Part 3 Chapter 18 Portland Noir VoiceOver Scenes Dialogue

PORTLAND NOIR1

ProfessionallcFilm2

Copyright 20083

Comment from www.storywrite.com4

Irish Yndina: commented on Portland Noir5

I'm not quite sure what this piece is trying to say, to be honest. It seems like an outline for a film, followed by a detailed explication of it. What is this piece's purpose, here on Storywrite? Are you looking for help critiquing something in it? Or are you brainstorming, in a way, to get ready for a film? *shrugs* It seems interesting enough - the explication part was very well thought out and quite intriguing to read. 6

Portland Noir: Part Two. 7

DISSOLVE TO: Scene 18

INT. HALLWAY - OUR HIRO APARTMENTS -9

CLOSE SHOT -10

VOICEOVER11

Sam Spade, Our Hiro, was a quiet man, though a man with a great sense of justice. As he sat there gazing out the window onto the Italian Veranda, lighting a cigarette he became lost in thought and sat alone in the dark room as the smoke created a dim whiteness; we call this Noir. 12

He became lost in these thoughts, in these memories. 13

Time seemed to elude him now. And like the old flicker shows he used to see on cold autumn Brooklyn nights 14

these memories played out before him.15

YOURS TRULY 16

Knocking the door of Apartment 20 x 30. 17

OUR HIRO opens the door immediately.18

YOURS TRULY,19

in BLACK dress. 20

Her face is flushed. 21

Her hair parted on the left side 22

Sweeping back in loose waves 23

over her right temple, 24

is somewhat tousled.25

OUR HIRO26

(dressed only in boxer shorts)27

(taking off his BASEBALL hat 28

WORN SIDEWAYS)29

What's up. {aside}30

"the best days are the first to flee."31

YOURS TRULY32

(lowers her head33

-- then in a hushed34

timid voice) May I come? {aside}35

'The Prince of the House of David.'36

OUR HIRO37

Come , Y. T. {aside}38

"Now read me a chapter…"39

Scene 240

INT. LIVING ROOM41

VOICEOVER42

They were like a cheap drawn out low budget B movie, but he wouldn't have it any other way. O. H. wasn't your average run of the mill detective, he invested interest, ideals, and determination into his cases. If someone hired him to see: if his wife was cheating he would find out, he would also find out how long, when, where, and how, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry the lady [Yours Truly] had been with. That's how he worked, he never would invest too much emotion into a case.43

YOURS TRULY and OUR HIRO44

enter from the hall.45

YOURS TRULY46

{aside}47

[In the house of Da5id.]48

OUR HIRO49

He lays his hat, sits down. {aside}50

"He [Da5id] don't like this [country]."51

YOURS TRULY52

She sits on a chair, facing him.53

She looks at her fingers,54

working them together. Then: {aside}55

"… [he] ought to stay at home."56

OUR HIRO57

Come Come, Y. T.58

{aside} "… [she] wants other people's things."59

YOURS TRULY60

{aside}61

"Why not help [me]?"62

OUR HIRO63

He makes a polite smile.64

{aside} " [as] If I got [everything] …65

YOURS TRULY66

(she stammers,67

looks at him68

with miserable69

frightened eyes)70

{aside} "… like you [have], …."71

OUR HIRO72

(lightly)73

Y. T. -- is your name Truly74

or Yours? {aside}75

" … I [would] make [things] much better."76

YOURS TRULY77

(working her fingers again)78

It's really Y.T. for Yours Truly.79

{aside} "I never made anything…"80

OUR HIRO81

{aside} "… with my eyes."82

YOURS TRULY83

You mean... {aside}84

"You are quite comfortable here, …85

OUR HIRO86

blandly)87

...and enough more to make it all88

right. {aside}89

"I am in business for myself."90

YOURS TRULY91

(bites her lip)92

O. H., tell me...93

(her face becomes94

haggard, eyes95

desperate)96

{aside}97

"I have made a really good start."98

Scene 399

VOICEOVER100

Preferring to be as cold and complacent as possible, he worked that way. These people weren't his friends they were nothing more than a business transaction. Things ran smoothly like this until that October afternoon. 101

Part Two 102

There was a slight tap and knocking of the door,103

while O. H. motioned 104

the woman to precede and come in, 105

O. H. sitting up now, leaning forward 106

and questioningly asked 107

“And why hire me?" he asked the woman. 108

The woman was keeping her cool 109

and was remaining level-headed on things. 110

YOURS TRULY111

(her voice thin112

and tremulous)113

OUR HIRO?114

{aside} You like my new suit?"115

OUR HIRO116

{aside}117

"Perhaps it’s your clothes…"118

YOURS TRULY119

OUR HIRO? 120

{aside} "… aren't you?"121

OUR HIRO122

{aside}123

"I have to dress pretty good in this business."124

Scene 4125

VOICEOVER126

“Lets just say that you were highly recommended”. The woman said and walked out. [She was] leaving O. H. behind the desk with a look of puzzlement and disarray about him, questioning just what he had gotten himself into. It was 11 o’clock [pm], the dark night sky cloaking everything but the light of the street lamps. She was walking down the street on her way to her hotel apartment, D1, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan; wearing her best swanky outfit, she rushed past them. 127

YOURS TRULY128

She rises, puts out a timid hand.129

(begging)130

(she drops dress to her131

knees, her hand132

touching his, clings133

pitifully)134

{aside} "… aren't you?"135

Scene 5136

VOICEOVER137

She past the many reporters and onlookers, pushing past the unrelenting out for blood photographers and remained focused and centered on one thing: the door. 138

As broken glass hit the ground with every flash of the bulbs, photographers quickly exchanging them out for a new one, hoping to get that one lucky shot that could make front-page news. She made her way up the steps to the entrance of the apartment building, the door man upon seeing her quickly opened the door and hurried her inside. 139

OUR HIRO empties his lungs 140

with a long sighing exhalation.141

OUR HIRO142

" OUR HIRO."143

{aside} " that makes the difference."144

Scene 6145

VOICEOVER146

The sunlight beamed down assuring a brand new day. It was 4:15 pm, just the time that the woman [not Yours Truly] told him to meet her the young starlet [Y. T.] outside her hotel. He made himself indiscrete and unnoticeable, which was easy in his line of work. He was told she would be sporting a white dress, black sunglasses, and have short hair. His objective: to follow this lady in white [Y. T.], so he did as she walked down 6th avenue to the corner of 5th street, and called a cab. Then she took the alleyways.147

She jumps to her feet. 148

Her face blanching 149

painfully, but150

she holds her head erect 151

and she 152

looks OUR HIRO 153

straight in154

the eye.155

YOURS TRULY156

(voice chilled)157

(lips trembling158

slightly, but159

head still erect)160

{aside} Look at you. You owe me.161

Scene 7162

VOICEOVER163

Which, after O. H.'s further investigation, led him to several back alleys. While trailing her though, he would always pick up on the fact that she was aware of his presence. In all likelihood, this was perfectly 164

plausible, but deciding to ignore this fact as he continued with his routine surveillance. It was then that she sat down at the local café and he drew up a newspaper looking inconspicuous. “Are you quite finished following me? I mean I know everyone loves me." 165

OUR HIRO's face darkens. 166

He looks down at the floor.167

OUR HIRO168

(muttering)169

{aside} "'Look, all of you, I owe this woman nothing.'"170

YOURS TRULY comes back 171

and stands in front of him, 172

holding the hat173

for him to take if he wishes. 174

Her face is thin, haggard.175

{aside}"Look at me."176

OUR HIRO177

(looking at his hat)178

{aside} What a prince I am!179

She puts his hat down, slips down onto the chair180

again. YOURS TRULY shakes her head and says nothing.181

{aside }" … won't you make Prince behave?"182

YOURS TRULY183

{aside} I deserve that. 184

OUR HIRO 185

{aside} Now, you are dangerous.186

Scene 8187

VOICEOVER188

"But usually men buy me dinner first,“ she let out laughing. Startled by this sudden spark of conversation, 189

he had nothing to do other than to reply “Well what’s on the menu?” Laughing quietly to herself the woman flipped her hair behind her ears while drawing her sunglasses up, and with an outstretched hand said, “Well, hello I’m Y. T.” [Yours Truly]. He nodded replying, “O. H." he said. [Our Hiro] She looked at him with a sudden acknowledgement, 190

“Ah, where have I heard that name before?!" 191

OUR HIRO192

{aside}"This old chap will be proposing to you someday."193

YOURS TRULY194

(tears glisten195

in her eyes,196

her voice is197

hoarse, vibrant)198

(she turns on199

him suddenly --200

cries in a201

vibrant voice)202

{aside}"Oh, he has -- often!"203

Scene 9204

VOICEOVER205

A glow of light-hearted happiness seemed to radiate from her. She tucked one of the many loose tussles of hair behind her ear, “No not at all, but I find it a ridiculous notion that they could keep the slightest thing from me. Although it is pleasant to hear that they care so much!” she responded. With a look of uncertainty, he said in a questioning manner, “Any idea why that is?” Letting go a youthful smile she said “Well, because O. H." 206

OUR HIRO takes her face between his hands, 207

kisses her mouth208

roughly and contemptuously, 209

then releasing her, he sits 210

back.211

{aside}"Every handsome girl like you marries." 212

She sits, holding her face where his hands left it.213

{aside} "Of course!"214

OUR HIRO gets up, 215

takes two steps towards the wall,216

halts.217

{aside} "Nonsense!" 218

YOURS TRULY doesn't move. 219

{aside} "Haven't I been nice to you?"220

Scene 10221

VOICEOVER222

"I’m Yours Truly, a reckless, irresponsible Playgirl”. Even he, the cold and complacent man he always was said to be couldn’t help but be attracted to her bluntness. She said what needed to be said and herself, Oh you poor thing!” she exclaimed with her hand covering her mouth. And pretty soon she began to comment on a lot of things: from the way he dressed, the content of his conversation, even down to how he flossed his teeth. 223

OUR HIRO224

He turns to face her.225

{aside} "You are going."226

YOURS TRULY227

{aside} "… but you haven't gone yet, have you?"228

OUR HIRO229

{aside} "You were such a funny kid!"230

She bites her lip, looks down.231

{aside} Not me."232

Scene 11233

VOICEOVER234

It seems for O. H. that Y. T. had become nothing more than an annoyance. Though, as hours became days and days became weeks, their understanding for one another flourished. This eventually budded into an odd kind of acceptance of adoration towards one another. And then one night, under the clear black of the night sky, while looking up from the city streets below Y. T. said “Isn't it marvelous! I’ve never seen the sky so clear! It’s just stunning, the stars are completely lovely.” 235

YOURS TRULY236

{aside }"We better keep away from each other."237

OUR HIRO238

(casually)239

{aside} " [there] Isn't …240

She gets up and stands looking241

down at him with dark abashed eyes.242

YOURS TRULY243

{aside} " … anything we can do about it?"244

OUR HIRO245

(good-humoredly)246

{aside} "There is not a damn thing we can do."247

YOURS TRULY248

(lowers her head249

slightly -- whispers)250

{aside} "We better keep away from each other."251

OUR HIRO rises, crosses to her. 252

He puts his hand under her253

chin, lifts her head. 254

Her eyes are damp. 255

He laughs into256

them.257

{aside}"I have to see you."258

Scene 12259

VOICEOVER260

As she said this, O. H. fought the urge he had inside to embrace her. Over these past few weeks he felt he had gotten closer to Y. T., despite her ups and downs, and highs and lows; he was growing to love her. 261

“O. H. is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go in your life? I have always wanted to go to Italy. I always thought it was a place onto itself, …, the art, the fashion! It’s surprising I have yet to go in my lifetime considering what daddy had. 262

OUR HIRO263

{aside} "Don't we always pay….264

YOURS TRULY265

(her eyelids droop)266

Oh -- I'm so tired.267

(then tremulously)268

{aside} "… for the things we do, though?"269

She puts her hands up 270

to OUR HIRO's cheeks, 271

her mouth hard272

against his mouth -- 273

her body flat against his body.274

OUR HIRO's arms go around her, 275

holding her to him.276

{aside} "I'm paying for it all now."277

Muscles bulge [no sleeves] as 278

his hand cradles her head, 279

his fingers280

lost among her hair.281

{aside} "That's my fault."282

FADE OUT.283

Scene 13284

VOICEOVER285

He had us traveling all over Europe when we were younger. I suppose somehow Italy just managed to skip me by.” she said. Then with a short blank stare and a deep sigh she let out a hopeless moan, then all of a sudden struck with the spark of an idea she blurted out “O. H.! Let us runaway to Italy, just the two of us wouldn’t it be lovely?!”. Indeed it would be lovely, O. H. thought to himself, but he had 286

already broken his own rules.287

OUR HIRO288

... and good luck.289

OUR HIRO slowly replaces the receiver. 290

He fills his chest with air and exhales. 291

His eyes are glittering292

between narrowed lids. 293

{aside} "I never think about it."294

He turns, takes three swift steps295

toward YOURS TRULY The girl, 296

startled by the297

suddenness of his approach, 298

lets her breath out in a little299

gasp.300

{aside} "Oh no. I'll lay you don't."301

OUR HIRO, face to face with YOURS TRULY, 302

looks at her hard303

of jaw and eye.304

{aside} "I laughed about it, too, myself…"305

OUR HIRO306

{aside} "Once…"307

She starts to speak, hesitates, bites her lip.308

{aside} "No… 309

OUR HIRO takes310

her by the shoulder, cries angrily:311

OUR HIRO312

Talk.313

Scene 14314

VOICEOVER315

He had to finish this and settle it like nothing more than business. “No, I can’t…I won’t. Despite what you think, lady we’re not friends or lovers here, so, I’m not going to Europe with you or anyone for that matter. Okay kid?”. As he said those harsh bitter words, the sounds seemed to pierce him as he spoke them, his face was cold but inside he became a mess. Growing chaos within him, he argued with every side of himself and every core of his being. 316

YOURS TRULY317

(uncertainly)318

{aside} "I think it's hell on earth."319

OUR HIRO320

{aside} "Nobody ever knows anything."321

YOURS TRULY322

{aside} "I have to."323

OUR HIRO324

{aside}"Don't you want to?"325

YOURS TRULY 326

lowers her eyes shame-facedly.327

{aside}"I have to."328

OUR HIRO 329

{aside}"I have to."330

Scene 15331

VOICEOVER332

It hurt him more to hurt her than it would ever have Y. T. he thought. Y. T.’s eyes full of misunderstanding and hurt, unflinching and uncontrollable, she called a cab, Then she decided against it. “I’m going home…” she said, as she went into the dark, sinking into the darkly lit shadows, smoke ridden, back in the shadows. Little did O. H. know that this would be his last time ever seeing Y. T. again. He was feeling badly about the way he left things.333

YOURS TRULY334

{aside} "I was sure you hit him."335

OUR HIRO336

{aside} "I still think you hit him."337

She nods mutely.338

OUR HIRO339

{aside} "I'm sure I missed him."340

She puts her hands up around 341

the back of his neck pushing342

his head down until his mouth 343

all but touches hers.344

YOURS TRULY345

{aside}You hit him.346

He puts his arms around 347

her holding her tight to him.348

Scene 16349

VOICEOVER350

He had left things poorly the previous night, O. H. 351

had gone to Y. T.’s Soho apartment with the full intent of apologizing. He felt things badly. As he buzzed the buzzer no one answered and eventually a neighbor, of what appeared to be of Chinese descent, had to let him in. As he walked up the stairs he felt something was wrong, he had ignored his instincts long enough. Something was wrong. He proceeded up each step cautiously, one by one, until he was at her door. It was open, probably because of the fact that she was so distraught the previous night; she had forgotten to close it fully all the way. O. H. approached the door. 352

OUR HIRO353

(tenderly)354

{aside}"I was thinking we should be partners."355

She draws away from him slightly, 356

throws her head far back357

to stare up at him, uncomprehending.358

{aside}"The same thing occurred to me."359

OUR HIRO360

(tenderly)361

He puts his hand up and caresses her throat. 362

{aside}"But I have to think how it would work." 363

In an instant364

she is out of his arms 365

back against the wall crouching,366

both hands spread over her throat. 367

Her face is wild-eyed,368

haggard. 369

Her mouth opens and closes.370

Scenes 17-20 repeat the {aside} because each scene is a repeat of scene 16, somewhat like CHINATOWN FAYE DUNAWAY SCENE.371

Scene 17372

VOICEOVER373

He is pushing the door open with his end of his now drawn 374

pistol. The apartment, despite the fact that it was morning, appeared dark with the blinds drawn and black curtains hung. Cigarettes slowly sat burning out in the ashtray on the counter. The only light on in the apartment was that of the bathroom as it could be seen resonating 375

in the crack underneath the door. As O. H. approached the bathroom, uncertain of what he might see, he was for once in his life truly afraid for his truly yours.376

YOURS TRULY377

(in a small,378

parched voice)379

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me." 380

(she can get no381

other words out)382

OUR HIRO's face is damp 383

with sweat now. 384

His mouth smiles385

and there are smile wrinkles 386

around his glittering eyes.387

OUR HIRO388

(gently)389

{aside}"I was thinking we should be partners."390

(he clears his391

throat)392

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."393

YOURS TRULY394

drops her hands, stands erect. 395

Her face becomes396

smooth and untroubled 397

except for the faintest of dubious398

glints in her eyes. 399

She smiles back at him.400

YOURS TRULY401

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."402

She breaks off, 403

thrusts her head forward 404

and stares deep405

into his eyes. 406

The flesh around her mouth shivers and fear407

comes back into her eyes. 408

She puts her hands to her throat409

again. 410

OUR HIRO 411

laughs. 412

His laugh is a croak.413

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."414

OUR HIRO415

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."416

YOURS TRULY417

You can't!418

(she takes a long419

trembling breath)420

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."421

Scene 18422

VOICEOVER423

Reaching for the knob of the door, he turns it; it’s locked. Frantically he looks for a way to open the door, a key or something that will permit him entrance. 424

Finally, he breaks down the door, looking down his heart sinks. He, is emotionless, dead, and cold; 425

unable to process what had happened. Grasping with disbelief, on the floor, his eyes traveled from the matches, [she was] left loosely scattered about, to the spoon laying upon the tiled floor. 426

The muscles holding his smile 427

stand out like walls.428

OUR HIRO429

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."430

YOURS TRULY431

(tears come to her eyes)432

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."433

OUR HIRO434

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."435

YOURS TRULY blinks her tears away,436

takes a few steps backward,437

stands looking at him, 438

straight and proud.439

YOURS TRULY440

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."441

OUR HIRO442

He puts his hand back on her shoulder, 443

the hand shakes and444

jerks.445

OUR HIRO446

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."447

She takes his hand from her shoulder, 448

holds it close to her449

face.450

YOURS TRULY451

OUR HIRO?452

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."453

He is no longer smiling. 454

He pulls his hand away from her.455

His wet face is set hard and deeply lined. 456

His eyes burn457

madly.458

OUR HIRO459

Listen... 460

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."461

Scene 19462

VOICEOVER463

The spoon gave a hint of death still lingering on its tip. 464

O. H., still to this day, blames himself. 465

Part Three466

Looking out the window onto the rainy Italian streets below he remembers; he remembers her. Sam Spade, Our Hiro, came to Italy for her, Yours Truly, to do what she couldn’t do; 467

he came with her, he came to runaway with her. It was the case that finally killed him, it was the woman, the lady that killed him. 468

OUR HIRO469

First: Me and …470

Second: you.471

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."472

YOURS TRULY473

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."474

OUR HIRO475

Third. You and … Next: me.476

Fifth. Me and …477

And sixth: you.478

… maybe you love me and 479

maybe I love480

you.481

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."482

YOURS TRULY483

(whispers)484

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."485

OUR HIRO486

He looks hungrily from her hair to her feet and up to her487

eyes again.488

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."489

OUR HIRO490

(he takes her491

by the shoulders,492

bends her back493

leaning over her)494

(he takes his495

hands from496

her shoulders,497

lets them fall498

to his side)499

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."500

Scene 20501

VOICEOVER502

Sitting in the darken room, silhouettes’ cast by the moon light, a single strand of white smoke is seen from the end of his cigarette, dimly lit in the room. He sits inside, on the chair by the window. He came for her to this place under the stars that skipped her by. He ran away with her….503

Time seemed to elude him now. And like the old flicker shows he used to see on cold autumn Brooklyn nights these memories played out before him.504

She puts her hands up to his cheeks, 505

draws his face down506

toward her again.507

YOURS TRULY508

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."509

OUR HIRO 510

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."511

OUR HIRO moves his shoulders512

a little.513

OUR HIRO514

{aside} "I was thinking we should be partners."515

YOURS TRULY516

(whispers)517

{aside} "The same thing occurred to me."518

OUR HIRO519

(his voice a520

hoarse creak)521

{aside} "But I have to think how it would work."522

She puts her mouth to his slowly and is in his arms when523

there is a knock at the door. Before he releases her he calls:524

Scene 21525

VOICEOVER526

Sam Spade, Our Hiro, was a quiet man, though a man with a great sense of justice. As he sat there gazing out the window onto the Italian Veranda, lighting a cigarette he became lost in thought and sat alone in the dark room as the smoke created a dim whiteness; we call this Noir. 527

He became lost in these thoughts, in these memories. 528

OUR HIRO529

MED. SHOT - ROOM - ANGLE ON DOOR530

OUR HIRO531

Swell... {aside} "I was sure you hit him."532

(he pushes YOURS TRULY forward)533

YOURS TRULY's face and movements 534

are like a sleepwalker's.535

{aside} "I still think you hit him."536

OUR HIRO537

Your OUR HIRO's a detective.538

{aside} "I'm sure I missed him."539

YOURS TRULY540

Cut it out, OUR HIRO.541

{aside} You hit him.542

OUR HIRO543

What is it?544

The stuff that dreams 545

are made of.546