Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Page #4

INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM

A small room, crowded and cluttered up with the accoutrements

of adolescence. Joan, an eleven-year-old is asleep in one of

the twin beds. Jim automatically pulls the covers clear off

Joan's bed. She awakens, c*cks an eye at him.

JOAN:

Okay, dad.

JIM:

Mm.

As she sleepily stretches and prepares to rise, Jim exits

into the hall.

INT. THE HALL

CAMERA FOLLOWS Jim through the foyer into the living room,

on through the very small combination dining and breakfast

nook and into the compact but tiny kitchen. Gussie, the

colored cook, greets him heartily.

GUSSIE:

'Morning, Mr. Blandings!

JIM:

(a feeble attempt at

a smile)

Mm.

Gussie takes a glass of hot water, squeezes in a little lemon,

stirs and hands it to Jim who gulps it down, makes a slight

face and pats his stomach. Gussie hands Jim a cup of black

coffee and he starts back toward the bedroom.

INT. THE HALL

Gingerly balancing the cup and saucer, Jim approaches the

door to the children's room. With split-second timing, he

pauses as the door flies open and Joan, in her bathrobe,

towel in hand, rushes out and past him down the hall. She

disappears into the bathroom. Jim carefully proceeds down

the hall and, as he reaches the bathroom, deftly steps to

the left as the door bursts open and Betsy flies by on the

way back to her bedroom. All this is done with a timing and

shifting of hips of which Knute Rockne might have been proud.

Jim continues down the hall, enters the bedroom.

INT. THE BLANDINGS' BEDROOM

Muriel is still asleep as Jim enters, walks over, nudges

her.

JIM:

Muriel.

MURIEL:

Mm?

JIM:

Coffee.

Muriel awakens, sniffs the fresh coffee, smiles, sits up,

takes the cup.

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