Pickman's Muse

DR. DEXTER:
As your doctor, l'm having

you continue this with the pharmacist.

DR. DEXTER:
But as yourfriend,

l'm asking you to meet me halfway.

DR. DEXTER:
The first step towards any

real progress is communication , Robert.

DR. DEXTER:
And that's a two-way street...

lneed your help.

DR. DEXTER:
You 're not just a patient.

DR. DEXTER:
l made a promise to your Mother;

one l intend fully to keep.

DR. DEXTER:
Anytime, day or night,

you need to talk, you call me. l'll be there for you .

LANDLADY:
Three-thirty, back from the druggist;

l can set my watch by you .

LANDLADY:
And pays his rent on time,

just like clockwork.

LANDLADY:
l wish all my tenants could be like you .

LANDLADY:
You 're a good, reliable man .

That's hard to find these days.

LANDLADY:
All those pills you take.

That's not what you need.

LANDLADY:
The druggist doesn 't have your cure.

LANDLADY:
What you need is a good woman .

LANDLADY:
l want you to meet my niece.

LANDLADY:
She's coming here from New York.

LANDLADY:
She'd be good for you . She's pretty.

LANDLADY:
She doesn 't have any friends either.

And she's a good cook.

LANDLADY:
She'd make you a good healthy dinner...

LANDLADY:
Okay?

PlCKMAN:
Alright...

ART DEALER:
Twelve noon , right on the dot.

Are you ever late, Mr. Pickman ?

ART DEALER:
l have good news for you .

ART DEALER:
l got you another commission ,

a bed and breakfast out in the country.

ART DEALER:
This old lady is redoing her guestrooms and

wants several paintings to match her new wallpaper.

ART DEALER:
l got herto commit to six. Six!

ART DEALER:
That will pay both of our rents for

the rest of the year.

ART DEALER:
But l can 't take any credit;

it's never been hard to sell a Pickman .

ART DEALER:
You have quite a knack for painting those

Lighthouses and Seascapes. These old ladies love you .

ART DEALER:
Here are the swatches forthe wallpaper,

so you can match the colors.

ART DEALER:
What's this? This isn 't the painting

we discussed.

ART DEALER:
l know this painting.

ART DEALER:
This was the one rejected by that decorator --

and rightly so.

ART DEALER:
This isn 't your normal work. Look at these

brush strokes...

ART DEALER:
...very amateurish, and there's no soul,

no emotions...

ART DEALER:
My God, Pickman; that was over a month ago.

ART DEALER:
Do you mean to tell me you haven 't painted

anything new since then ?

ART DEALER:
This is our livelihood, Pickman .

ART DEALER:
This puts us way behind. Ashcroft is expecting

four paintings, and he's not a patient man .

ART DEALER:
What am l supposed to tell him?

PlCKMAN:
Fine! Tell him l can 't do it anymore.

ART DEALER:
Robert.

ART DEALER:
Alright, Robert, l'm sorry.

Maybe l've been overworking you a bit.

ART DEALER:
lt's just that the money has been so good.

ART DEALER:
Alright, take some time away.

l'll stall Ashcroft for a week ortwo...

ART DEALER:
Travel; go on vacation; see some new sights.

PlCKMAN:
What's the point? lt all looks the same...no?

ART DEALER:
Oh, God...

DR. DEXTER:
Robert? lt's Ambrose Dexter.

PlCKMAN:
What do you want?

LANDLADY:
l'm so sorry. Your doctorthought you

might be needing help.

DR. DEXTER:
Robert, You missed two appointments.

l was concerned. l was worried.

PlCKMAN:
l've been working.

LANDLADY:
l'm very sorry, Mr. Pickman . We'll be

leaving you now.

DR. DEXTER:
Working...? Robert, you 're painting again ?

DR. DEXTER:
That's wonderful! What brought you around?

PlCKMAN:
Doc, ljust don 't have time to get into it right now;

l have to get back to work.

LANDLADY:
Yes, of course. Sorry to have disturbed you .

DR. DEXTER:
Well, Robert, you know l'm the last man in the

world that would everwant to stop you from getting back

to work...

DR. DEXTER:
But, when you have the time, come on in

and make an appointment...

DR. DEXTER:
You know there's always room for you

in my schedule.

PlCKMAN:
Yes. l will.

ART DEALER:
Well, l'll be. What are you doing here today,

Mr. Pickman ? This isn 't your usual appointment.

PlCKMAN:
l need money for more paint and canvases

and supplies and stuff.

PlCKMAN:
Look. Can you sell this?

ART DEALER:
lnteresting. Where did you get this,

Mr. Pickman ?

PlCKMAN:
What do you mean ? lt's mine.

ART DEALER:
Yours?

PlCKMAN:
Yeah. l painted it.

ART DEALER:
You 're joking with me.

PlCKMAN:
No.

ART DEALER:
This isn 't anything like yourwork.

ART DEALER:
l'd swearthis was the work of Goodie Hines.

PlCKMAN:
No. lt's my work.

ART DEALER:
l've seen my share of recreations

of Goodie's work...

ART DEALER:
but this, by far, is the best l've ever seen .

PlCKMAN:
No, no, no. This is not a recreation .

PlCKMAN:
This is an example of my new stuff, my new work.

PlCKMAN:
l don 't even know who Goodie Hines is...

ART DEALER:
Don 't you ever read the papers? ''The Vicious

Visionary'', ''The Painter of Pain ''.

ART DEALER:
The media had a field day with him.

ART DEALER:
You really should keep up with the news.

He killed and mutilated seven people.

ART DEALER:
He cut their eyes out while they were still living.

He said they begged him to do it.

PlCKMAN:
l'm sure they did... l still don 't know who he is.

ART DEALER:
You should. He's up at County Hospital

with your Dr. Dexter.

ART DEALER:
Ambrose Dexter is your doctor, right?

PlCKMAN:
Yeah.

ART DEALER:
He never mentioned Goodie?

PlCKMAN:
No! l don 't even know why he would.

ART DEALER:
Your Doctor kept Goodie from getting the Chair.

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