Paris - When It Sizzles Page #3

He bought the title, script unseen.

Original story and screenplay

by Richard Benson.

Page one. Fade in. Exterior.

Paris, naturally.

Let's see, night or day?

Day.

Begin... with a shot of...

of the Eiffel Tower.

The camera zooms in. Standing

windswept and alone on a platform

is a mysterious woman in black.

She glances at her watch.

And we see...

How the hell do l know?

Mysterious woman in black.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Mustn't be obvious. Don't give the

whole story too early. OK. Fade in.

Exterior, le Sacr Coeur. Day.

No...

Make that, erm,...

..the Grand Palais.

We've got to give the audience

the taste and smell

of the real Paris.

OK.

Exterior. Christian Dior.

The camera pans,

and now we see a white Rolls-Royce

pull up and come to a stop.

No, wait a minute,

make that a white Bentley.

It's chicer.

A chauffeur in white livery

leaps out and opens the door.

From inside emerges

some classically glamorous star

like Marlene Dietrich.

And now she...

Dot, dot, dot.

She sweeps majestically

into the store and...

That's all we see of her. Makes no

sense but Alex would have loved it.

He could have stolen the Bentley and

afterwards charged it to the picture.

- What d'you say your name was?

- Gabrielle Simpson.

- How long have you lived in Paris?

- Two years.

And you came here to write.

Well, that, too, but mostly to...

l don't know how to say it exactly.

Live.

Live?

Would you mind...?

You were saying

you came here to live.

Yes. For the first six months l made

a comprehensive study of depravity.

No kidding?

Seriously. Never got to bed

before eight in the morning.

Who knows how many cups of

poisonous black coffee l consumed?

l didn't drink then, so it was hard

to get totally into the spirit.

Depravity can be terribly boring

if you don't smoke or drink.

But a person must try to grow.

And the guy you're dating on Bastille

Day, is he part of the process?

No, he's just a friend.

A struggling young actor.

An actor?!

A tragic relationship to begin with.

l hope he's not a method actor

who scratches and mumbles and pauses,

thereby destroying the impeccable

rhythm of the author's prose.

No, he's a little intense

but lots of fun.

Uh-huh? Yeah, well...

And you and this... actor, what

do you plan to do on Bastille Day?

We'll spend the whole day together.

First, breakfast at a little caf,

then we'll dance

from one end of Paris to the other,

opera at five, then the guards

and the singing of the Marseillaise,

off to Montmartre for the fireworks,

then supper and champagne

and, you know, live.

- You really like it, don't you?

- What?

Life.

Every morning when l wake up

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