Album: Sunset BoulevardParamount(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.)
