Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Illustrated) (516 page)

A luxurious hotel sitting room: Althea is at the phone in summer clothes and hat.

ALTHEA (ecstatically): Oh, darling! Oh, darling, she’s much better... She’s up and around... We’re starting home two weeks from today.

New York: Nicolas’office (of two years ago).

NICOLAS (standing at the point): I’ve played golf — I’ve played squash — I’ve laid awake thinking of you night after night.

ALTHEA (standing at the phone): Oh, this is awful — worse than a letter. I want to get on the boat right away. Did you look at the country place?

NICOLAS’VOICE (over wire): What country place?

ALTHEA: The one I mentioned in the last letter.

NICOLAS’VOICE: I didn’t get it.

ALTHEA: The last letter I gave you at the boat.

Nicolas, in his office: He starts. His hand moves to the drawer where the last letter still reposes, unopened. He slips it in his pocket.

NICOLAS: Oh, yes — ye-es. Listen, Althea, please come home.

ALTHEA: Oh, darling, if wires can sing, these wires ought to be in opera now.

NICOLAS’VOICE: We’re talking on the air.

ALTHEA: You mean walking on air.

NICOLAS’VOICE (misunderstanding): No! Talking on air.

ALTHEA: Walking and talking. It’s grand!

Telephone switchboard: Operator, with a smile, is handing earphone to another.

OPERATOR: Disse senti questi Americane pazzi come parlano.

Althea’s sitting room: Full shot. She hangs up and turns from the phone. Her convalescent mother, an aristocratic woman of fifty, quiet and not domineering, is coming in. from the bedroom, followed by an English nurse. The latter is a sort of feminine Arthur Treacher. Both are dressed to go out.

ALTHEA: Oh, Mummy, it was wonderful! I actually heard his voice.

MRS. CHILTON (dryly): Whose voice did you expect?

ALTHEA (jubilantly): Off for the races?

ENGLISH NURSE: The races — I thought we were going to tea in the country.

ALTHEA (beating her breast): I meant the races in here. (In time to her hands.) Pt-a-clop, pt-a-clop, pt-a-clop , pt-a-clop. Nicolas wins! Althea second — hurray!

MRS. CHlLTON: This two-year-old ought to be back in her stable.

ALTHEA: You know I won’t leave you till you’re stronger. Excuse me for being so happy — that he’s well and alive. (She turns to the open window and speaks more gravely.) I’ll be with you in a minute — I want to think of everything he said while I can still remember. (Her eyes art far away as she looks out)

ENGLISH NURSE: The country around Florence is beautiful this —

She subsides as Mrs. Chilton’s hand covers her hand warningly. The nurse looks at Althea, only half understanding.

Close shot of Althea at window: Her expression is a gentle, kindly smile, with a trace of sadness in her eyes — a longing deep in her, passive, not dynamic.

NURSE’S VOICE (over shot after pause, rather resentfully): The country is beautiful — Lady Whaley once told me — Oh, I beg your pardon.

Althea turns around.

ALTHEA: All right — let’s go.

MRS. CHILTON (to Althea): Hm! I haven’t seen you like this since that awful summer you were fifteen.

Long shot of a hilltop restaurant just outside of Florence: A simple, picturesque local caf6, popular with visitors. (The hilly nature of the location is necessary to the story)

In front of the restaurant: The hills fall away rather steeply from a terrace on one side. There is music coming from in-side. A limousine drives up: Althea and the nurse help Mrs. Chilton out.

Interior of restaurant: Beside the door there is a cashier’s desk with postcards and souvenirs for sale. In one corner, three peasant musicians play guitars throughout the scene. At tables covered with colored napkins, two dozen customers are scattered — tourists having tea or drinks, and natives playing cards or dominoes.

Our party enters. A waiter approaches them, and the camera trucks with them to a table.

Group shot of their table: The nurse is taking off Mrs. Chilton’s wrap.

MRS. CHILTON (to Althea): Did you see who I saw?

ALTHEA: No, who?

MRS. CHILTON: I think it’s Alex Aldrich.

ALTHEA (looking over her mother’s shoulder, then cautiously drawing her head out of sight): Heavens! I think it is.

A table, twenty feet away: Alex Aldrich, an American in his late twenties, is looking at a map spread out on his table. He is the type played by Ralph Bellamy in The Awful Truth — handsome, attractive, worthy, thoroughly admirable, but somehow too heavy in manner to grip the sympathy of an audience if playing opposite a man of charm.

Group shot of Althea’s table: A waiter is coming into shot.

WAITER (to Althea): Tea, Signora?

MRS. CHILTON: Tea.

ALTHEA: Tea — with lemon and biscuits. The nurse nods to waiter. He withdraws.

MRS. CHILTON (to Althea): Does he see us?

ALTHEA: No, thank heavens. (To nurse:) Change places with me.

As they change places, the shot widens to include mocha table, five feet away. Three men sit there: one is a pudgy, “overgrown” man of thirty, an unattractive, overbearing type. He is the illbred son of a rich oil man, an undeserving heir who asserts his claims by making himself a general public nuisance — probably wanted in America for manslaughter by automobile.

He notices Althea as she changes, and winks at the two neutral parasites who accompany him.

The camera pans the room, leaving Althea’s table and taking in both Big Boy’s table and the three musicians next to it. As the camera pans, Big Boy throws a handful of big Italian copper coins practically in the faces of the musicians. They pretend to smile but obviously are infuriated. Group shot of Althea’s table.

ALTHEA (to nurse); He wouldn’t come to my wedding.

NURSE (innocently): Perhaps he didn’t know about it.

ALTHEA (smiling): Oh, he knew about it — that was the whole trouble,.

MRS. CHILTON: He meant a great deal to Althea once.

ALTHEA: And suddenly Nick came along, and he meant nothing.

The waiter puts tea on the table and exits.

MRS. CHILTON (with irony): I’m glad Althea includes me in her world. She’s very good to people in her world, but those outside don’t exist.

ALTHEA (undisturbed): Love begins at home, doesn’t it?

MRS. CHILTON (not unkindly): Well, it needn’t end there. I think we should speak to Alex.

ALTHEA: Mother, if Nick were here, I wouldn’t mind a bit — I’d even be mean enough to show off for Alex, show him how happy I am. But after just talking to Nick on the phone — I just couldn’t.

MRS. CHILTON: Sugar please... Alex meant so much to you.

ALTHEA: One can’t go back. All I’d have to tell him is that he means nothing at all.

Big Boy steps suddenly into the scene. The ensuing conversation is all quiet, attracting no attention.

BIG BOY (ingratiatingly): Hello, Americans. (The three women glance at him, expressionless.) How would you like to be back in old New York, eh? Back in God’s country. (The nurse gestures him away, exactly as if he were a dirty child) Thought you’d like to have a drink to the Fourth of July. It’s two months off.

ALTHEA: Thanks, we’ll wait. (Turns to her mother)

Big Boy stands uncertainly — he has had a drink but is not drunk.

BIG BOY: You understand, and we’re all Americans.

ALTHEA: We’re waiting for some gentlemen who wouldn’t understand at all.

NURSE (indignantly to Mrs. Chilton): I should call a bobby — a carbonierri.

BIG BOY: If one of those boys tried to put his hands on me —

He leans, putting his hands on the table, one of them beside Althea’s cup. At the moment, she

has the little pot of boiling water in her hand and now she pours a few drops on his knuckles. Angrily’the music changes quickly to a gay, taunting tune as Big Boy straightens up. He starts to speak, turns and goes off scene.

NURSE: Very good. Just what Lady X would have done.

MRS. CHILTON (a law-abiding generation): Althea!

Waiter comes into the scene.

ALTHEA (distastefully): Another pot of boiling water.

Group shot at the desk by the door: Later. Althea, Mrs. Chilton, and the nurse are examining lace and souvenirs. Nurse carries coats.

Close shot of Alex Aldrich at his table, annotating his map from a book open before him. He closes book and looks up toward the side wall. He starts.

A mirror on the side wall showing Althea’s profile as she examines some lace.

Alex’s table: He reacts strongly, looks around to locate her, folds map hastily.

By the desk: Althea looks out the door to the terrace and, struck by the view drops the lace and walks out on the terrace.

Alex, standing by his table: He locates Mrs. Chilton and starts across the room toward her.

Big Boy’s table: Shooting toward the door by which Althea has gone out. Big Boy gets up. Camera follows him across restaurant toward door. He collides with Alex.

Two-shot of Alex and Big Boy.

ALEX: Pardon me.

Big Boy says nothing — goes off scene Camera holds on Alex following him up to Mrs. Chilton.

Group shot near desk: Alex is greeting Mrs. Chilton.

ALEX: Well, Mrs. Chilton — !

MRS. CHILTON: Well, Alex! What a surprise!

Two-shot of Althea and Big Boy on terrace.

BIG BOY: I didn’t mind. You can’t be too hot for me.

ALTHEA (after an annoyed pause): I suppose you’re just irresistible to some girls.

BIG BOY: You look as if you like all kind of men.

ALTHEA: No — I only like one kind. And you’re not it.

BIG BOY: Go on — you like all kinds — with a mouth like that.

At the desk.

ALEX (to Mrs. Chilton): I’ve been in Persia and I’m bound for Paris. This is great! I’ll get Althea and we’ll all drive back together.

As he starts out the door -

The terrace: Close shot of Althea and Alex, standing side by side, looking down with concern at something on the stone flags. Pull camera back to show Big Boy sitting down, nursing a cut in his forehead.

NOTE: Think avoidance of sock and merely showing result is more startling for a change.

ALEX: I’m sorry I hurt you.

BIG BOY: Big hero, eh? Alex picks up his book, puts Althea’s arm through his and they start along the terrace out of shot. Camera stays on Big Boy who gets up, picks up a loose stone from the rock wall and starts after them. Camera pans him up to Althea and Alex. Althea turns, cries aloud and Alex turns, swinging. His fist catches Big Boy and knocks him against the low terrace wall. Big Boy disappears over the wall.

Slope below wall: Big Boy lands six feet down, rolls over and over.

Terrace: Alex is pulling Althea away from the wall.

ALEX (panting): He was a sweet specimen! (He kicks the rock at his feel.) Look at that!

ALTHEA (evenly): Let’s go.

Alex shies the slate over the wall and again picks up his book. They start along terrace.

Cafe: Althea, Mrs. Chilton and the nurse are taking their places in the limousine. Alex stands at the side.

MRS. CHILTON (indignant): I think we ought to report that man to the police.

ALTHEA (leaning forward): Alex —

ALEX (about to get in front): Yes?

ALTHEA: Suppose he was badly hurt and lay down there all night?

NURSE: Serve him right.

ALTHEA: No — I don’t like it. Go tell the waiter he — fell over the wall. (Alex looks at her, unwillingly.)

ALEX: He had it coming.

ALTHEA: Please. (Alex leaves the car.)

MRS. CHILTON (patting Althea’s hand): That’s my girl.

ALTHEA (surprised): Thanks.

Steps of the inn: Alex is speaking to a waiter.

The limousine.

MRS. CHILTON: You see, Alex came in very handy.

ALTHEA (smiling): Maybe he planned it.

Alex comes into the scene and gets into front seat.

ALEX (to chauffeur): All right.

Traveling shot: Alex is turned around in his seat.

ALEX (rather seriously): How long are you planning to stay in Florence?

ALTHEA (leaning forward): Another week. Then we’re going home.

ALEX: I was thinking — if that man’s hurt there might be a little mess.

MRS. CHILTON: For us?

ALEX: This isn’t like America. They sometimes lock up witnesses for weeks.

ALTHEA (without smiling): Are you proposing that we flee?

Alex has taken copy of The New York Herald from his pocket. He turns a page.

ALEX: The Roma sails tomorrow from Genoa.

ALTHEA (scoffing): I wouldn’t think of it. Mother isn’t ready to go.