Scripts: Vertigo (12/Sep/1957) - part 10
INT. SCOTTIE'S APARTMENT - (NIGHT)
In the living room. There is a fire in the fireplace. Judy
is seated on the floor before the fire, bent forward with
her head and arms buried in the seat of the easy chair. She's
been crying. Scottie enters from the kitchen carrying a bottle
of cognac and two glasses. He looks down at Judy, then pours
cognac into the two glasses and sets the bottle down.
SCOTTIE
Here, Judy. Take it straight down.
It's medicine.
Judy raises her tear-streaked face.
JUDY
(Pleading)
Why are you doing this? What good
will it do?
She takes the glass from his outstretched hand.
SCOTTIE
I don't know. No good, I guess. But
I don't know.
She takes a large sip of cognac, makes a face, and puts the
glass away. As she does:
JUDY
(Tearfully)
I wish you'd leave me alone. I want
to go away.
SCOTTIE
You can.
JUDY
No, you wouldn't let me.
(Then, almost to
herself)
And I don't want to go...
Scottie comes down to her and puts his hands on her arms and
holds her and looks into her eyes intently.
SCOTTIE
Judy, I want to tell you: these few
days have been the first happy days
I've had in a year.
JUDY
(Sadly)
I know. Because I remind you of her.
The one that's dead. And not even
that, very much.
SCOTTIE
(Meaning it)
No, it's you too, Judy. Something in
you.
She looks at him with a new spark of hope, and her eyes are
almost willing him to kiss her. But then he drops his hands
from her arms, and the glow fades from her eyes, and she
looks away.
JUDY
(Dully)
You don't even want to touch me.
SCOTTIE
(Grimly)
Yes. Yes, I do.
He rises and walks away toward the window. She looks after
him, then rises and almost runs to him.
JUDY
Couldn't you like me, just me, the
way I am?! When we first started out
it was so good! We had fun! And you
started on the clothes! I'll wear
the darned clothes if you want me
to! If you just like me!
They are face to face, and Scottie is studying her somberly.
Beyond them, through the window, we can see that magnificent
symbol, the Coit Tower.
SCOTTIE
(Studying)
The color of your hair...
JUDY
Ah, no!
SCOTTIE
Judy, please it can't matter to you...
She shrinks a little, and is defeated.
JUDY
The trouble is, I'm gone now. For
you. And I can't do anything about
it. I want you to love me. If I let
you change me, will that do it? If I
do what you tell me, will you love
me?
SCOTTIE
Yes.
JUDY
All right. Then I'll do it. Because
I don't care about me anymore. I
just want you to love me.
Long pause.
SCOTTIE
(Gently)
I'll take you home.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. ELIZABETH ARDEN SALON - (DAY)
The first impact is of SOUND, of the buzz of hair dryers and
the shrill cacophony of female voices talking and laughing.
Scottie is leaning at the doorway leading into the inner
salon. The CAMERA PANS AWAY from him through another door
and comes to REST on a big head of Judy, covered with, soap
suds, bent over a basin. One of the beauty operators looks
out toward Scottie then walks out to him.
OPERATOR
I'm afraid it's going to be several
hours. The young lady thought perhaps
you'd like to go home, and she'll
come there as soon as she's finished.
SCOTTIE
Oh! Well... no. Tell her I'll go to
her hotel, and wait for her there.
She starts to turns away. Scottie stops her.
SCOTTIE
Oh! You're sure about the color of
the hair.
OPERATOR
0h, yes. It's an easy color.
SCOTTIE
And the rest of --
He waves a hand over his face.
OPERATOR
Yes, sir. We know what you want.
SCOTTIE
All right. Thanks.
He turns away after a last glance toward Judy. The last we
see of the salon is Judy's head, as she turns to try to see
through soap suds to where Scottie has been standing.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. JUDY'S BEDROOM, THE HOTEL - (DAY)
Scottie is wandering impatiently, smoking. Some of the
Ransohoff boxes are piled in a corner. Then, abruptly he
strides to the window. He looks, and becomes tense.
EXT. THE STREET - (DAY)
From Scottie's viewpoint. Judy is walking up the street.
She wears the grey suit from Ransohoff's the high-heeled
black shoes, and her hair is now blonde. But it hangs about
her face in the usual way. She does not look up. She turns
into the entrance of the hotel.
INT. BEDROOM - (DAY)
Scottie watches her until he loses sight of her directly
below as she goes in the front door. He turns and looks looks
toward the bedroom door and waits. Then, impatiently, he
strides to the door and goes out into the corridor.
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR -(DAY)
Scottie looks along the corridor.
FROM HIS VIEWPOINT
The corridor is empty.
SCOTTIE
tensely waiting.
FROM HIS VIEWPOINT
Judy turns the corner, moving towards him.
AS SCOTTIE WATCHES CRITICALLY
Judy comes up to him. He backs into the room, Judy following.
INT. HOTEL BEDROOM - (DAY)
As Judy comes into the room, Scottie closes the door without
taking his eyes from her. She looks at him gravely -- and
holds out her hand, as though hoping for praise for the
transformation. Her eyebrows have been plucked, her makeup
lightened, her lipstick changed and she now bears much more
of a resemblance to Madeleine.
JUDY
Well?
SCOTTIE
It should be back from your face --
with a bun at the neck. I told them.
I told you.
JUDY
We tried it. It didn't suit me.
Scottie abruptly goes to her, takes her hanging hair with
both hands pulls it to the back so that her ears show. Judy
looks at him, half-angry, half-scared.
Scottie, seeing the look in her eyes, takes his hands away.
The hair falls forward again.
SCOTTIE
I'm sorry.
They look at one another for a moment. Then Scottie asks,
almost humbly:
SCOTTIE
Judy -- please --
Judy doesn't answer for a moment, then she draws a deep
breath, and turns resignedly away. She crosses to the mirror
over a chest of drawers. Scottie matches as she picks up a
couple of pins from a glass tray, and scoops up a handful of
hair. Scottie stands watching in silence. His eyes follow
every move. We hear the tinkle of pins of the glass tray.
FROM SCOTTIE'S VIEWPOINT
Judy slowly turns from the mirror to face him. She looks
exactly like Madeleine -- her hair pulled back and done in a
bun at the back of the neck. She stands there looking at
him. SCOTTIE looks at her in wonder, his eyes shining.
JUDY takes a step towards him, rewarded by his expression.
SCOTTIE moves over and takes Judy in his arms.
BIG HEADS
of the two of them, together. The CAMERA MOVES AROUND the
big heads. Scottie holds her tighter and tighter. He looks
past her shoulder and we see that his eyes are closed, because
at last he holds Madeleine in his arms once more. He opens
his eyes -- the CAMERA SWIMS AROUND the room.
WE ARE NOW IN THE LIVERY STABLE AT SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
with Scottie holding Madeleine tight in his arms, kissing
her. We see this for only the briefest moment before it
DISSOLVES AWAY T0:
BACK IN THE HOTEL ROOM
Scottie kisses her as he did in the livery stables. As he
kisses her, and she turns his kiss, the CAMERA PULLS BACK
SLOWLY and their two figures are held in the center of the
room.
DISSOLVE T0:
INT. JUDY'S BEDROOM - (EARLY EVENING)
The window shades are drawn, the lights in the room have
been lit. Scottie is sitting, relaxed, thumbing through a
magazine idly. The jacket of his suit is hung over the back
of a chair. The bathroom door is open. There is a full length
mirror on the back of the bathroom door, and we catch
occasional glimpses of Judy as she moves about inside.
Scottie looks up as she calls to him. Her voice is light and
happy.
JUDY
Where shall we go for dinner?
SCOTTIE
Wherever you'd like...
JUDY
Ernie's?
SCOTTIE
You've got a thing about Ernie's,
haven't you?
JUDY
Well, after all, it's "our place."
She comes out of the bathroom happy and contented. She wears
the black cocktail dress, her blonde hair is done up in the
Madeleine way. She stops to pose and show off the dress and
smiles across at him lovingly.
JUDY
Hello, my love. Like me?
He regards her admiringly with a small, contented grin.
SCOTTIE
Mmmm.
JUDY
Is that the best you can do?
She turns to the mirror over the dresser.
SCOTTIE
Come here.
JUDY
Oh, no. You'll muss me.
SCOTTIE
That's what I had in mind.
JUDY
Too late. I've got my face on.
She has opened the candy box, rummages around in the jewelry,
comes up with some earrings, holds one up to her ear to see
what it looks like, decides against it, finds some other
earrings, small and neat, and puts them on. During this:
JUDY
I'm suddenly hungry. Would you rather
go somewhere else?
SCOTTIE
No, Ernie's is fine.
JUDY
I'm going to have one of those big
beautiful steaks. And... let's see...
to start...
During this she has taken a necklace out of the box, and is
trying to fasten it around her neck. But the clasp won't
work.
JUDY
Oh! Help me with this, will you?
She backs up a step, still holding the necklace in place,
and Scottie rises from his chair and comes up in back of
her. He takes the ends of the necklace from her.
SCOTTIE
I've got it. He bends down and bites
the back of her neck.
JUDY
Oh! You're supposed to fasten it!
SCOTTIE
All in good time.
He bites her again.
JUDY
Scottie!
SCOTTIE
How does it work?
JUDY
Can't you see?
SCOTTIE
Oh, yeah. There.
As he is fastening it he glances into the mirror and sees
the necklace clearly for the first time. His eyes are
immediately startled with the shock of recognition, and he
stares, wondering why. The CAMERA ZOOMS IN to a closeup of
the necklace in the mirror; then, with a click, the closeup
changes to a closeup of the necklace painted on canvas. The
CAMERA DRAWS BACK to show the necklace around the neck of
Carlotta in the portrait, the same necklace. Now the CAMERA
DRAWS BACK to show the Art Gallery, with the Portrait of
Carlotta on the far wall. The scene click-changes to a BIG
HEAD of SCOTTIE, staring, and during this we hear Judy
chattering away.
JUDY'S VOICE
Thank you, darling. Now I'm just
about ready; I just have to find my
lipstick. Where did I put it? I had
it a minute ago.
(Her voice fading)
Did I leave it in here? Oh, yes,
here it is!
(Her voice fading in)
All right, I'm ready.
His eyes move in the direction of the voice, and now we see
her, standing a few feet from him, smiling at him. She walks
to him with a loving smile.
JUDY
But first... muss me a little.
She puts her arms around him and presses against him, and
lays her head against his chest with a happy sigh.
JUDY
Ah, Scottie... I do have you, now...
He raises his arms as though to embrace her, moves his hands
to her shoulders, and one senses for a moment that he is
going to press her too hard or that he may move his hands to
her throat. But then he lays his hands gently on her back,
and closes his eyes wearily, and rests his head on the top
of hers.
SCOTTIE
(Softly)
How would you like to go somewhere
out of town for dinner? Drive down
the peninsula, somewhere?
She moves her head, and he raises his and opens his eyes,
and she smiles up at him.
JUDY
All right, if you'd like.
She reaches up and kisses him briefly on the mouth. He smiles
a small, enigmatic smile.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT: HIGHWAY 101 - (NIGHT) - LONG SHOT
Scottie's car headed south, in brilliant moonlight.
INT. SCOTTIE'S CAR - (MOONLIGHT)
Scottie at the wheel, Judy alongside. She glances at him,
wondering.
JUDY
We're going awfully far.
SCOTTIE
I feel like driving. Are you terrible
hungry?
JUDY
No, it's all right.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. HIGHWAY 101 - (NIGHT)
...continue to part 11
