Riptide

Annie Freelinghouser.

Did your lordship reply to this ?

I did.

Accepting ?

Accepting.

Have you ever seen anything like this in your life ?

I'm afraid not, milord.

It's ridiculous.

What is it, you suppose ?

It said Insect Man on the box.

Insect Man !

This is an amazing country, Ransome.

Hello.

How am I going to smoke with this thing ?

What am I going to do about drinking ?

It doesn't seem very convenient

in any part of the costume.

Hm ?

Oh, I see what you mean now.

The car for Mrs. Freelinghouser is waiting.

Very uncomfortable.

Your antennae.

My...

Oh, yes, of course. Thank you.

Couldn't we take the head off from the torso ?

No we could not. It's fixed on to the body.

It's a pity, milord.

It's a great pity, Ransome.

Is this Westbury ?

No, this is West 70th Street.

We pick up a lady here.

Charming.

Celeste !

Celeste !

Celeste !

Who are you ?

The car for Mrs Freelinghouser.

Oh, so you're the car for Mrs Freelinghouser.

Well you'll have to wait.

Celeste come here. I'm going mad.

There's something missing from this costume,

I can't go like this. I'm half naked.

See if you can find it.

What's it supposed to be anyway.

Does it say on the box ?

It calls itself a Lady Skybug.

Celeste, you're on something.

It's gonna fall to pieces.

It's never gonna last the night out.

See if you can find where that goes.

Oh, will you go. or stay, or laugh or do something.

There's a gentleman waiting in the car.

What's he like ?

He said he was an Insect Man.

A what ?

Celeste, did you send for an Insect Man ?

You're a funny fellow, aren't you ?

No, I'm not funny. It's a gentleman from the Ritz.

A Mr. Lord Rexford.

Tell him to come up. Never even heard of him.

Tell him to come up and have two or three drinks.

I'm gonna be hours.

Celeste, if you prick me again I'm gonna scream !

Let me take a look at this.

What a contraption.

That Annie Freelinghouser must be insane.

What are we all gonna look like anyway ?

Aren't there some instructions or something ?

I know I haven't got the thing on right.

Yes, here they are.

Oh.

I have to be painted.

Isn't that just dandy ?

Yes. There's a box of paint and a brush.

They didn't forget a thing, did they ?

Will you answer that ?

It must be the Insect.

Oh, I'm going crazy.

Hello.

Hello ?

What ?

Oh, hello.

No, not tonight. I'm going to that Freelinghouser ball.

No, I stood her up once before.

I can't do that.

What ?

I know it's insane, but it might be fun.

My costume is beginning to fall off already.

I think everyone else's will too.

So you see, I might meet some dinos after all.

Well, that's all she wants, the dirty old...

Oh, my God !

What is this ?

What ? No...

Something just came in.

No, it's pretty awful.

Who ?

No, tell him no.

No, no, no. Tell him to jump in the lake.

Bye, sweetie, bye.

Ooops !

My dear.

Listen, you turn your head, will you ?

I'm sorry, I can't. It's fixed onto my body.

Turn your body then,

unless you want to get a load of mine.

That's pretty awful. What's it supposed to be ?

I'm an insect man.

That's right, so your friend said.

For your information, I'm a Lady Skybug.

An insect's eye enlarges the image it sees.

So what ?

I was trying to be funny, but I can't.

Mu humor's completely gone. I...

Would you mind something awfully ?

Awfully what ?

Would you do with a very great

kindness of going to this affair alone ?

I'm awfully sorry. I simply can't go through with it.

It is too absurd, too unsane.

You remind me, Mr Bug, I want to thank you.

How do you do ?

Thank me for what ?

For saving me from going too.

Listen. I tell you what. We go up to my sister Sylvia's.

There's some fun going on up there.

Do you like mad parties ?

Well, yes, I think I do, thank you very much.

Good. What's your name ?

Rexford.

Where do you live ?

Ritz chambers.

Well, you run along home and get on a nice evening dress

and pick me up in an hour. How's that ?

Right.

Right. No, wrong. I'll pick you up.

That'll be quicker. And step on it.

Yes, I'd better, before somebody steps on me.

The lady, milord.

Thank you.

Milord.

Milady.

Is he kidding ?

Are you a lord ?

I'm terribly sorry, yes.

Are you really the beetle ?

I was the beetle.

How do you like

picking up a lady to go to a ball ?

Adored it.

Lucky, wasn't it ?

Most fortunate.

You could be cavorting around a hot room

with some fat old sheep tick or even a flea.

Now here you are on the threshold of trouble

with someone who happens at the moment to be very unattached.

The gods be praised.

Just how unattached are you ?

Free as the air.

We haven't differed on anything up to now, have we ?

No, I know.

I think it's a good sign.

From home.

How did you know I wanted a highball ?

Just instinct.

Sweet.

And you too.

Fun, isn't it ?

From out of nowhere.

It's where the best things come from, nowhere.

Glad ?

Thrilled.

May I ?

If you want to.

Old beetle.

Are they blowing that whistle for us ?

No, the French lines

are very sympathetic about a thing like this.

How sweet.

Come with me to my stateroom.

No, no. That boat's my enemy.

It's taking you away from me.

But only for a while.

You think so ? No.

Forever, I'm afraid.

Darling, do you know why

I can't stand you leaving me ?

It's been so perfect up to now.

Too good to be true, hasn't it ?

And it's everything a woman thinks of love.

I'm not over it yet, but I will be eventually.

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