Roman Holiday

PART 8

ANN

(presenting her hand)

How do you do?

JOE

(shaking her hand)

How do you do?

ANN

And you are?

JOE

Bradley, Joe Bradley.

ANN

Delighted.

JOE

You don't know how delighted I am to meet you.

ANN

(gesturing to the chair to her left)

You may sit down.

JOE

Well, thank you very much

(he sits down on the bed instead; she pulls back her legs, looking back at him like a frightened gazelle.)

What's your name?

ANN

(she pauses, stalling)

Er...you may call me Anya.

JOE

Thank you, Anya.

(Cheerfully; rising to go to the table)

Would you like a cup of coffee?

ANN

What time is it?

JOE

Oh, about one thirty.

ANN

(panicked)

One thirty!

(Jumping out of bed towards the door)

I must get dressed and go!

(remembering, she grabs the blankets to cover herself.)

JOE

(casually; continuing to prepare the coffee)

Why? what's your hurry?--there's lots of time.

ANN

Oh no, there isn't and I've- I've been quite enough trouble to you as it is.

JOE

Trouble?

(Smiling)

You're not what I'd call trouble.

ANN

(pleased)

I'm not?

JOE

(going to the bathroom door)

I'll run a bath for you.

(As he goes in to turn on the taps on the bath, Ann picks up her clothes from the floor near the bathroom door, holding them to her chest. After laying a towel out on the floor next to the bath he comes back out, gesturing with his arm to her to go in)

There you are.

(Ann walks to the bathroom, keeping him in front of herself, turning round to go through the door, then quickly turning around so as to be able to see him as she shuts the door behind her.)

(As soon as the door shuts, Joe goes over to the door and in trying to open it gently, forgets the chain and causes a noise. He undoes the chain and goes out and down the steps.)

(Joe goes into a workshop full of people working on sculptures. He asks one of the men, in Italian, if he can use the phone. Joe thanks him then dials. As he waits for the phone to be answered Joe takes out the paper to look at the picture again.)

(The phone rings in Irving Radovich's studio. He is lying on his back holding a camera, next to a tub filled with water which produces a ripple effect on the ceiling. On his leg is attached a piece of string which runs up to a fishing rod, held by a model who sits on the upper level of the studio, her legs sticking out through the balcony.)

IRVING

(aiming his camera)

Here we go now.

(He takes the picture)

There you are; that does it.

(Pulling himself off his back)

Oh.

(To the model, trying to put his leg down to untie the string as she playfully pulls at the rod)

Gimme a little slack, will ya?

(He answers the phone)

Pronto?

JOE

(impatiently)

Irving! why won't you answer the phone?

(Calmer)

Look, this is Joe. Irving: can you get over here in about five minutes?

IRVING

(sitting back; the model dangles the line around his head)

Oh no, I can't come now, Joe; I'm busy. Oh no--

(playfully biting at the end of the line)

Joe: I'm up to my ears in work.

(To the model; covering the mouthpiece of the phone)

Go on, get into your next outfit, will you, Honey?--the canoe. What kind of a scoop, Joe?

JOE

Look, Irving, I can't talk over the telephone; one word in the wrong quarter and this whole thing might blow sky-high. It's front page stuff, that's all I can tell you. It might be political ro it might be a sensational scandal--I'm not sure which, but it's a big story and it's got to have pictures!

IRVING

But I can't come now, Joe; I'm busy.

(Looking up where the model is, in a lower tone to the phone)

I'm busy now and I'm meeting Francesca at Rocca's in a half an hour and--.

(A charwoman enters Joe's apartment, carrying a bucket and mop. She puts them down inside and closes the door, muttering a disdainful "Ah!" at the sight of the bed in a mess. She walks to the window and opens the curtains. Hearing the sound of water coming from the bathroom she rushes over and opens the door, revealing Ann just getting out of the bath, covered in a towel. She emits a scream of surprise at the intrusion, pulling the towel up, as the charwoman stands in the doorway, hands on hips. Ann tries to excuse herself in Italian, shutting the door, but the charwoman will have none of it and orders her outside, waving her finger at Ann and strongly reprimanding her in Italian.)

CHARWOMAN

Capito?

ANN

No capito--don't understand.

CHARWOMAN

Don't understand?

(Ann runs back to the bathroom and the charwoman mutters more Italian after her.)

(Joe runs up the stairwell and goes into his apartment. Looking around, he doesn't see Ann--only his empty apartment tidied and the bed made. He realises the balcony door is open and goes out into the sun, finding Princess Ann looking out over the city.)

JOE

There you are!

(She turns to meet him.)

ANN

I was looking at all the people out here.

(Smiling, looking around the buildings)

It must be fun to live in a place like this.

JOE

Yeah, it has its moments. I can give you a running commentary on each apartment.

ANN

(she turns to him, seriously)

I must go.

JOE

Hmm?

ANN

I only waited to say goodbye.

JOE

Goodbye?--But we've only just met. How about some breakfast?

ANN

I'm sorry, I haven't time.

JOE

Must be a pretty important date to run off without eating.

ANN

It is.

JOE

(walking her back to the apartment)

Well, I'll go along with you, wherever you are going.

ANN

That's alright, thank you; I can find the place.

(They walk back inside)

Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed.

JOE

Oh, that's alright; think nothing of it.

ANN

It was very considerate of you--

(motioning to the ottoman)

you must have been awfully uncomfortable on that couch.

JOE

No, no--do it all the time.

(She smiles as he turns to open the door.)

ANN

(as she goes out she turns to shake his hand)

Goodbye, Mr. Bradley.

JOE

(shaking her hand)

Goodbye.

(Seeing her unsure about which way to go he points to the way out)

Oh: go right through there and down all the steps.

(She walks down the stairs and he goes back inside and shuts the door, walking out to the balcony again. Ann goes through the outside door, watched from above by Joe as she walks away. He runs back inside and out his front door.)

(Part-way down the outside steps, Ann stops and turns to run back up. Joe, running to follow her almost runs into her.)

JOE

(laughing as they stop on the steps)

Well, small world.

ANN

Yes- I- I almost forgot: can you lend me some money?

JOE

(as Giovanni appears in the window of the building overlooking the steps, opposite them)

Oh, yeah; that's right, you didn't have any last night did you?

ANN

Mmm.

JOE

(as he reaches for his money he sees Giovanni watching)

How much--

(looking back up at Giovanni, uncomfortably)

how much was it that you wanted?

ANN

Well, I don't know how much I need. How much have you got?

JOE

Well, er

(looks quickly up at Giovanni,)

suppose we just split this fifty-fifty: here's a thousand lira.

ANN

A thousand?! Can you really spare all that?

JOE

It's about a dollar and a half.

ANN

Oh... Well, I- I'll arrange for it to be sent back to you. What is your address?

JOE

Er, Villa Marguta, fifty-one.

ANN

Villa Marguta, fifty-one.

(Smiling)

Joe Bradley. Goodbye; thank you.

(She walks down the steps.)

(Joe watches her from the top of the steps, exchanging glances with Giovanni. As Ann reaches the bottom he heads down after her, watched by Giovanni.)

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