Paramount Conversations/Surrender (Reprise)

[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, spoken]
You said that last time

[JOE, spoken]
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, spoken]
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, spoken]
You're insane

[MAX, spoken]
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 crowd 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

[MAX, spoken]
Mr. Gillis!

[JOE, spoken]
What's the matter, Max?

[MAX, spoken]
I just found out the reason for all those phone calls from Paramount. It's not Madame they want. It's her car

[JOE, spoken]
Oh, my God

(DEMILLE and NORMA have reached the doorway of the studio.)

[NORMA, spoken]
Now, you remember, don't you? I don't work before 10 or after 4:30 in the afternoon

[DEMILLE, spoken]
It isn't entirely my decision, Norma, New York must be consulted

[NORMA, spoken]
That's fine. You ask any exhibitor in the country. I'm not forgotten

[DEMILLE, spoken]
Of course you're not

(DEMILLE and NORMA embrace)

[DEMILLE, spoken]
Goodbye, young fellow. We'll see what we can do

[NORMA, spoken]
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, spoken]
Was that really Norma Desmond?

[DEMILLE, spoken]
It was

[HEATHER, spoken]
She must be about a million years old

[DEMILLE, spoken]
I hate to think where that puts me. I could be her father

[HEATHER, spoken]
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. DeMille

(The shot is ready, and everyone 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