Scripts: Vertigo (12/Sep/1957) - part 7
INT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY)
The dark interior of the Livery Stable. The figures of Scottie
and Madeleine are seen a little way in. Madeleine is seated
in a surrey, while Scottie stands by her.
INT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY)
Madeleine's eyes are closed. Scottie, leaning against the
surrey, looks up at her intently. After moment he calls to
her softly.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine...?
She opens her eyes and looks down at him.
SCOTTIE
Where are you now?
She smiles at him gently.
MADELEINE
(Softly)
Here with you.
SCOTTIE
And it's a all real.
MADELEINE
Yes.
SCOTTIE
(Firmly)
Not merely as it was a hundred years
ago. As it was a year ago, or six
months ago, whenever you were here
to see it.
(Pressing)
Madeleine, think of when you were
here!
She looks down at him with, a worried, regretful smile,
wishing she could help him. Then she looks away into the
distance, and speaks almost at irrelevantly.
MADELEINE
(Dreamily)
There were not so many carriages,
then. And there were horses in the
stalls; a bay, two black, and a grey.
It was her favorite place, but we
were forbidden to play here, and
Sister Teresa would scold us...
Scottie looks up at her in desperation, then looks about the
stable for help. His look scans the carriages and wagons
lined against the wall, goes past the old fire truck on which
there is a placard proclaiming the world's championship of
1884, and finally stops at a small buggy -- a Bike Wagon --
To which is hitched a full-sized model of a handsome grey
horse.
SCOTTIE
Well, now, here!
He races to the horse. On it hangs a sign: "Greyhound World's
Greatest Trotter."
SCOTTIE
Here's your grey horse! Course he'd
have a tough time getting in and out
of a stall without being pushed, but
still... You see? There's an answer
for everything!
He looks across to Madeleine eagerly. She is staring ahead,
lost in the past.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine! Try!
No answer. The music is more insistent, now, a pulling wind,,
and the faint voices call more clearly. Madeleine slowly
rises to her feet as though sensing the call. Scottie moves
back to her and stands there looking up. He raises his arms,
she puts her bands on his shoulders and slips to the ground
with his help, and he is holding her. Their heads are close
together.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine, try... for me...
With a small movement, their lips come together, and they
kiss; not impulsively, as before, but with deep, sure love
and hunger for each other. Their lips part, but he still
holds her tightly, his head pressed down against hers, and
she is looking past him, her eyes wide with anxiety. And a
clock strikes the three-quarter hour.
SCOTTIE
My love... because I love you.
MADELEINE
(Whispering)
I love you too... too late... too
late...
SCOTTIE
No... we're together...
MADELEINE
Too late... there's something I must
do...
He holds her gently, now; brushes his lips along her to her
eyes, down to her mouth.
SCOTTIE
(murmuring)
Nothing you must do... no one
possesses you... you're safe with
me... my love...
And they kiss again. As they part:
MADELEINE
Too late...
She looks up at him with deep regret and wonder in her eyes
then suddenly breaks from him and runs out the door. He stands
still, startled for a moment, then runs after her.
EXT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY)
Madeleine is running across the grass toward the church.
Scottie catches up with her.
EXT. LIVERY STABLE - (DAY) - REVERSE ANGLE
Scottie swings her around to face him.
SCOTTIE
(Firmly)
There are things I have to tell you,
about how we met, and why we are
together. But they can wait. The
only important thing now is that I
love you and I'm going to keep you
safe.
MADELEINE
(Trembling)
You can't.
SCOTTIE
Why?
MADELEINE
Let me go.
SCOTTIE
Where?
MADELEINE
To the church, I must go there.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine --
MADELEINE
Please let me go.
She pulls away and turns and walks swiftly toward the church,
her head bowed. CAMERA DOLLIES with her. She is frightened,
and close to tears. Scottie follows her a half-step behind.
The livery stable drops away out of the SHOT, and the two
heads fill the screen with only the sky an background.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine, don't fight me off, don't
put me away. You've been fighting
alone, and you're lost, but no more.
Hold on to me. Be sure of me, always.
And whatever it is, we'll lick it. I
promise.
No answer. They keep walking, and then suddenly with head
bowed, she begins to run again, and runs out of the SHOT. A
moment, then he runs after her.
EXT. THE MISSION AND CLOISTERS - (DAY) - SEMI-LONG SHOT
We see Madeleine running toward the Cloisters, Scottie after
her. Finally he stops her once again.
EXT. THE CLOISTERS - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT
Scottie grabs her by the arm.
MADELEINE
(Head low, brokenly)
It's not fair, it's too late. It
wasn't supposed to happen this way,
it shouldn't have happened...!
SCOTTIE
It had to. We're in love. That's all
that counts. Madeleine --
MADELEINE
(Frantic, struggling)
Let me go! Let me go!!
SCOTTIE
(Holding her; sharply)
Madeleine!!
The struggle ceases. She remains limp in his grasp for a
long moment, then slowly raises her head to look at him. Her
eyes study his face searchingly.
MADELEINE
You believe that I love you?
SCOTTIE
Yes.
MADELEINE
And if you lose me, you'll know that
I loved you and wanted to go on loving
you.
SCOTTIE
I won't lose you.
Pause.
MADELEINE
Let me go into the church alone.
SCOTTIE
Why?
MADELEINE
Please. Because I love you. He stares
at her, sees the pleading look in
her eyes, and lets go. She turns and
walks away toward the church, slowly,
her head bowed. He watches her go
and starts to move after her. Then
slowly, as she goes, her head begins
to go up until finally, as she walks,
she is staring high above her. And
then, suddenly, she breaks into a
broken run.
EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)
Scottie jerks his head up to see what she was looking at.
EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)
From Scottie's viewpoint: the high church tower.
EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)
Scottie, immediately alarmed, brings his eyes down and looks
toward the church entrance.
EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)
From Scottie's viewpoint: Madeleine runs through the open
front door of the church, and vanishes.
EXT. CLOISTERS - (DAY)
Scottie starts to run toward the church.
SCOTTIE
Madeleine!!!
He runs to the church door and runs in.
INT. CHURCH, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)
Scottie runs in and looks around frantically. The church is
empty. A moment, then he hears the sound of footsteps running
up wooden steps. He turns in the direction of the sound,
sees a door standing open at the side of the church, and
through the door the beginning of a flight of steps. He runs
to the open door and goes through.
INT. CHURCH TOWER - (DAY)
Scottie runs in, stops at the foot of the steps, hears the
running footsteps, and looks up. From his viewpoint we see
Madeleine running up the open stairway that spirals up along
the walls of the high tower. She is already well on her way.
Scottie is immediately stricken by vertigo, and the tall
tower seems to slide away from him. He makes an attempt to
start up the stairs, flattens himself against the wall and
struggles up. He claws his way up, crosses over to the hand-
handrailing and uses it to pull his body up the steps, one
by one railing struggling for breath, unable to call, though
he tries. And Madeleine keeps running. Madeleine reaches
the top goes through a small wooden door. We see it slam,
hear it locked. Scottie, struggling up, reaches a landing
next to a small open arch that looks out on the back garden,
and has to stop to tight his nausea. There is a scream from
above. Through the arch he sees a body fall. He calls
"Madeleine"!, and looks down through the arch.
EXT. ROOF - (DAY) - LONG SHOT
Figure of the dead Madeleine. Her body is lying on the roof
of the cloister.
INT. CHURCH TOWER - (DAY)
The vertigo hits Scottie again and the body and the root of
the cloister move and fall away into space, and this
DISSOLVES THROUGH TO:
The body of the policeman falling from the rooftop, tumbling
through space to the street below. Scottie has to look away
in desperate horror. He hears voices, looks through the arch
again, and sees two nuns hurrying across the garden from the
dormitory at the back, looking up at the roof of the cloister.
He turns and gazes down the great height he now has to
descend, flattens himself against the wall, and with
trancelike desperation tries to start moving.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)
Once again we see the whole of the square, but now, in sharp
contrast, it is filled with cars parked along the roadway
that encircles the green.
EXT. MISSION SAW JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY) - LONG SHOT
Before Plaza Hall, the large grey wooden building next to
the Livery Stable, and on its front porch, groups of citizens
are gathered, talking. Some people glance up to the second
floor, where the windows are open, and from which a droning
voice can faintly be heard. The CAMERA ZOOMS UP to the open
window, and as it does, the voice of the speaker becomes
louder and the words more intelligible.
INT. PLAZA HALL ROOM, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA - (DAY)
The Coroner's Inquest is in session. The Jury of twelve local
people is at one side. Among the people assembled we see:
the two nuns, escorted by a priest; Gavin Elster with
his attorney; some State Patrolmen; and, of course, Scottie.
Next to him is a burly man in his fifties in civilian clothes;
almost obviously a detective and obviously Scottie's one
friend there. He is Detective Captain Fred Hansen of the San
Francisco Police.
At the front of the room is the Official who is speaking, a
rather testy old man. Behind him, on the wall are an old,
crudely hand-made American Flag from the last century, and a
California Bear Flag.
(NOTE: THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THE FOLLOWING SPEECH COVERS
THE RISE AND ENTRANCE OF THE CAMERA AND BECOMES INTELLIGIBLE
ONLY AT ITS END.)
OFFICIAL
Mr. Elster, suspecting that all was
not well with his wife's mental state,
took the preliminary precaution of
having her watched by Mr. Ferguson
lest any harm befall her, and you
have heard that Mr. Elster was
prepared to take his wife to an
institution where her mental health
would have been in the hand of
qualified specialists. And Mr.
Ferguson, being an ex-detective,
would have seemed the proper choice
for the role of watchdog and
protector. As you have learned, it
was an unfortunate choice.
(pause)
However, I think you will agree that
no blame can be attached to the
husband. His delay in putting his
wife under medical care was due only
to the need information as to her
behavior that he expected to get
from Mr. Ferguson. He had taken every
precaution to protect his wife. He
could not have anticipated that Mr.
Ferguson's "weakness" his "fear of
heights", called "acrophobia", would
make him powerless when he was most
needed.
(pause)
As to Mr. Ferguson: you have heard
his former superior, Detective Captain
Hansen, from that great city to the
north, testify as to his character
and ability. Captain Hansen was most
enthusiastic. The fact that Mr.
Ferguson once before, under similar
circumstances, allowed a police
colleague to tall to his death,
Captain Hansen dismissed as an
"unfortunate Incident."
Captain Hansen's eyes narrow and his face reddens. Scottie
stares at the floor dully, oblivious to what is being said.
OFFICIAL
Of course Mr. Ferguson is to be
congratulated for having once saved
the woman's life when, in a previous
fit of aberration, she threw herself
into the Bay. It is a pity that
knowing her suicidal tendencies he
did not make a greater effort the
second time. But we are not here to
pass judgment on Mr. Ferguson's lack
of initiative. He did nothing, and
the law has little to say on the
subject of things left undone.
(pause)
Nor does his strange behavior after
he saw the body fall have any bearing
on your verdict. He did not remain
at the scone of the death. He ran
away. He claims he suffered a mental
blackout and knew nothing more until
he found himself back in his own
apartment in San Francisco several
hours later. You may accept that or
not. Or, you may believe that, having
once again allowed someone to die,
he could not face the tragic result
of his own weakness, and ran away.
That has nothing to do with your
verdict. It is a matter between him
and his conscience.
(pause)
Now. From the evidence of the mind
of Madeleine Elster prior to her
death, from the manner of her death,
and from the Postmortem examination
of the body showing the actual cause
of her death, you should have no
difficulty in reaching your verdict.
Gentlemen, you may retire.
The Foreman of the jury leans across to his colleagues, and
they go into a huddle. After a short whispered consultation
there is a general nodding of heads, then the Foreman stands.
FOREMAN
We've reached the verdict.
OFFICIAL
And what is your verdict.
FOREMAN
We find that Madeleine Elster
committed suicide while being out of --
while being out of unsound mind.
OFFICIAL
Your verdict will be so recorded.
Dismissed.
People start to rise. There is a general exodus toward the
doorway and the stairs leading down to the ground floor.
Scottie remains impassive, still staring at the floor. People
stare at him curiously as they move past him and away.
Detective Hansen rises, takes him by the arm, and helps him
to his feet.
HANSEN
Let's go, Scottie.
(Glares over at the
Official grimly)
The son of a --
He purses his lips and starts Scottie toward the door. Gavin
Elster moves toward them, and they meet, and have to stop.
Hansen looks at Elster impassively.
ELSTER
Do you mind if I speak to him for a
minute?
Receiving no answers he takes Scottie by the elbow.
ELSTER
Scottie --
He leads Scottie away toward the window. They stop.
ELSTER
Scottie, I'm sorry. That was rough.
Scottie finally looks up at him.
ELSTER
He had no right to say that. It was
my responsibility. You didn't know
her. I shouldn't have got you
involved.
SCOTTIE
(struggling)
I -- I --
ELSTER
No, there's nothing you have to say
to me. I'm getting out, Scottie. For
good. I can't stay here. I'm winding
up her affairs, and mine. I'm going
to get as far away as I can. Probably
Europe. And I'll probably never come
back.
(Extends his hand)
Good-bye, Scottie. If there's anything
I can do for you before I go...
Scottie looks at the outstretched hand, then looks up at the
man's face, wanting very much to tell him how he felt about
the dead woman. But the words won't come. Elster drops his
hand with a sympathetic half-smile, and touches Scottie
comfortingly on the arm.
ELSTER
There was no way for them to
understand. But you and I know who
killed Madeleine.
Elster and Scottie look at each other for a moment. Then
Elster nods somberly and turns away and goes down the stairs
with his attorney. The room is empty, now, but for Hansen
and Scottie. Hansen, waiting near the doorway looks across
to Scottie standing alone by the window. Beyond Scottie,
through the window, we can see the cloister across the green.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. A CEMETERY SOUTH OF SAN FRANCISCO - (DAY)
...continue to part 8
