All About Eve Page #4

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As he leans back, the APPLAUSE FADES IN as tumultuous as

before. Addison's look moves slowly from Eve to Karen.

KAREN, she leans forward now, her eyes intently on Eve. Her

lovely face FILLS THE SCREEN as the APPLAUSE FADES ONCE MORE -

as she thinks back:

KAREN'S VOICE

When was it? How long? It seems a

lifetime ago. Lloyd always said that

in the Theater a lifetime was a

season, and a season a lifetime.

It's June now. That was - early

October... only last October. It was

a drizzly night, I remember I asked

the taxi to wait...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. NEW YORK THEATER STREET - NIGHT

Traffic is not heavy, the shows have broken some half-hour

before. The rain is just a drizzle.

There are other theaters on the street; display lights are

being extinguished. Going out just as Karen's taxi pulls up

is:
MARGO CHANNING in 'AGED IN WOOD'. The marquis display

below includes "Max Fabian Presents" and "By Lloyd Richards."

The taxi comes to a stop at the alley. Karen can be seen

through the closed windows telling the driver to wait. Then

she gets out. She takes a step, hesitates, then looks about

curiously:

KAREN'S VOICE

Where was she? Strange... I had become

so accustomed to seeing her there

night after night - I found myself

looking for a girl I'd never spoken

to, wondering where she was...

She smiles a little at her own romanticism, puts her head

own and makes her way into the alley.

EXT. ALLEY - CURRAN THEATER - NIGHT

Karen moves toward the stage door. She passes a recess in

the wall - perhaps an exit - about halfway.

EVE'S VOICE

(softly)

Mrs. Richards...

Karen hesitates, looks. Eve is barely distinguishable in the

shadow of the recess. Karen smiles, waits. Eve comes out. A

gooseneck light above them reveals her...

She wears a cheap trench coat, low-heeled shoes, a rain hat

stuck on the back of her head... Her large, luminous eyes

seem to glow up at Karen in the strange half-light.

KAREN:

So there you are. It seemed odd,

suddenly, your not being there...

EVE:

Why should you think I wouldn't be?

KAREN:

Why should you be? After all, six

nights a week - for weeks - of

watching even Margo Channing enter

and leave a theater-

EVE:

I hope you don't mind my speaking to

you...

KAREN:

Not at all.

EVE:

I've seen you so often - it took

every bit of courage I could raise-

KAREN:

(smiles)

To speak to just a playwright's wife?

I'm the lowest form of celebrity...

EVE:

You're Margo Channing's best friend.

You and your husband are always with

her - and Mr. Sampson... what's he

like?

KAREN:

(grins)

Bill Sampson? He's - he's a director.

EVE:

He's the best.

KAREN:

He'll agree with you. Tell me, what

do you do between the time Margo

goes in and comes out? Just huddle

in that doorway and wait?

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