Sunset Boulevard movie - Paramount lyrics
rate me<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
If you will pardon me, Madame, the shadow over the left eye is not quite balanced.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Thank you, Max.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
GUARD<br>
Hey, that's enough of that.<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
To see Mr. DeMille. Open the gate.<br>
<br>
GUARD<br>
Mr. DeMille is shooting. You need an appointment.<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
This is Norma Desmond. No appointment is necessary.<br>
<br>
GUARD<br>
Norma who?<br>
<br>
(Meanwhile, however, NORMA has recognized JONES, who is sifting on a wooden chair, reading a newspaper. She rolls down the window.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Jonesy!<br>
<br>
<br>
(JONES looks up, frowning; then his expression clears and he approaches the car.)<br>
<br>
JONES<br>
Why, if it isn't Miss Desmond. How have you been, Miss Desmond?<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Fine, Jonesy. Open the gate.<br>
<br>
(JONES turns tohis young COLLEAGUE.)<br>
<br>
]ONES<br>
You heard Miss Desmond.<br>
<br>
GUARD<br>
They don't have a pass.<br>
<br>
(JONES shakes his head, exasperated, and begins to open the gate himself. The car moves forward.)<br>
<br>
JONES<br>
Stage 18, Miss Desmond.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Thank you, Jonesy. And teach your friend some manners. Tell him without me there wouldn't be any Paramount Studio.<br>
<br>
(As the car glides through the gates, JONES picks up his telephone.)<br>
<br>
JONES<br>
Get me Stage 18. I have a message for Mr. DeMille.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
Mr. DeMille?<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
What is it?<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
Norma Desmond is here to see you, Mr. DeMille.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Norma Desmond?<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
She's here at the studio.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
It must be about that appalling script of hers. What shall I say?<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
Maybe I could give her the brush.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Thirty million fans have given her the brush. Isn't that enough? Give me a minute.<br>
<br>
(He turns towards the set. <br>
<br>
Meanwhile, NORMA has arrived outside the studio with MAX and JOE. She hesitates for a moment, gripping JOE's hand fiercely.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Won't you come along, darling?<br>
<br>
(JOE shakes his head.)<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
It's your script. It's your show. Good luck.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
<br>
Thank you, darling.<br>
<br>
(By this time, HEATHER has emerged from the studio. She comes over to greet NORMA.)<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
Miss Desmond.<br>
<br>
(She leads NORMA towards the studio. DE MILLE is waiting just inside; he envelops her in his arms.)<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Well, well, well.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Hello, Mr. DeMille.<br>
<br>
(A long embrace.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Last time I saw you was some place terribly gay. I was dancing on a table.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
A lot of people were. Lindbergh had lust landed.<br>
<br>
(He starts to lead her into the studio.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
You read the script, of course.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Well, yes...<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
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.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
I don't know what you mean, Norma.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Yes, you do.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Come on in.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
VOICE <br>
Miss Desmond! Hey, Miss Desmond!<br>
<br>
(NORMA looks around, unable to identify the source of the VOICE)<br>
<br>
HOG-EYE<br>
Up here, Miss Desmond; it's Hog-eye!<br>
<br>
(NORMA looks up. Up in the flies, balanced on the walkway, is a quite elderly ELECTRICIAN.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Hog-eye! Well, hello!<br>
<br>
HOG-EYE<br>
Let's get a look at you.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
I don't know why I'm frightened,<br>
I know my way around here<br>
The cardboard trees,<br>
The painted seas,<br>
The sound here.<br>
<br>
Yes, a world to rediscover<br>
But I'm not in any hurry<br>
And I need a moment.<br>
<br>
The whispered conversations<br>
In overcrowded hallways,<br>
The atmosphere<br>
As thrilling here<br>
As always.<br>
<br>
Feel the early morning madness<br>
Feel the magic in the making<br>
Why, everything's as if we never said goodbye.<br>
<br>
I've spent so many mornings<br>
Just trying to resist you<br>
I'm trembling now<br>
You can't know how<br>
I've missed you,<br>
<br>
Missed the fairy-tale adventures<br>
In this ever-spinning playground,<br>
We were young together.<br>
<br>
I'm coming out of make-up<br>
The lights already burning<br>
Not long until<br>
The cameras will<br>
Start turning.<br>
<br>
Feel the early morning madness<br>
Feel the magic in the making<br>
Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye.<br>
<br>
I don't want to be alone<br>
That's all in the past<br>
This world's waited long enough<br>
I've come home at last.<br>
<br>
And this time will be bigger<br>
And brighter than we knew it<br>
So watch me fly<br>
We all know I<br>
Can do it.<br>
<br>
Could I stop my hand from shaking?<br>
Has there ever been a moment<br>
With so much to live for?<br>
<br>
The whispered conversations<br>
In overcrowded hallways,<br>
So much to say<br>
Not just today<br>
But always<br>
<br>
We’ll have early morning madness<br>
We'll have magic in the making<br>
Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye.<br>
Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye.<br>
<br>
We taught the world new ways to dream.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
Well, hello,<br>
Mr. Gillis.<br>
Where have you been<br>
Keeping yourself?<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
Someone's<br>
Been doing it for me.<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
And meanwhile "Blind Windows"<br>
Is stuck on the shelf.<br>
You said<br>
We'd work together.<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
New Year's crisis<br>
What can I say?<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
Always<br>
Full of excuses.<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
Promise I'll call you<br>
Later today.<br>
<br>
(BETTY looks at HIM for a moment.)<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
You said that last time.<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
Betty, I won't let you down.<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
I guess I'll just have to trust you.<br>
<br>
(BETTY smiles at him and hurries on. <br>
<br>
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.)<br>
<br>
SHELDRAKE<br>
You're Miss Desmond’s German shepherd.<br>
I'm the one who's been calling.<br>
<br>
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...<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
It's outrageous,<br>
You insult her,<br>
How can you be so cruel?<br>
I forbid you to approach her.<br>
<br>
SHELDRAKE<br>
You're insane.<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
Go away.<br>
Go away!<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Did you see<br>
How they all came<br>
Crowding around?<br>
They still love me<br>
And soon we'll be<br>
Breaking new ground.<br>
Brave pioneers.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Those were the days.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Just like before.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
We had such fun.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
We gave the world<br>
New ways to dream.<br>
<br>
NORMA AND DEMILLE<br>
We always found<br>
New ways to dream.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Let's have a good long talk one day.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
The old team will be back in business.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Sorry, my next shot's ready.<br>
<br>
(He begins to walk her towards the studio door. <br>
<br>
Meanwhile, outside, JOE has moved over towards MAX and notices right away, from the LATTER's thunderous expression, that something disturbing has happened.)<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
Mr. Gillis...<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
What's the matter, Max?<br>
<br>
MAX<br>
I just found out the reason for all those phone calls from Paramount. It's not Madame they want. It's her car.<br>
<br>
JOE<br>
Oh, my God.<br>
<br>
(DEMILLE and NORMA have reached the doorway of the studio.)<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
Now, you remember, don't you? I don't work before 10 or after 4:30 in the afternoon.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
It isn't entirely my decision, Norma, New York must be consulted.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
That's fine. You ask any exhibitor in the country. I'm not forgotten.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Of course you're not.<br>
<br>
(He embraces her.)<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
Goodbye, young fellow. We'll see what we can do.<br>
<br>
NORMA<br>
I'm not worried. It's so wonderful to be back.<br>
<br>
(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)<br>
<br>
BETTY<br>
Was that really Norma Desmond?<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
It was.<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
She must be about a million years old.<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
I hate to think where that puts me. I could be her father.<br>
<br>
HEATHER<br>
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. DeMille.<br>
<br>
(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.)<br>
<br>
DEMILLE<br>
If you could have seen<br>
Her at seventeen<br>
When all of her dreams were new,<br>
Beautiful and strong,<br>
Before it all went wrong;<br>
She's never known the meaning of <br>
Surrender;<br>
Never known the meaning of<br>
Surrender.<br>
<br>
(Slow fade to black.)<br>
<br>
