MELODRAMA; 1937
17:00:30:00,Opening credits (sound is low on VHS version), CU of script on desk, hand descends with a rubber stamp and stamps the front "Final Shooting Script.", Pages turn showing text, Ext. of farmhouse at night, Int. house, Esther and little brother enter, remove their coats and hats, The Blodgett family sits in living room together, father looks at pictures through a handheld viewer, Grandmother sits in chair, scolds Esther, Other grandmother sits in chair knitting (Esther consumed by the movies, reads fan magazine), "You better get yourself a good husband and stop thinking about Hollywood.", Lots of talk about going to Hollywood and what a bad influence movies are on her, Esther gets hysterical "I'm going to be somebody", Esther cries in her room, is comforted by grandmother encourages her to go to Hollywood and become something, Granny rocks in rocking chair, Ext. train station, Esther and grandmother walk to track, Esther waves goodbye, Hollywood Hills scenery, text appears over it after a few seconds (17:09:56:03), Poolside, people lounge on deck chairs with umbrella tops, diver dives into pool (17:10:07:13), Los Angeles street, bus drives up towards camera with Los Angeles posted as its destination (17:10:18:19), Train does same as above. "City of Los Angeles" on front, Plane does same as above, Ext. Grauman's Chinese Theater, camera pans across it to the street (17:10:27:00), Esther carrying suitcase on sidewalk, looks at theater admiringly, CU of Jean Harlow's prints in cement (17:10:44:00), CU Harold Lloyd's prints in cement, CU Joe E. Brown's prints, CU Shirley Temple's prints, CU Eddie Cantor's prints, Esther steps into the footprints of Norman Maine, CU classified advertisement for apartment ("No Cowboys"), Esther enters the lobby, speaks to grumpy desk clerk, registers, Esther enters casting office, speaks to receptionist, Row of switchboard operators at work, Esther cries and is comforted by Andy Devine, CU drink being made at tropical bar, Int. bar with tropical decor, Esther sits and drinks with friend, they toast. Esther drinks milk that has a punch, CU Esther's rooming house bill. Kennedy tears up bill and throws it over his shoulder, Sign: Hollywood Bowl (17:18:39:29), Int. Hollywood Bowl, stage in slight distance, Esther sits with friend in audience, Norman Maine enters with glamorous date, Norman drunkenly stumbles to his seat, Newspaper photographers snap pictures of him, taunt him, Norman fights with photographers, Int. Esther's room, she writes letter, greets her friend, they talk, Int. cocktail party, waiter carries tray of cocktails, Esther in maid's outfit serves canapes, Esther serves canapes to Norman Maine, Esther in kitchen (monitor top refrigerator), Norman talks to her, Norman and friend argue, CU token ("good for amusement only") held in palm of hand, Maine orders scotch and soda to incredulous bartender at party, Norman's date enters kitchen, looks at Esther scornfully, whacks Norman over head with platter, Norman sees Esther to her door, kisses her on the cheek, Norman, in bed, talks on the telephone, Norman gets up and look through phone book, dials phone, CU racing form, Norman speaks to Esther on old phone, Esther hangs up phone, CU of "Studio Call Sheet" and "Production Slate.", Esther in costume is primped by makeup and wardrobe men, Lighting man smokes in her face, costumer fixes costume, make up man inspects face and flicks at it, man with bug sprayer sprays all over Esther, man with tape measure comes up to Esther's face, Microphone dollies to camera, Director sits by camera (great movie making scene with director yelling "QUIET"), Norman visits Esther on the set, Esther sits in producer's office, Esther signs contract, studio chief speaks to Esther, Esther speaks to writer typing her biography, making it up as he goes along, Great scene of studio heads coming up with new name for Esther Blodgett, CU hand on buzzer, everyone says Vicki Lester, Radio news announcer speaks on microphone in radio studio, describes Vicki Lester, Montage of Esther practicing walking with book on her head, Esther sits before overzealous makeup artists, draw, push and pull on face, put on blood red lipstick, put powder on face, shake heads no, very overmade up, Int. studio comissary, actors in costume sit at tables eating (man in Indian headress), Norman sits at Esther's table, they talk, he breaks egg and puts salt on it and pepper, Vicki faints when Norman makes deal with studio head, A Norman Maine picture is screened in theater, Audience watches movies, CU hands held, Norman and Esther sit in audience, Ext. movie theater, marquee reads "Premiere Tonight.", Patrons leave the theater, walk out to the street reacting positively to movie, Ext. Cafe Trocadero, cars pull up outside (17:53:07:10), Los Angeles skyline, hilltop view of city at night (17:53:21:04), Norman and Esther watch boxing match, Great boxing match with knockout punch, Crowds leave after fight, Esther and Norman get married by Justice of the Peace while prisoners in nearby lockup make remarks, Ext. courthouse, Norman and Esther emerge newlywed, Man races into courtroom and grabs phone to phone in scoop, Car pulls silver metal trailer along country roads, Esther attempts to cook dinner in the rocking trailer, Norman tries to take shower in narrow, rocking trailer, Norman and Esther tour lavish estate, they kiss, interviewed by the press, Montage of Norman Maine movie poster, mail dumped from mail sack, entertainment newspaper headline, Norman putts golfball around living room floor, Esther enters dressed in pilgrim costume, they kiss, eat in room, Man delivers telegram, CU Oscar banquet program/invitation, Int. banquet hall, Announcer stands beside the Oscar statuettes. Classic 1930s Oscar ceremony, Esther rises to accept her Oscar, Esther gives acceptance speech, Norman bursts into the hall, interrupts Esther's speech in a drunken stupor ("I got one, they don't mean a thing"), Norman asleep in living room chair, Esther emoves his shoes, Oscar on floor, Norman and studio head speak about Norman sobbering up, Sign: Racing - Santa Anita Park (18:33:54:05), Camera pans across park from horses to audience, Nice race track shots, Norman drinks in bar, Norman punches man in bar lounge. Crowd races in, Int. courtroom, Norman appears before judge, Lawyer, judge and court stenographer goes through pleads of drunks ("I think I'm guilty, your honor"), CU wreath that says "HAPPY NEW YEAR.", Press take photo as Norman gets out of drunk tank, newspaper with scandal headline, Eyes of Norman seen in bed, listening, CU Oscar in display cupboard, Esther cries, willing to give it all up for Norman, Norman walks out to the beach at night, swims in the ocean at sunset to his death, CU of tide washing over Norman's discarded clothes on the shore, Newspaper headline about Norman's death, Ext. church, Esther in mourning dress is escorted out of the church, is mobbed by fans, takes off mourning hat and screams in agony, Esther and grandmother talk in living room, Granny gives her another pep speech, Ext. Gruamman's movie theater for premiere, neon sign: Vicki Lester, Announcer gives commentary on arriving stars, Esther emerges from car to warm applause, Andy Devine accompanies granny at premiere, Granny speaks into radio microphone, Vicki speaks over the radio microphone, Page from script detailing final scene of Esther, The End