under the
dashboard. Ted
is hiding his face with his paper bag, holding a paper cup
in the
other hand.
TED
It's not her.
CAROL
It's not her ?
She sits back in her seat.
TED
No, it's not her.
Carol laughs.
TED
What...
CAROL
Oh, God, you really have this worked out, don't you ?
She keeps on laughing. Ted starts laughing too.
Slightly later. It is raining. It is still the same medium
shot
through the passenger's window, but the window is now
closed, with
the rain pouring on the window-pane.
TED
I figured she'd come out and go to work, you know ?
CAROL
Maybe she doesn't work. Maybe she's like... you and she has
writers hours.
TED
I'm writing a play about something that happened to you and
me.
CAROL
Oh, God. Oh, dear. What ?
TED
Remember-Remember that time... you and... you and I and
Larry and Julie were all on that-that eating tour of
France ?
CAROL
Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah.
TED
And they, and then they wandered off and they forgot to
pick us up ? You remember ? We had to share that bed-and-
breakfast place.
CAROL
Right. Do you remember those wonderful cottages ?
TED
Yeah.
CAROL
And I remember... that we shared a bedroom together,
right ?
TED
Yeah, but not a bed.
The camera pans away from the car to the other corner of the
street. Someone is coming out of the brick building. It is
apparently a male wearing white pants. He opens an umbrella.
CAROL (voice over)
No, not a... Well, God. You were too gentlemanly to suggest
that.
TED
Well, it's not... Not that I didn't think of it.
The camera follows the man with white pants, while he is
crossing
the street on the other side of the street from the car.
CAROL
No. Well, I knew what was going on in your mind... because
of the way you kept plying me with Chateau Margaux,
remember ?
The camera is back behind the passenger's window of the car.
Though the car-windows, we see the white-pants-man walking
on the
sidewalk on the other side of the street. Ted and Carol do
not
seem to notice him at all.
TED
It could have been our little secret, then you passed out.
CAROL
Well, you... Yeah, God. It seems like a long time ago,
doesn't it ?
TED
Not that long ago.
Slightly later. The rain has stopped. Same shot through the
passenger's window of the car, but the window is now open
again.
A long pause. Ted and Carol seem to be both lost them in
their own
thoughts. Then Ted gives a look outside and comes back to
attention.
TED
Look, look, look, look.
CAROL
Oh, what ?
The camera pans to the other side of the street. A woman is
coming
out of the brick building.
TED (yelling in voice over)
Helen !
(with a softer voice)
Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck !
On the other side of the street, the woman has stopped and
is
looking around her.
CAROL (voice over)
Oh, god, yeah. Right.
TED (voice over)
She didn't see us. She didn't see us.
CAROL (voice over)
No ? No. That's gotta be her.
TED (voice over)
I'll bet it's...
The woman starts walking again on the sidewalk.
CAROL (voice over)
Are you sure ?
TED (voice over)
I mean, she answered to Helen.
CAROL (voice over)
She answers to... She's pretty.
TED (voice over)
Yeah, I'll say.
The woman has reached the corner of the street and she lifts
her
arm.
CAROL (voice over)
She's... What is she doing ? She's getting a...
TED (voice over)
She's getting a cab.
A yellow cab stops near the woman.
CAROL (voice over)
Okay, okay. Hold on.
TED (voice over)
Keep-Keep down.
CAROL (voice over)
Okay, don't worry. Don't worry.
TED (voice over)
I'm gonna follow her.
CAROL (voice over)
All right.
The woman opens the cab door and climbs into it.
NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
Ratings
Scene 18 - Behind the Screen
could be
under a commuter train bridge. The yellow cab is driving
toward
us. The cab stops at the corner of the street with another
street.