Scripts: Rear Window (final draft, 01/Dec/1953) - part 4
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff, listening to the composer. His head turns as Lisa's voice comes over: LISA (Emerging from kitchen) Where's that music coming from? THE CAMERA QUICKLY PULL BACK as Jeff swings his chair around. Lisa is emerging from the kitchen, carrying the serving dish of their lobster thermidor. JEFF Oh... some songwriter. In the studio apartment. Lives alone. Probably had an unhappy marriage. LISA (Putting down the food) I think it's enchanting. She pulls up a chair and seats herself at the card table. We now observe that two small lit candles adorn the table, and the rest of the room lights are out. LISA Almost as if it were being written especially for us. JEFF (Pleasantly) No wonder he's having so much trouble with it. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP A faint shade of disappointment is seen on Lisa's face; but she quickly recovers and looks down at the table. LISA Well, at least you can't say the dinner isn't right. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff looks at her soberly. JEFF Lisa, it's perfect (Looks down at the food, without enthusiasm) As always. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP The brightness drains from Lisa's face, and she lowers her eyes slowly toward the table. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Lisa slowly helping Jeff to lobster from the main dish. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Shooting over Jeff's shoulder we see beyond him the divan- bed upon which Lisa is stretched out. There is one light burning, behind Lisa's head. A fierce discussion is in progress. Lisa gesticulates with her hands, body and legs. LISA There can't be that much difference between people and the way they live! We all eat, talk, drink, laugh, sleep, wear clothes -- Jeff raises both his hands. JEFF Well now, look -- Lisa draws back one leg, and points a finger challengingly. LISA If you're saying all this just because you don't want to tell me the truth, because you're hiding something from me, then maybe I can understand -- JEFF There's nothing I'm hiding. It's just that -- LISA (Won't let him break in) It doesn't make sense to me. What's so different about it here from over there, or any place you go, that one person couldn't live in both places just as easily? JEFF Some people can. Now if you'll let me explain -- LISA (Ignores him) What is it but traveling from one place to another, taking pictures? It's just like being a tourist on an endless vacation. JEFF All right. That's your opinion. You're entitled to it, but -- LISA It's ridiculous for you to say that it can only be done by a special, private little group of anointed people. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff begin to get desperate. JEFF I made a simple, but true statement and I'll back it up, if you'll just shut up for a minute! INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Lisa, stretched out on the divan. She looks at him for a moment without speaking. Then: LISA If your opinion is as rude as your manner, I'm not sure I want to hear it. We see Jeff's hand coming to the foreground with a restraining gesture. JEFF (Soothing her) Lisa, simmer down -- will you? LISA (Something starts her up again) You can't fit in here -- I can't fit in there. According to you, people should be born, live an die on the same -- JEFF (Loud, sharp) Lisa! Shut up! Lisa turns on her side, and stares into the room, angrily. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP After a moment of silence, Jeff says earnestly: JEFF Did you ever eat fish heads and rice? LISA Of course not. JEFF You might have to, if you went with me. Ever try to keep warm in a C-54, at fifteen thousand feet, at twenty below zero? INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Lisa, still looking out into the room, and without turning, says: LISA Oh, I do that all the time. Whenever I have a few minutes after lunch. JEFF Ever get shot at, run over, sandbagged at night because people got unfavorable publicity from your camera? She doesn't answer, obviously annoyed at the unnecessary questions. JEFF Those high heels would be a lot of use in the jungle -- and those nylons and six-ounce lingerie -- LISA (Quickly) Three. JEFF Well, they'd be very stylish in Finland -- just before you froze to death. Begin to get the idea? She turns at last, and looks across at him. LISA If there's one thing I know, it's how to wear the proper clothes. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT SHOOTING OVER LISA'S SHOULDER, and down her body, with Jeff in the chair beyond. Jeff says, as if remembering some old experience: JEFF Huh? Try and find a raincoat in Brazil. Even when it isn't raining (Squints at her) Lisa, on this job you carry one suitcase. Your home is the available transportation. You sleep rarely, bathe even less, and sometime the food you even look at when they were alive! LISA Jeff, you don't have to be deliberately repulsive just to impress me I'm wrong. JEFF If anything, I'm making it sound good. (A thoughtful pause) Let's face it, Lisa... you aren't made for that kind of a life. Few people are. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Lisa realizes she is getting nowhere. LISA You're too stubborn to argue with. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff, getting angry. JEFF I'm not stubborn! I'm truthful! INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Lisa, with sarcasm. LISA I know. A lesser man would have told me it was one long holiday -- and I would have awakened to a rude disillusionment. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff is definitely angry. JEFF Now if you want to get vicious, I'd be very happy to accommodate you! INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Lisa starts to rise from the divan, THE CAMERA PANNING UP. She moves away from THE CAMERA into the center of the room, as she says: LISA (Wearily) No. I don't particularly want that. (She turns, faces him) So that's it. You won't stay here -- I can't go with you. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff looks across at her with some concern. JEFF It would be the wrong thing. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Lisa, from Jeff's viewpoint. LISA You don't think either one of us could ever change? JEFF Right now, it doesn't seem so. Lisa begins to move around the room assembling her possessions preparatory to leaving. She puts a comb, and other effects, into a handbag. She gets her stole. All this as she talks. LISA (Simply) I'm in love with you. I don't care what you do for a living. Somehow I would just like to be part of it. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff starts to say something then thinks better of it, and remains silent. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Lisa pauses in the act of gathering her things together. LISA And it's deflating to find out that the only way I can be part of it -- is to take out a subscription to your magazine. I guess I'm not the girl I thought I was. JEFF There's nothing wrong with you, Lisa. You have the town in the palm of your hand. LISA (Looks at Jeff) Not quite -- it seems. (Tosses a stole over her shoulder) Goodbye, Jeff. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP JEFF You mean "goodnight." LISA I mean what I said. Jeff's eyes follow her up the steps toward the door. He calls out to her, impulsively, as we HEAR the SOUND of the door opening. JEFF Lisa! INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT Lisa turns in the half-opened door. JEFF Can't we just sort of keep things status quo? LISA Without any future? INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI LONG SHOT Jeff tries to be pleasant, and offhand. JEFF Well -- when'll I see you again? INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Lisa, standing in the open doorway. LISA Not for a long time. Not, at least until -- (She begins smiling) -- tomorrow night. Continues smiling as she close the door softly behind her. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP The pleasantness on Jeff's face slowly melts into baffled discouragement. He reaches for a nearby phone picks up the receiver, dials. It buzzes on filter. Receiver up on filter. GUNNISON (Filter) Hello. JEFF Gunnison? GUNNISON Yeah. Is that you, Jeff? JEFF It's me. GUNNISON Something wrong? JEFF The word is "everything." Now what time does my plane leave Tuesday? GUNNISON (Unhappy) Jeff -- JEFF (Won't give him time to argue) I don't care where it goes -- just as long as I'm on it. GUNNISON (Wearily, after pause) Okay. Indo-China. Tuesday. We'll pick you up. JEFF That's more like it. Goodnight, old buddy. GUNNISON Yeah. Jeff hangs up, looks up to the door through which Lisa left. He's not particularly happy. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff returns to the window. He lights a cigarette and smokes it peacefully, as he contemplates the neighborhood. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT The CAMERA slowly sweeps over the various apartments with an odd window lit here and there. In the distant street there is still some traffic passing, with one or two pedestrians going by. THE CAMERA completes its sweep, and starts to move back again. Somewhere a dog howls. The PANNING CAMERA comes to a sudden halt. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff smiles a little, but as the howl continues, his expressions sobers. His eyes begin to scan the neighborhood, as if looking for the source. He fails to find it, and sits there, puzzled and disturbed. The scene, and the sound of the dog: FADE OUT: FADE IN: INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff's chair is turned facing the window so that we see the darkened room behind him. There is just one side light burning, which illuminates the side of his face. His head nods sleepily as he dozes. He opens his eyes and looks out, as a slight sound of rain starts. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - LONG SHOT From his viewpoint we see the first few drops of rain starting to fall. It is sort, gentle rain, not a downpour. There are still some windows lit in the neighborhood. The apartment house corridors all have small night lights burning. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff wakens a little more fully as his attentions is drawn to: EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT The couple who sleep on the fire escape. The increasing rain cause them to hastily gather their things to retreat inside. The man, hurriedly untying the alarm clock from the railing of the fire escape, lets it slip through his fingers. As if falls to the garden below, the CAMERA FANS SWIFTLY down with it. When the clock hits the ground, the alarm goes off sending a shrill sound through the neighborhood. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff smiles at the incident, and then lowers his eyes slightly as something else catches his attention. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT Coming out of his apartment into the corridor on the floor below is the salesman with the nagging wife. The shades are drawn in his apartment, but a light burns dimly behind them. The salesman carries a large aluminum suitcase -- the same one we saw him with earlier in the day. The sound of the alarm startles him. He turns toward the window a moment listening. Then reassured that is is nothing important, he turns and moves down the corridor. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff is puzzled. He looks down a moment in thought. Then he darts his eyes and swings them toward the left. He looks steadily toward the distant street corner. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT The street corner, lighted by a lamp, is deserted. A moment later, the salesman, still carrying the suitcase, moves diagonally across the corner, head down against the rain. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP Jeff looks wonderingly at this nocturnal activity. Then he looks down at his wristwatch. INSERT Jeff's watch reads 1:55. QUICK FADE OUT: QUICK FADE IN: INSERT The watch now reads 2:35. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP More puzzled, allows his eyes to travel from the street to the apartment corridor. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT The salesman is see coming down the corridor to his apartment, still carrying the aluminum case. He quickly enters his apartment door in a business-like manner. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff starts to assume a thoughtful air, when he is startled by a light which falls across his face from the right. He looks toward the light. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT The light comes from the song-writer's apartment. His door is open, and he is hanging onto the door frame, his hand still on the light switch. He surveys his apartment. He appears rather drunk. He comes into the apartment, closes the door behind him, and sways a little. He wears a hat, pushed back on his forehead, and no raincoat. His clothes are quite wet. He might have even fallen. He looks disgustedly at the piano, then lurches toward it. There is no doubt now as the state of his drunkenness. At the piano he viciously sweeps all the note paper off the music stand. This seems to give him some satisfaction, but he loses his balance, twists sideways, and fall into a nearby chair. He remains there, bleary-eyed and a little sick. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP What he has observed seems to give Jeff an idea. He moves his wheelchair backward and to the left alongside the side board. Awkwardly, with his left hand, he reaches up for a bottle of whiskey. He cradles the bottle in his lap, and reaches for a tumbler. He then wheels back to the window, and pours himself a good, long drink. He lifts up the glass, starts to drink, but something happening beyond his window startles him and he stops in the middle of his drink, his eyes a little wider then usual. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT The salesman is again leaving his apartment with his aluminum suitcase. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff's eyes travel down to the street. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT A brief moment or two. Then the salesman, carrying his aluminum case, crosses the street. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff's face is expressionless. He just stares. FADE OUT: FADE IN: INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff's head is nodding and dozing again. The side light from the song-writer's apartment is no longer on his face. Jeff's eyes open, then his head comes up quickly, trying to clear the sleep from his mind, as he remembers the object of his vigilance. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT The salesman's apartment shows the shades drawn and a dim light burning behind them. The CAMERA PANS to the empty corridor. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff's eyes turn sharply in the direction of the street. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT The street is deserted. At the right hand side of the screen a light goes on. THE CAMERA PANS OVER and we see that Miss Torso has returned from her date. She is wearing a three- quarter length coat over her evening dress. She is inside, with the door two-thirds closed, but she leans out to kiss someone goodnight. Then it takes some coaxing to get the door completely closed. She turns the key in the lock. She listens a moment then comes to the center of the room. She takes her coat off and drapes it over chair. She removes the screen in front of the ice box, then opens the ice box. She searches it for something to eat; finds a big piece of pumpkin pie. She closes the ice box. She starts to eat the pie as she moves in the direction of the bathroom. Stopping a moment, she puts the piece of pie on a table, and proceeds to take off her dress. Undoing the zippers, she slides it over her head as she passes into the bathroom. The dress is thrown on a nearby chair, and the bare arm picks up a piece of pie. She is now in the bathroom. We see her slip down the brassiere straps, but the window does not permit us to see any lower. As she munches on the pie, she pulls out a few pins holding up her hair, which she proceeds to brush rhythmically. She turns and moves down her bare back. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff's eyes suddenly switch to the street. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI LONG SHOT We catch a quick glimpse of the salesman, just passing the alleyway, suitcase in hand. The CAMERA PANS across the ballet dancer's apartment, over to the salesman's apartment. It waits, until he appears in the corridor. He enters his apartment. INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP Jeff sits in his wheelchair, looking quietly out at the neighborhood, sleep beginning to take hold on him again. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - LONG SHOT THE CAMERA PANS slightly over the whole of the neighborhood. The lights in Miss Torso's apartment snap out. Only one light remains. It burns behind the drawn shades of the salesman's apartment. FADE OUT:
...continue to part 5