| The exterior of the house in blazing
sunshine. JOE, in dark glasses, sipping a Calafornian cocktail, sits on a
chaise-longue, in the shade of a large umbrella. HE smiles smugly and addresses the
audience. JOE
Sure, I came out here
To make my name
Wanted my pool, my dose of fame
Wanted my parking space at Warners'.
But, after a year
A one-room hell
A Murphy bedA rancid smell
Wallpaper peeling at the corners
Sunset Boulevard
Twisting Boulevard
Secretive and rich, a little scary.
Sunset Boulevard,
Tempting Boulevard,
Waiting there to swallow the unwary.
Dreams are not enough
To win a war
Out here they're always keeping score
Beneath the tan the battle rages.
Smile a rented smile
Fill someone's glass
Kiss someone's wife
Kiss someone's ass
We do whatever pays the wages.
Sunset Boulevard
Headline Boulevard
Getting here is only the beginning.
Sunset Boulevard
Jackpot Boulevard
Once you've won you have to go on winning.
You think I've sold out?
Dead right I've sold out.
I've just been waiting
For the right offer:
Comfortable quarters,
Regular rations,
24 hour
Five-star room service.
And if I'm honest
I like the lady
I can't help being
Touched by her folly.
I'm treading water,
Taking the money,
Watching her sunset...
Well, I'm a writer.
LA's changed a lot
Over the years
Since those brave Gold Rush pioneers
Came in their creaky covered wagons.
Far as they could go
End of the line
Their dreams were yours
Their dreams were mine
But in those dreams were hidden dragons.
Sunset Boulevard
Frenzied Boulevard
Swamped with every kind of false emotion.
Sunset Boulevard
Brutal Boulevard
Just like you we'll wind up in the ocean.
She was sinking fast
I threw a rope
Now I have suits
And she has hope
It seemed an elegant solution.
One day this must end
It isn't real
Still, I'll enjoy
A hearty meal
Before tomorrow's execution.
Sunset Boulevard
Ruthless Boulevard
Destination for the stony-hearted.
Sunset Boulevard
Lethal Boulevard
Everyone's forgotten how they started
Here on Sunset Boulevard.
(HE pours himself a glass of champagne from an open bottle. As HE's sipping at
it, NORMA comes hurrying out of the house in a state of high excitement.)
NORMA
There's been a call,
What did I say?
They want to see
Me right away.
Joe, Paramount,
They love our child,
Mr. DeMille
Is going wild.
(JOE is a little surprised by this, but manages to conceal his scepticism almost
at once.)
JOE
Well, that's wonderful, Norma.
NORMA
But it was some fool assistant,
Not acceptable at all.
If he wants me, then Cecil B.
Himself must call.
(JOE shakes his head, a little disapproving.)
JOE
I don't know if this is a time to stand on ceremony.
NORMA
I’ve been waiting twenty years now,
What's a few more days, my dear?
It's happened, Joe,
I told you so,
The perfect year.
(She stretches out her hand to him, invitingly.)
NORMA
Now, let's go upstairs.
JOE (Hesitating)
Shouldn’t you at least call back?
NORMA
No; they can wait until I'm good and ready.
On the Road
JOE
It took her three days
And she was ready.
She checked with her astrologer,
Who sacrificed a chicken.
She dressed up like a pharaoh,
Slapped on a pound of make-up
And set forth in her chariot.
Poor Norma
So happy,
Re-entering her kingdom.
Paramount
(The Isotta-Fraschini turns off Brobnson and pulls
up in front of the main gates. For the moment, nothing happens; but MAX , it emerges, is
engaged in important business, staring fixedly into the rear view mirror.)
MAX
If you will pardon me, Madame, the shadow over the left eye is not quite balanced.
NORMA
Thank you, Max.
(She attends to it, using a handkerchief. Meanwhile, MAX sounds the horn
impatiently. A young STUDIO GUARD breaks off a conversation HE's been having with an EXTRA
dressed as an indian brave.)
GUARD
Hey, that's enough of that.
MAX
To see Mr. DeMille. Open the gate.
GUARD
Mr. DeMille is shooting. You need an appointment.
MAX
This is Norma Desmond. No appointment is necessary.
GUARD
Norma who?
(Meanwhile, however, NORMA has recognized JONES, who is sifting on a wooden chair,
reading a newspaper. She rolls down the window.)
NORMA
Jonesy!
(JONES looks up, frowning; then his expression clears and he approaches the car.)
JONES
Why, if it isn't Miss Desmond. How have you been, Miss Desmond?
NORMA
Fine, Jonesy. Open the gate.
(JONES turns tohis young COLLEAGUE.)
]ONES
You heard Miss Desmond.
GUARD
They don't have a pass.
(JONES shakes his head, exasperated, and begins to open the gate himself. The car
moves forward.)
JONES
Stage 18, Miss Desmond.
NORMA
Thank you, Jonesy. And teach your friend some manners. Tell him without me there wouldn't
be any Paramount Studio.
(As the car glides through the gates, JONES picks up his telephone.)
JONES
Get me Stage 18. I have a message for Mr. DeMille.
(A scene-change reveals the cavernous exterior of Sound Stage 18, where the
STAND-INS for Victor Mature and Hedy Lamaar are in position, in a blaze of light, on the
grandiose "Samson and Delilah" set. MR. DEMILLE, recognizable from the parody
version of Act I, confers with his DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY. HE's interrupted by one of his
assistants, HEATHER, who approaches with some trepidation.)
HEATHER
Mr. DeMille?
DEMILLE
What is it?
HEATHER
Norma Desmond is here to see you, Mr. DeMille.
DEMILLE
Norma Desmond?
HEATHER
She's here at the studio.
DEMILLE
It must be about that appalling script of hers. What shall I say?
HEATHER
Maybe I could give her the brush.
DEMILLE
Thirty million fans have given her the brush. Isn't that enough? Give me a minute.
(He turns towards the set.
Meanwhile, NORMA has arrived outside the studio with MAX and JOE. She hesitates for a
moment, gripping JOE's hand fiercely.)
NORMA
Won't you come along, darling?
(JOE shakes his head.)
JOE
It's your script. It's your show. Good luck.
NORMA
Thank you, darling.
(By this time, HEATHER has emerged from the studio. She comes over to greet NORMA.)
HEATHER
Miss Desmond.
(She leads NORMA towards the studio. DE MILLE is waiting just inside; he envelops
her in his arms.)
DEMILLE
Well, well, well.
NORMA
Hello, Mr. DeMille.
(A long embrace.)
NORMA
Last time I saw you was some place terribly gay. I was dancing on a table.
DEMILLE
A lot of people were. Lindbergh had lust landed.
(He starts to lead her into the studio.)
NORMA
You read the script, of course.
DEMILLE
Well, yes...
NORMA
I know how busy you are when you're shooting, but I really think you could have picked up
the phone yourself, instead of leaving it to some assistant.
DEMILLE
I don't know what you mean, Norma.
NORMA
Yes, you do.
DEMILLE
Come on in.
(HE leads her into the studio, a bewildering chaos of sound and activity, which at
first stuns her. HE shouts to be heard above the cacophony. He hurries off. Slowly, as
NORMA looks around, the sound fades to nothing. She stands there, looking around the old
familiar space. Suddenly, a VOICE rings out.)
VOICE
Miss Desmond! Hey, Miss Desmond!
(NORMA looks around, unable to identify the source of the VOICE)
HOG-EYE
Up here, Miss Desmond; it's Hog-eye!
(NORMA looks up. Up in the flies, balanced on the walkway, is a quite elderly
ELECTRICIAN.)
NORMA
Hog-eye! Well, hello!
HOG-EYE
Let's get a look at you.
(And so saying, HE swivels one of the big lamps until it finds her. SHE stands for a
moment, isolated, bathed in the light. Then, from all over the studio, murmuring among
themselves, TECHNICIANS, EXTRAS and STAGEHANDS begin to converge on her.)
NORMA
I don't know why I'm frightened,
I know my way around here
The cardboard trees,
The painted seas,
The sound here.
Yes, a world to rediscover
But I'm not in any hurry
And I need a moment.
The whispered conversations
In overcrowded hallways,
The atmosphere
As thrilling here
As always.
Feel the early morning madness
Feel the magic in the making
Why, everything's as if we never said goodbye.
I've spent so many mornings
Just trying to resist you
I'm trembling now
You can't know how
I've missed you,
Missed the fairy-tale adventures
In this ever-spinning playground,
We were young together.
I'm coming out of make-up
The lights already burning
Not long until
The cameras will
Start turning.
Feel the early morning madness
Feel the magic in the making
Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye.
I don't want to be alone
That's all in the past
This world's waited long enough
I've come home at last.
And this time will be bigger
And brighter than we knew it
So watch me fly
We all know I
Can do it.
Could I stop my hand from shaking?
Has there ever been a moment
With so much to live for?
The whispered conversations
In overcrowded hallways,
So much to say
Not just today
But always
We’ll have early morning madness
We'll have magic in the making
Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye.
Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye.
We taught the world new ways to dream.
(The focus shifts to outside the studio, where JOE has moved off to lean against
a wall, smoke a cigarette, and enjoy the passing parade. Suddenly, HE sees BETTY hurrying
past, a bundle of scripts under her arm. HE thinks about avoiding HER altogether, but
she's seen him and bears down on him.)
BETTY
Well, hello,
Mr. Gillis.
Where have you been
Keeping yourself?
JOE
Someone's
Been doing it for me.
BETTY
And meanwhile "Blind Windows"
Is stuck on the shelf.
You said
We'd work together.
JOE
New Year's crisis
What can I say?
BETTY
Always
Full of excuses.
JOE
Promise I'll call you
Later today.
(BETTY looks at HIM for a moment.)
BETTY
You said that last time.
JOE
Betty, I won't let you down.
BETTY
I guess I'll just have to trust you.
(BETTY smiles at him and hurries on.
During this exchange, SHELDRAKE has entered. HE stops having caught sight of the
Isotta. HE tries to catch MAX’s attention, but MAX deliberately ignores him. Finally,
SHELDRAKE plants himself unavoidably in front of him.)
SHELDRAKE
You're Miss Desmond’s German shepherd.
I'm the one who's been calling.
The name is Sheldrake, A couple of weeks ago, I was looking out of my office window
and I saw you driving on to the lot. And I said that's exactly the car I've been looking
for. Great for my new Crosby picture. So, I made some inquiries and I've been calling for
two weeks. Doesn’t she ever answer the phone? It's so perfect. You can't find that
kind of quality outside of a museum. We’re willing to pay a hundred dollars a week...
MAX
It's outrageous,
You insult her,
How can you be so cruel?
I forbid you to approach her.
SHELDRAKE
You're insane.
MAX
Go away.
Go away!
(SHELDRAKE hurries off. In the studio, DEMILLE has been attempting to set up his
shot. Now, however, unable to ignore the kerfuffle surrounding NORMA, he steps down and
approaches her; NORMA turns to him, radiant.)
NORMA
Did you see
How they all came
Crowding around?
They still love me
And soon we'll be
Breaking new ground.
Brave pioneers.
DEMILLE
Those were the days.
NORMA
Just like before.
DEMILLE
We had such fun.
NORMA
We gave the world
New ways to dream.
NORMA AND DEMILLE
We always found
New ways to dream.
(The red light goes on and the studio bell shrills. VICTOR MATURE and HEDY
LAMARR arrive to take the place of their identically costumed STAND-INS.)
DEMILLE
Let's have a good long talk one day.
NORMA
The old team will be back in business.
DEMILLE
Sorry, my next shot's ready.
(He begins to walk her towards the studio door.
Meanwhile, outside, JOE has moved over towards MAX and notices right away, from the
LATTER's thunderous expression, that something disturbing has happened.)
MAX
Mr. Gillis...
JOE
What's the matter, Max?
MAX
I just found out the reason for all those phone calls from Paramount. It's not Madame they
want. It's her car.
JOE
Oh, my God.
(DEMILLE and NORMA have reached the doorway of the studio.)
NORMA
Now, you remember, don't you? I don't work before 10 or after 4:30 in the afternoon.
DEMILLE
It isn't entirely my decision, Norma, New York must be consulted.
NORMA
That's fine. You ask any exhibitor in the country. I'm not forgotten.
DEMILLE
Of course you're not.
(He embraces her.)
DEMILLE
Goodbye, young fellow. We'll see what we can do.
NORMA
I'm not worried. It's so wonderful to be back.
(SHE turns and sweeps regally away towards her car, the door of which MAX is holding
open. DEMILLE waves goodbye to her; then, as the Isotta drives off, HE shakes his head,
disturbed, and moves, preoccupied, back towards the studio doorway. HEATHER is waiting for
him. BETTY rushes out of the soundstage)
BETTY
Was that really Norma Desmond?
DEMILLE
It was.
HEATHER
She must be about a million years old.
DEMILLE
I hate to think where that puts me. I could be her father.
HEATHER
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. DeMille.
(The shot is ready, and EVRYONE is waiting on DEMILLE's orders, but HE pauses for a
moment, in pensive mood, his hand on the back of his chair.)
DEMILLE
If you could have seen
Her at seventeen
When all of her dreams were new,
Beautiful and strong,
Before it all went wrong;
She's never known the meaning of
Surrender;
Never known the meaning of
Surrender.
(Slow fade to black.)
Betty’s Office
Night on the Paramount lot. BETTY's office is a
spartan affair, one of a row of wooden cubicles suspended at first-floor level, above the
darkened streets of the back lot. BETTY sits behind her desk, staring at her typewriter,
from which a piece of paper protrudes; JOE, in his shirt-sleeves, paces up and down,
holding a pencil. Presently, as the silence extends, HE crosses to look down at the sheet
of paper in his typewriter, frown,; then, his brow clears as an idea occurs to him.
JOE
How about
They don't know each other
He works the night shift,
And she takes classes all day?
Here's the thing
They both share the same room,
Sleep in the same bed
It works out cheaper that way.
BETTY
Well, I've a feeling you're just kidding,
But to me it sounds believable.
Makes a better opening than that car chase scene:
Girl finds boy
Borrowing her toothbrush
Or oversleeping
Or at her sewing-machine.
(She's got up as the excitement over her ideas has gripped her, and now JOE
takes her place behind the typewriter.)
JOE
You know, it's not bad, there are some real possibilities...
(BETTY picks up JOE's cigarette case, helps herself to a cigarette and then notices
the inscription.)
BETTY
Who's Norma?
JOE
Who's who?
BETTY
I'm sorry, I don't usually read private cigarette cases.
JOE
Norma’s a friend of mine, middle-aged lady, very foolish, very generous.
BETTY
I'll say: this is solid gold. ‘Mad about the boy’?
(JOE rises to his feet, thinks of a way to change the subject.)
JOE
So how's Artie?
BETTY
Stuck in Tennessee. It rains all the time, they're weeks behind. Nobody knows when they'll
get back.
JOE
Good.
BETTY
What's good about it! I'm missing him something fierce.
JOE
No, I mean this idea we had is really pretty good.
(He picks up the notebook, scribbles a note, as BETTY moves back towards the desk.)
JOE
Back to work.
BETTY
What if he's a teacher?
JOE
Where does that get us?
Don't see what good it would do.
BETTY
No, it's great,
If they do the same job...
JOE
So much in common,
They fall in love, wouldn't you?
BETTY
Yes, but if he's just a teacher,
We lose those scenes in the factory.
JOE
Not if he's a champion for the working man.
Girl likes boy,
She respects his talent.
BETTY
Working with someone,
Can turn you into a fan.
JOE
This is fun,
Writing with a partner.
BETTY
Yes, and it could be...
JOE
A Helluva movie.
BETTY
Can we really do this?
JOE AND BETTY
I know that we can!
(Blackout.)
The House on Sunset (Interior)
The drawing room, gloomy and cavernous as ever. JOE
sits under one of the lamps, reading a book. NORMA, her face invisible, lies face-down on
the massage table, covered only by a towel. A MASSEUR is working on her legs; an
immaculate BEAUTICIAN, a blonde, is attending to her cuticles, and a woman ASTROLOGER in a
headscarf hovers about at the top end of the table.
ASTROLOGER
I don't think you should shoot before July 15th.
Right now is a perilous time for Pisces.
If you wait till Venus is in Capricorn
You'll avoid a catalogue of crises.
(The MASSEUR drums away at her thighs.)
FIRST MASSEUSE
I need three more weeks to get these thighs in shape,
No more carbohydrates, don't be naughty.
SECOND MASSEUSE
We'll soon have you skipping like an ingénue,
You won't look a day over forty.
(At this point, NORMA turns her face to look downstage and we see that it is
coated in some thick white gunk, with slices of cucumber covering their eyes. Meanwhile,
JOE puts his book down, checks his watch, gets up and begins moving round the room, trying
to appear casual, but evidently looking for something.)
FIRST BEAUTICIAN
We have dry heat, we have steam.
SECOND BEAUTICIAN
We have moisturizing cream.
THIRD BEAUTICIAN
We have mud-packs, we have blood sacks.
SECOND BEAUTICIAN
It's a rigorous regime.
ALL
Not a wrinkle when you twinkle,
Or a wobble when you walk.
THIRD BEAUTICIAN
Of course, there's bound to
Be a little suffering.
ALL
Eternal youth is worth a little suffering.
ANALYST
Listen to your superego not your id,
Age is just another damn neurosis.
I’ll have you regressing back to infancy,
And up into the womb under hypnosis.
DOCTOR
I inject the tissue of the foetal lamb,
The formula’s the one Somerset Maugham owns.
Just a modest course of thirty-seven shots,
And you will be a heaving mass of hormones.
ALL
No more crow's feet, no mote flab,
No more love handles to grab.
You'll be so thin they'll all think you're
Walking sideways like a crab.
Nothing sagging, nothing bagging,
Nothing dragging on the floor,
Of course, there's bound to be a little suffering,
Eternal youth is worth a little suffering.
Of course, there's bound to be a little suffering,
Eternal youth is worth a little suffering.
Of course, there's bound to be a little suffering,
Eternal youth is worth a little suffering.
(With this, the BEAUTY TEAM packs up and leaves, shown out by MAX. JOE, still
looking, winds up in NORMA's vicinity. SHE suddenly produces a script from under a towel.)
NORMA
Is this what you're looking for, by any chance?
JOE
Why, yes.
NORMA
Whose phone number is this?
(JOE takes the script from her, a little sheepish, not answering. NORMA rises from
the massage table, gathering her towel about her, peeling the cucumber slices from her
eyes.)
NORMA
I've been worried about the line of my throat. I think this woman has done wonders with
it.
JOE
Good.
NORMA
And I've lost half a pound since Tuesday.
JOE
Very good.
NORMA
And now it's after nine. I'd better get to bed.
JOE
You had.
NORMA
Are you coming up?
JOE
I think I'I1 read a little longer.
NORMA
You went out last night, didn't you, Joe?
JOE
I went for a walk.
NORMA
You took the car.
JOE
I drove to the beach.
NORMA
Who's Betty Schaefer?
(Silence. Eventually, JOE shakes his head.)
JOE
Surely you don't want me to feel I'm a prisoner in this house!
NORMA
You don't understand, Joe. I'm under a terrible strain. It's been so hard I even got
myself a revolver. The only thing that stopped me from killing myself was the thought of
all those people waiting to see me back on the screen. How could I disappoint them? All I
ask is a little patience, a little understanding.
JOE
Norma, there's nothing to worry about, I haven't done anything.
NORMA
Of course you haven't. Good night, my darling.
(SHE kisses him lightly, as best she can in the circumstances, and sets off
upstairs, a bizarre figure in her mask and white towel. JOE waits until she has
disappeared and gathers up his script. Then HE turns to the audience.)
JOE
I should have stayed there.
Poor Norma,
So desperate to be ready
For what would never happen.
But Betty would be waiting,
We had the script to finish.
One unexpected love scene,
Two people
Both risking
A kind of happy ending.
(HE slips quietly out through the French doors. As HE does so, MAX, previously
seen escorting the BEAUTY TEAM out, quite unexpectedly emerges from the shadows of some
recess in the room. His expression is troubled.
Fade to black.)
Betty’s Office & The Back Lot at
Paramount
It is night on the Paramount lot and BETTY is once
again at her typewriter, but this time there is some light on the standing New York street
set, which is being dressed for action the following day. JOE watches as BETTY finishes
typing.
BETTY
T-H-E E-N-D! I can't believe it, I've finished my first script!
JOE
Stop it, you're making me feel old.
BETTY
It's exciting, though, isn't it?
JOE
How old are you, anyway?
BETTY
Twenty-two.
JOE
Smart girl.
BETTY
Shouldn't we open some champagne?
JOE
Best I can offer is a stroll to the water cooler at the end of the lot.
BETTY
Sounds good to me.
(Pause)
I love the back lot here. All cardboard, all hollow, all phoney, all done with
mirrors; I think I love it better than any street in the world. I spent my childhood here.
JOE
What were you, a child actress?
BETTY
No, but my family always expected me to become a great star. I had ten years of dramatic
lessons, diction, dancing, everything you can think of; then the studio made a test.
JOE (Laughing)
That's the saddest story I ever heard.
BETTY
Not at all. Come on.
(Pause)
BETTY
I was born two blocks from here. My father was head electrician at the studio until he
died, and Mother still works in wardrobe.
JOE
Second generation, huh?
BETTY
Third. Grandma did stunt work for Pearl White.
(As THEY walk down the Manhattan street, the stage begins to revolve slowly, so that
THEY end up walking Downstage; and the flimsy struts holding up the substantial sets are
gradually revealed.
JOE and BETTY walk in silence for a while; BETTY's expression is deeply preoccupied.
They come to a halt in front of the water cooler.)
JOE
I guess it is kind of exciting, at that, finishing a script.
(HE fixes a couple of paper cups of water, and hands one to BETTY, who's miles away
and comes to with a start when he touches her arm.)
BETTY
What?
JOE
Are you all right?
BETTY
Sure.
JOE
Something's the matter, isn't it?
(Pause. Then BETTY blurts out.)
BETTY
I had a telegram from Artie.
JOE
Is something wrong?
BETTY
He wants me to come out to Tennessee. He says it would only cost 2 dollars to get
married in Clinch.
JOE
Well, what's stopping you! Now we've finished the script...
(He breaks off, amazed to see that SHE's crying.)
JOE
Why are you crying? You're getting married, isn't that what you wanted?
BETTY
Not any more.
JOE
Don't you love Artie?
BETTY
Of course I do. I'm just not in love with him any more, that's all.
JOE
Why not? What happened?
BETTY
You did.
(Suddenly, THEY're in each other's arms. A long kiss.)
BETTY
When I was a kid,
I played on this street,
I always loved illusion.
I thought make-believe
Was truer than life
But now it's all confusion.
Please can you tell me what's happening?
I just don't know any more.
If this is real,
How should I feel?
What should I look for?
JOE
If you were smart,
You would keep on walking
Out of my life,
As fast as you can.
I'm not the one
You should pin your hopes on,
You're falling for
The wrong kind of man.
This is crazy.
You know we should call it a day.
Sound advice, great advice,
Let's throw it away.
I can't control
All the things I'm feeling,
I haven't got a prayer.
If I'm a fool,
Well, I'm too much in love to care.
I knew where I was,
I'd given up hope,
Made friends with disillusion.
No one in my life,
But I look at you,
And now it's all confusion.
BETTY
Please can you tell me what's happening?
I just don't know any more.
If this is real,
How should I feel?
What should I look for?
I thought I had
Everything I needed.
My life was set,
My dreams were in place.
My heart could see
Way into the future.
All of that goes
When I see your face.
I should hate you,
There I was, the world in my hand.
Can one kiss kiss away
Everything I planned?
I can't control
All the things I'm feeling,
I'm floating in mid-air.
I know it's wrong,
But I'm too much in love to care.
JOE AND BETTY
I thought I had
Everything I needed.
My life was set,
My dreams were in place.
My heart could see
Way into the future.
All of that goes
When I see your face.
This is crazy.
You know we should call it a day.
JOE
Sound advice
BETTY
Great advice
JOE AND BETTY
Let's throw it away.
I can't control
All the things I'm feeling.
We're floating in mid-air.
If we are fools,
Well, we're too much in love to care.
If we are fools,
Well, we're too much in love to care!
(They fall into each other's arms and embrace passionately. Then JOE leads BETTY
by the hand back into the office. They kiss again and it is obvious that THEY're about to
make love.)
The House on Sunset (Exterior)
It is late at night as JOE, in the Isotta, glides
back into the garage. HE steps down from the car with a gleam in his eye and a spring in
his step, and is therefore thoroughly startled when the sombre figure of Max steps forward
out of the darkness. However, HE recovers quickly. It is a murky night, wind rising, rain
threatening.
JOE
What's the matter there, Max? You waiting to wash the car?
MAX
Please be careful when you cross the patio. Madame may be watching.
JOE
Suppose I tiptoe up the back stairs and undress in the dark, will that do it?
MAX
It's just that I am greatly worried about Madame.
JOE
Well, we're not helping any, feeding her lies and more lies. What happens when she finds
out they're not going to make her picture?
MAX
She never will. That is my job. I made her a star and I will never let her be destroyed.
JOE
You made her a star?
MAX
I directed all her early pictures. In those days there were three young directors who
showed promise: D. W Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille and...
(JOE interrupts, as the realisation suddenly dawns on him.)
JOE
Max von Mayerling.
MAX
That's right.
(By now, THEY've moved out of the garage on to the dimly lit patio.)
When we met
She was a child,
Barely sixteen;
Awkward, and yet
She had an air
I'd never seen.
I knew I'd found
My perfect face.
Deep in her eyes,
New ways to dream,
And we inspired
New ways to dream.
Talkies came,
I stayed with her,
Took up this life.
Threw away fame,
(He hesitates, before steeling himself to go on.)
MAX
Please understand,
(A beat)
She was my wife.
(Pause. JOE is staggered. MAX is fighting back a wave of emotion.)
MAX
We had achieved
Far more than most.
We gave the world
New ways to dream.
Everyone needs
New ways to dream.
(JOE shakes his head, still incredulous.)
JOE
You're telling me you were married to her!
MAX
I was the first husband.
So I play this game,
Keeper of the flame,
Sharing with her one last dream.
Don't you think I knew
It could never come true?
She'll be the very last one to surrender.
I will not allow her to surrender.
The House on Sunset (Interior)
The main room comes into view, and NORMA, her face
now bare of make-up, wearing a white negligée, her expression profoundly tormented picks
up the phone, and dials.
NORMA
Hello, is this Gladstone 9281? Miss Schaefer! ... Miss Schaefer, you must forgive me
for calling so late, but I really feel it's my duty. It's about Mr. Gillis ... You do know
a Mr Gillis? Well, exactly how much do you know about him? Do you know where he lives? Do
you know what he lives on?
(At around this point, JOE, unseen by NORMA, steps in through the French doors and
freezes in the shadows, listening.)
NORMA
I want to spare you
A lot of sadness.
I don't know what he's told you,
But I can guarantee you
He doesn't live with Mother,
Or what you'd call a room-mate.
He's just a ... I can't say it.
Poor Betty,
You ask him,
I'd love to hear his answer.
(SHE's completely taken by surprise as JOE snatches the receiver from her.)
JOE
That's right, Betty, why don't you ask me? Or better yet, come over and see for yourself.
Yes, right now. The address is ten thousand eighty-six, Sunset Boulevard.
(HE hangs up violently and turns to stare at NORMA in furious silence. SHE flinches
under his gaze.)
NORMA
Don't hate me, Joe. I did it because I need you. Look at me. Look at my hands. Look at my
face. Look under my eyes. How can I go back to work if I'm wasting away?
(JOE says nothing. He is trying to control his rage.)
NORMA
Don't stand there hating me, Joe. Shout at me, strike me, but say you don't hate me.
(But JOE, who has been looking at her with an expression of infinite contempt,
deliberately turns his back on her.
A distant rumble of thunder, and an orchestral interlude begins, during which the storm
intensifies, a torrential tropical rain starts to fall, lightning flashes and NORMA makes
her way shakily up the stairs. JOE paces, steeling himself for the coming encounter. NORMA
vanishes into her bedroom. JOE finally slumps on the big sofa. Unseen by him, NORMA
re-emerges quietly, on to the landing. SHE is holding a revolver. SHE sinks to the floor
and waits. The shrill of the doorbell. JOE springs to his feet and
hurries to let BETTY in.)
JOE
Come on in.
(He leads BETTY into the main room. She looks around for a moment, unnerved by the
size of the place.)
BETTY
What's going on, Joe?
Why am I so scared?
What was that woman saying?
She sounded so weird,
I don't understand ...
Please can't you tell me what's happening?
You said you loved me tonight.
Shall I just go?
Say something, Joe.
(NORMA moves stealthily forward, staring down at BETTY through the balustrade.)
JOE
Have some pink champagne,
And caviar,
When you go visit with a star,
The hospitality is stellar.
BETTY
So this is where you're living?
JOE
Yes, it's quite a place,
Sleeps seventeen,
Eight sunken tubs,
A movie screen,
A bowling alley in the cellar.
BETTY
I didn’t come to see a house, Joe.
JOE
Sunset Boulevard
Cruise the Boulevard
Win yourself a Hollywood palazzo.
Sunset Boulevard
Mythic Boulevard
Valentino danced on the terrazzo.
BETTY
Who's it belong to?
JOE
Just look around you.
BETTY
That's Norma Desmond.
(SHE's seen the big portrait above the fireplace. Now JOE begins to draw her
attention to some of the innumerable other portraits, photographs and stills.)
JOE
Right on the money.
That's Norma Desmond
That's Norma Desmond
That's Norma Desmond
That's Norma Desmond.
BETTY
Why did she call me?
JOE
Give you three guesses.
It's the oldest story
In the book:
Come see the taker being took
The world is full of Joes and Normas.
Older woman
Very well-to-do
Meets younger man
A standard cue
For two mechanical performers.
(BETTY puts a hand over his mouth.)
BETTY
Just pack your things and let's go.
JOE
You mean all my things?
Have you gone mad!
Leave all the things I've never had?
Leave this luxurious existence?
You want me to face
That one-room hell,
That Murphy bed,
That rancid smell,
Go back to living on subsistence?
It's no time to begin a new life,
Now I've finally made a perfect landing.
I'm afraid there's no room for a wife,
Not unless she's uniquely understanding.
You should go back to Artie and marry the fool
And you'll always be welcome to swim in my pool.
BETTY
I can't look at you any more, Joe.
(SHE turns and rushes blindly out of the French door, leaving it open. JOE'S head
slowly sinks. HE's overcome by a wave of misery.
Meanwhile, on the landing, NORMA scrambles to her feet. The revolver is no longer in
evidence. SHE crosses the landing and starts off down the stairs; a flutter of movement
catches JOE's eye and HE turns. NORMA stops on the stairs, temporarily halted by the
fierceness of his expression, but as HE moves towards her and starts up the stairs, SHE
stretches out a hand to him.)
NORMA
Thank you, thank you, Joe, thank you… thank you.
(JOE brushes past her, brusquely shaking off her hand as SHE touches his wrist and
vanishing into his room. SHE stays where SHE is, uncertain, unable to make sense of what's
happening; and, suddenly, JOE reappears. HE is carrying his battered old typewriter. Calm
and unhurried, HE starts off down the stairs again, as NORMA stares wildly at him.)
NORMA
What are you doing, Joe?
(HE ignores her, continues to move evenly down the stairs.)
NORMA
You're not leaving me?
JOE
Yes, I am, Norma.
NORMA
You can't! Max!
JOE
It's been a bundle of laughs
And thanks for the use of the trinkets.
(He takes the gold cigarette case out of his pocket and hands it to her.)
JOE
A little ritzy for the copy desk
Back in Dayton.
(HE starts to move on, then turns back to her, his expression serious.)
JOE
And there's something you ought to know.
I want to do you this favour:
They'll never shoot that hopeless script of yours,
They only wanted your car.
(During this, MAX has entered below. HE looks on, helpless.)
NORMA
That's a lie! They still want me!
What about all my fan mail?
JOE
It's Max who writes you letters,
Your audience has vanished.
They left when you weren't looking.
Nothing's wrong with being fifty,
Unless you're acting twenty.
(HE sets off down the stairs.)
NORMA
I am the greatest star of them all.
JOE
Goodbye, Norma.
(HE has spoken without looking back; so HE does not see NORMA fetch the revolver out
of her pocket and point it at him.)
NORMA
No one ever leaves a star.
(She fires. JOE looks extremely surprised but carries on walking, for the moment
apparently unaffected. At the bottom of the stairs, HE lets go of the typewriter which
crashes down on to the tiles. HE staggers slightly, but carries on walking. NORMA hurries
after him. SHE fires twice more. MAX moves forward to the Center of the stage, aghast, for
once completely at a loss.)
SLOW FADE TO BLACK
The House on Sunset
In the blackout, the orchestra plays NORMA's
"LULABY," and soon the lights come up on the cold dawn of the opening scene.
There's been a semi-revolve so that the garden is now visible, bathed by ae eerie glow,
disruped by patrol cars. JOE's body floats, face down, in the pool. The entrance hall of
the house is crowded with REPORTERS, POLICE, NEWSREEL CREWS with their cameras, ALL fired
with eager anticipation. MAX moves around the various groups, consulting with POLICEMEN
and CAMERAMAN.
REPORTER
And as dawn breaks over the murder house, Norma Desmond, famed star of yesteryear, is in a
state of complete mental shock.
(Suddenly, all movement stops and all heads rise. NORMA has emerged from her room on
to the landing. SHE's dressed in some strange approximation of a Salome costume and SHE's
still holding the revolver. There is an atmosphere of extreme apprehension below. One of
the uniformed PLOICEMEN has brought out his gun; MAX leans over to talk to the head of
homicide, a PLAINCLOTHES POLICEMAN.
SHE's clearly disoriented, in a world of her own, moving, lost and bewildered, around
the landing, letting out, unaccompanied by the orchestra, odd broken phrases of song.)
NORMA
This was dawn.
I don't know why I'm frightened.
Silent music starts to play.
Happy New Year, darling.
If you're with me, next year will be…
Next year will be...
They bring in his head on a silver tray,
She kisses his mouth...
She kisses his mouth...
Mad about the boy!
They'll say Norma's back at last!
(A POLICEMAN starts to move towards NORMA on the stairs. MAX stops HIM.)
MAX (Turning to NORMA on the stairs)
Madame, the cameras have arrived.
NORMA
Max, where am I?
MAX
This is the staircase of the palace
And they're waiting for your dance.
NORMA
Of course,
Now I remember:
I was so frightened I might fall...
MAX
You are the greatest star of all!
(SHE starts down the stairs. MAX cups a hand to his mouth and springs into
action.)
MAX
Lights!
(The portable lights flare up. In addition, there is the flash of countless
flashbulbs. NORMA reacts, her eyes widen, SHE drapes the scarf around her shoulders.)
MAX
Cameras!
(The whirr and grind of the old-fashioned Movietone cameras.)
MAX
Action!
(And, as the music swells, NORMA descends the staircase, wooing her arms in some
strange rendition of Salome'sapproach to the throne. However, halfway down, she suddenly
comes to a halt and begins to sing.)
NORMA
When he scorned me I
Knew he'd have to die,
Let me kiss his severed head.
Compromise or death,
He fought to his last breath,
He never had it in him to surrender.
Just like me he never could surrender.
I can't go on with the scene; I'm too happy. May I say a few words, Mr DeMille? I
can't tell you how wonderful it is to be back in the studio making a picture. I promise
you I'll never desert you again. This is my life. It always will be. There is nothing
else. Just us and the cameras and all the wonderful people out there in the dark. And now,
Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.
(She continues down the staircase as 'WITH ONE LOOK' swells to a climax.)
NORMA
This time I'm staying,
I'm staying for good,
I'II be back,
Where I was born to be,
With one look
I'll be me.
(Darkness.)
T H E E N D
© 1994 The Really Useful
Group Ltd.
Many thanks to Pablo Telleria for
transcribing act II. |
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