All About Eve Page #2

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Addison hold out the soda bottle to her. She looks at it,

and at him, as if it were a tarantula and he had gone mad.

He smiles and pours a glass of soda for himself.

ADDISON'S VOICE

Margo Channing is the Star of the

Theater. She made her first stage

appearance, at the age of four, in

'Midsummer Night's Dream'. She played

a fairy and entered - quite

unexpectedly - stark naked. She has

been a Star ever since.

Margo sloshes her drink around moodily, pulls at it.

ADDISON'S VOICE

Margo is a great Star. A true Star.

She never was or will be anything

less or anything less...

(slight pause)

...the part for which Eve Harrington

is receiving the Sarah Siddons Award

was intended originally for Margo

Channing...

Addison, having sipped his soda water, puts a new cigarette

in his holder, leans back, lights it, looks and exhales in

the general direction of the table of honor. As he speaks

the CAMERA MOVES in the direction of his glance...

ADDISON'S VOICE

Having covered in tedious detail not

only the history of the Sarah Siddons

Society, but also the history of

acting since Thespis first stepped

out of the chorus line - our

distinguished chairman has finally

arrived at our reason for being

here...

At this point Addison's voice FADES OUT and the voice of the

aged actor FADES IN. CAMERA is in MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT of him

and the podium.

AGED ACTOR:

I have been proud and privileged to

have spent my life in the Theater -

"a poor player... that struts and

frets his hour upon the stage" - and

I have been honored to be, for forty

years, Chief Promoter of the Sarah

Siddons Society...

(he lifts the Sarah

Siddons Award from

its altar)

Thirty-nine times have I placed in

deserving hands this highest honor

the Theater knows...

(he grows a bit arch,

he uses his eyebrows)

Surely no actor is older than I - I

have earned my place out of the sun...

(indulgent laughter)

...and never before has this Award

gone to anyone younger than its

recipient tonight. How fitting that

it should pass from my hands to

hers...

EVE'S HANDS:
Lovely, beautifully groomed. In serene repose,

they rest between a demi-tasse cup and an exquisite small

evening cup.

AGED ACTOR:

Such young hands. Such a young lady.

Young in years, but whose heart is

as old as the Theater...

Addison's eyes narrow quizzically as he listens. Then, slowly,

he turns to look at Karen...

AGED ACTOR:

Some of us a privileged to know her.

We have seen beyond the beauty

and artistry-

Karen never ceases her thoughtful pat-a-cake with the crumbs.

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