Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald UK (Illustrated)

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  ALTHEA: Was she in my room?

  NICOLAS: No, never. (Pause.) She was someone I knew a long time ago, many years ago.

  ALTHEA: I don’t want to talk about it.

  NICOLAS: We always said we’d never go to bed angry.

  Shooting toward the window with Nicolas and Althea invisible.

  ALTHEA: If you talk about it, I’ll go to a hotel. (Pause.)

  NICOLAS: Did you bring your mother back with you?

  ALTHEA: Yes.

  NICOLAS: I didn’t expect you for a week — I suppose you meant to surprise me.

  ALTHEA: Yes. (Pause.)

  NICOLAS: Do you want to go out for supper?

  ALTHEA: No, I’m going to bed in a minute.

  His shadow crosses the light suddenly. His head is against the window as he kneel at her feet.

  NICOLAS: Althea.

  Shooting at them from window, they faces dimly visible.

  ALTHEA (with quiet scorn): You fool.

  NICOLAS: Althea.

  ALTHEA: I tied myself to a fool — a fool who threw us away.

  A silent montage, showing the following flashes — each one a reminiscence of our first sequence which showed the state of affairs between Althea and Nicolas:

  (a) Nicolas and Althea at table on a club veranda or racing pavilion. An unheard question from him — a polite lifting of the eyebrows from her.

  (b) Nicolas and Althea in an open car — Nicolas driving, the road throwing them together, Althea coolly but not too obviously moving away.

  (c) Nicolas and Althea in a hotel corridor outside two doors. With them a bell-boy with bags. Both pointing out which bags for which room.

  Then, faster flashes:

  (d) Like (a) but in a hotel dining room.

  (e) Like (b) but in a taxi.

  (f) An empty corridor — two doors across from each other being closed.

  Over this montage comes:

  NICOLAS’VOICE: She doesn’t happen to believe in divorce. She offered me a divorce.

  HARRISON’S VOICE: I should think that would be much the best thing..

  NICOLAS’VOICE (wearily): I suppose so — after two years.

  Nicolas’present office. A two-shot of the two men talking. Nicolas’hair is mussed, Harrison is half through a cigar. Shot favors Nicolas.

  NICOLAS: Still — still, you can’t tell — (he does not smile nor change expression but a beam of light from the window falls on his face) this morning she seemed very friendly. Came to the door with me, waved her handkerchief...

  The Gilberts’breakfast room: Althea’s at phone; Starks picks up her handkerchief from the floor and puts it on the table beside her. He removes a tray and goes off the scene.

  ALTHEA (at phone): Naturally I’m excited, Alex — I didn’t know you were in this country — or are you? Would you like to drive down to the country for the weekend? (Pause.) No, our place isn’t open this year — these are some friends. (Pause.) Be ready at two then. I’ve got to visit my hospital on the way.

  Close shot of Alex Aldrich at a telephone.

  ALEX: All right, Althea. Good-bye.

  He hangs up and turns as camera pull-back to show the sitting room of a large hotel suite. Mrs. Chilton sits in a wheel-chair close by.

  ALEX (to Mrs. Chillton: Contact established.

  MRS. CHILTON: Good.

  ALEX: I’d like to know a little more.

  MRS. CHILTON: I don’t know anything more. I don’t know how young couples live nowadays, I don’t know what Nicolas did and she has never enlightened me. I only know that it’s all terribly wrong — bare and cheerless and wrong. I’d rather see her run away with a Chinaman than live this life.

  ALEX (laughing): Am I to be the Chinaman?

  MRS. CHILTON: You? 1 don’t know what you’re to be.

  ALEX: You sent for me.

  MRS. CHILTON: I promised I would. (Pause.) Perhaps I thought you could make her smile again — not with just her lips — in her heart.

  During this speech the English nurse has entered in background with a small medicine glass which she hands to Mrs. Chilton. Mrs. Chilton waves it away.

  ENGLISH NURSE: Please.

  MRS. CHILTON (to nurse): You think you have established a certain dominance over me.

  ENGLISH NURSE: Please.

  Mrs. Chilton drinks the medicine. Alex rises.

  ALEX: I needn’t tell you my motives are entirely selfish, Mrs. Chilton.

  MRS. CHILTON (making a wry face at the medicine): All right.

  The nurse goes off-scene with glass.

  ALEX: I’m glad you’re in good health.

  MRS. CHILTON: Go on — meet Althea — run away with her if she’ll run — beat her, make love to her, wake her up.

  ALEX: It sounds like quite an order.

  He nods, lakes up his hat, and the camera pans him toward the door.

  Close shot of Mrs. Chilton: As the door closes, the nurse comes back into the scene.

  NURSE: Now — you’ve done what you wanted. You can relax.

  MRS. CHILTON: Spanking is probably the thing for Althea — sometimes children should be spanked for being right.

  NURSE: You mean for being wrong.

  MRS. CHILTON: 1 said for being right.

  A gasoline station where the motor parkway comes out on Long Island: Rural background with establishing signs such as SOUTH LONG ISLAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. A beautiful, big roadster conies to an abrupt stop; Althea is at the wheel, Alex beside her. An attendant comes into shot.

  ALTHEA: Fill it up, please.

  Close two-shot of Alex and Althea.

  ALTHEA: There’s nothing mysterious about my attitude — I’m simply through. And I’m the kind of person that when I’m through, I’m through.

  ALEX: Do you mean also that you’re through with love?

  ALTHEA: I wouldn’t be surprised.

  ALEX: That would be a pity.

  ALTHEA: Alex, about two years ago, I froze up in a cake of ice — I didn’t know then I was never coming out of it.

  Insert sign: HOSPITAL ZONE. NO HORNS.

  The roadster is going in the gateway of a hospital. It is a modern, suburban hospital — two-story brick, definitely located in the country. The roadster stops at the front steps. Alex and Althea get out.

  ALTHEA (pausing, turning around): We gave them this land — our place is next door.

  A montage shows:

  (a) Alex and Althea walking along a corridor, accompanied by a deferential doctor in civilian clothes.

  (b) Alex and Althea in a baby ward pausing beside several beds.

  (c) Alex and Althea in a ward for older children. We note her very alive interest and also that she is a favorite with the hospital attendants and with several children she knows.

  A playroom for convalescent children: A radio is playing soft music. Alex and Althea stand watching. Her smile seems softer suddenly in this scene — for the first time since we saw her on the dock in Genoa.

  A nurse in white comes into the shot and up to Althea.

  NURSE: Dr. Janzen will be in his office whenever you want to see him, Mrs. Gilbert. Something came up that prevents his joining you.

  Althea nods, the smile still on her face, and turns toward the door.

  The superintendent’s office: Dr. Janzen, an elderly physician, sits behind his desk, flanked by the superintendent of nurses, a white-haired woman. He is holding a little trial. Before him, with a gauze mask still hanging from him as if he had just finished operating, stands Dr. Paul Borden, assistant resident in surgery, an extremely attractive young man. His face at the moment wears a mocking, devil-may-care expression — he has been caught out and there’s nothing much he can do about it.

  This group shot includes also a young probation nurse collapsed in an easy chair beside the head nurse. Her sniffling sob is the first sound we hear in the scene. Then Dr. Janzen pushes his chair back.

  DR. JANZEN: Dr. Borden, we have no criticism of you professionally. You are, you can be, a surgeo
n of the highest order, but the hospital is not the place tor the exercise of — let us say, personal charm. I have warned you before. I am sorry to say that your residence in surgery is terminated.

  Silence. The probationer sobs. The camera favors Dr. Borden, and we see disappointment, resentment and then a mocking insolence come into his face as he tries to think what to say. We get the impression that he is a gentleman but also that he is a wild man who is going to do nothing about the harm he has caused.

  DR. BORDEN: Very well. I suppose there is no one I can appeal to.

  DR. JANZEN: I am the final authority in this matter.

  Corridor outside: Alex and Althea.

  Nurse knocking at door.

  Full shot of superintendent’s room; a door opens at the far end.

  Group shot of the nurse, Althea and Alex entering.

  Group by the desk: Dr. Borden snaps off his gauze mask, twirls it on his finger and turns away. Simultaneously Dr. Janzen gets up, looking off scene at Althea.

  Full shot of the room: Althea and Alex are coming toward the desk from one door. Dr. Borden goes away from desk toward another door. Scene should be shot so that Althea approaches the desk without seeing his face, which has turned in the other direction as he goes out.

  Close shot of Dr. Borden, half stopping, looking back at Althea.

  Group shot. Althea, coming up to the doctor at the desk, does not see Borden.

  ALTHEA: Afternoon, Dr. Janzen.

  Close shot of Dr. Borden eyeing her appraisingly, approvingly. Obviously his interest in women transcends his interest in surgery. We like him forever for his refusal to let the dismissal get him down.

  Dr. JANZEN’S VOICE (over shot): Good afternoon. Mrs. Gilbert.

  Full shot of the room: Althea is shaking hands at desk, Dr. Borden turns and continues on out. Head nurse leads probationer out.

  ALTHEA: This is Mr. Aldrich, Dr. Janzen.

  Group shot around desk.

  DR. JANZEN: How do you do — Mr. Aldrich. (He flinches and looks off scene at sound of door shutting.)

  ALTHEA: Excitement?

  DR. JANZEN: We have just made another unfortunate discovery that human frailty intrudes itself even into hospitals. (Bad line.) He motions her to a chair.

  Squash court of the racket club. New York music.

  Full shot of Nicolas and Harrison Gilbert finishing a game.

  Close shot of Nicolas making a last successful stroke.

  NICOLAS: I’d still rather beat you than anybody I know.

  The locker room: Nicolas and Harrison are dressing.

  NICOLAS: What kind of a party do you want — or if you don’t want a party — what?

  HARRISON (not looking at Nicolas): Couldn’t we pick up Althea?

  NICOLAS (casually but a little tensely): Althea is way down in the country on a weekend. And if I suddenly showed up there, nobody would be any more surprised than Althea. (Pause, then speaking in a softer voice:) After all, give me credit for a little pride. I don’t follow her around like a poodle dog.

  HARRISON: Excuse me.

  NICOLAS: Well then what’ll we do? The town is yours — what’s your taste — are you a rich big cattleman come to town? Or we can look up some of our old friends in Westchester — Chuck Havemyer or the Graces -

  HARRISON: If you must know, I like the rich big cattleman.

  NICOLAS: Well, everyone to his taste. A few months ago, I took a piece of a show for a bad debt; I’ve never asked any favors yet.

  Inner office of Cudy Gray, theatrical manager: Comfortable Broadway atmosphere. A secretary has just ushered in Nicolas and his brother.

  SECRETARY: Mr. Gray will be with you in two minutes, Mr. Gilbert.

  She goes out. The two men sit down in armchairs.

  HARRISON: You sure we want the whole company?

  NICOLAS: You’re not used to our city ways, stranger.

  HARRISON: We’ll have to hire a ballroom.

  NICOLAS: I’ve got an even better idea, Harry. (He leans forward.) Two years ago there was a poor girl that wanted to see how the rich lived, so I threw my apartment open to her in a magnificent gesture.

  HARRISON (ironically): Yes.

  NICOLAS: Now I have an idle house on Long Island, inhabited only by bats, mice — and ghosts. In your honor I shall throw it open to the public tonight — the more attractive pan of the public, that is.

  The door: A clamor of voices and it

  flings open, projecting three attractive chorus girls into the room.

  Full shot of room: Seeing the two strange men, the girls stop, their expressions change, their chatter stops.

  FIRST GIRL: Oh, excuse us! (They turn and scamper out.)

  NICOLAS (a little strained): You see — telepathy told them there was a party in the air — but what a party — they still don’t know that a fleet of Rolls-Royces is going to carry them out to Long Island, that a dozen caterers -

  HARRISON: Hold on now. You’re going pretty far for a country hoy like me. How would Althea like this?

  NICOLAS: I just hadn’t even thought of Althea — for two years I’ve done nothing but think of Althea — and talking it out of my system this morning seems to have done something to me.

  HARRISON: You give a blowout like this and she’ll hear about it.

  NICOLAS: I don’t doubt it! But I doubt she cares a snap what I do. (He stands up.) I think I’ll call the caretaker right now. (He picks up the phone on the desk.)

  Interior of a gatekeeper’s lodge on Long Island: The caretaker in character-type, but not comic) is on the phone. His wife is beside him.

  CARETAKER: Yes, certainly, Mr. Gilbert — of course this is rather sudden notice —

  He listens, hangs up, turns to his wife.

  CARETAKER: He hung up.

  Sound of an auto horn off scene. The caretaker and his wife look toward the windows.

  Exterior of the caretaker’s lodge: The gate and entrance of a big estate. Althea’s car, with Althea and Alex, is coming to rest.

  Medium shot including the car: The caretaker and his wife are coming out of the cottage. This arrival, following upon the telephone call, disconcerts them both.

  Two-shot of Althea and Alex in car.

  ALTHEA (ironically): This is the castle we built — up there in the trees somewhere.

  ALEX: Can we drive up?

  ALTHEA: I don’t think we want to.

  Camera pulls back to show caretaker and wile coming up to car.

  ALTHEA: Hello, Mrs. Barnes. Hello, Peter.

  CARETAKER: How do you do.

  WIFE: It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Gilbert.

  ALTHEA: Mr. Aldrich — he’s thinking of renting the place.

  ALEX: Don’t you believe it?

  ALTHEA: You ought to settle down sometime.

  ALEX: With whom?

  ALTHEA: I’ll marry you sooner or later — I can’t go on being the thwarted woman forever.

  During this passage the caretaker and his wife have exchanged an uneasy glance.

  ALTHEA: Just stopping for a moment — what’s the news?

  CARETAKER: Everything as usual. We keep hoping that —

  ALTHEA (interrupting): Dogs in the kennels? Geese in the pond?

  WIFE (impulsively): We wish you’d come down, Mrs. Gilbert, if only for a weekend sometime.

  A look from her husband stops her; they obviously know of the rift and aren’t talking out of turn.

  PETER: You wouldn’t like to look around

  now? Your own garden is beautiful, Mrs. Gilbert, the beds you planted that spring —

  Close-up of Althea pushing the car roughly into gear, her face hardening.

  ALTHEA: I’ll come out sometime. We’re expected over in Wheatly Hills. (She begins to back out.)

  The forecourt of another palatial country house: The roadster is coming to rest, A footman comes down the steps, bows and goes to the luggage compartment. Althea and Alex get out.

  The gravel court: The camera picks up three riders, t
wo men and a woman, and pans them up to Alex and Althea. The riders dismount — they are chic, fashionable people of middle age.