Darkest Hour Page #2

CUT TO:

EVANS and LAYTON approach a BEDROOM DOORWAY.

JOHN EVANS:

...He mumbles, so it’s almost

impossible to catch everything.

And be prepared to type fast –

short bursts - and double-spaced,

he hates single-spaced--hates it!

Good luck.

EVANS knocks on the door, opens it and then pushes the now-

quaking ELIZABETH LAYTON inside, closing the door again.

INT. BEDROOM/ CHARTWELL - DAY

Her POV of the dimly-lit room. And then, a MATCH is struck, a

CIGAR lit. We can just make out a MAN in bed, as -

SAWYERS tugs open the CURTAINS, revealing -

-WINSTON CHURCHILL (65), in BED, with the BREAKFAST TRAY onhis lap, in a pink silk dressing-gown (naked beneath). Hisdispatch box, piled high with telegrams, stands open by hisbed . His marmalade cat, TANGO, sits at the end of the bed,

as WINSTON reads a dispatch and dictates...

WINSTON:

To the French Ambassador. Come on -

WINSTON looks up at ELIZABETH, to see if she is writing thisdown. She’s not -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

-telegram!

ELIZABETH realises, to her horror, that the dictation has

already begun, and she hurries to the TYPE-WRITER, which hasalready been loaded with a sheet...She begins to type FAST,

in short bursts -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

(dictating)

With German forces crossing intoHolland...Holland alone...requestreassurance...that French forces

will now move--move at once--to

protect Belgium. Stop. Read!

6.

ELIZABETH:

(nervously)

“To--to the French Ambassador.

With German forces crossinginto Holland...Holland alone...

request reassurance that -

WINSTON:

-immediate reassurance -

ELIZABETH adjusts the typewriter’s carriage and paten andtypes the word “IMMEDIATE” above the previous text...

ELIZABETH:

“-immediate - reassurance - “

WINSTON:

“ - that -” Go on - “- that “

SAWYERS enters, as ELIZABETH struggles to re-set thecarriage.

ELIZABETH:

“ - that - “

The BEDROOM TELEPHONE rings -

SAWYERS:

French Ambassador sir -

WINSTON:

Monsieur Ambassador!

(pause)

Ah. They’ve already invadedBelgium.

(pause)

I will convey your plea to thePrime Minister at once. Yes, the

situation is still very confused.

Goodbye.

WINSTON hangs up. A concerned pause, and then -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Holland and Belgium.

ELIZABETH types this - tap,tap,tap,tap -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

No, no, no.

ELIZABETH:

(confused)

Sir?

WINSTON:

Scrap that. New telegram.

7.

In a fluster, she pulls out the old PAGE from the TYPEWRITERCARRIAGE and quickly inserts a new page, as

WINSTON (CONT’D)

To General Ismay...

WINSTON grabs his WHISKEY and SODA, as - the PHONE ringsagain. SAWYERS re-appears.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Dammit Sawyers! What is it now?!

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