At Paramount Studios

As If We Never Said Goodbye

HOGEYE (spoken):

Miss Desmond? Hey, hey, Miss Desmond! Up here, Miss Desmond! It's Hogeye!

NORMA (spoken):

Hogeye! Well! Hello!

HOGEYE (spoken):

Let's get a look at you!

NORMA:

I don't know why I'm frightened

I know my way around here

The cardboard trees, the painted seas, the sound here

Yes, a world to rediscover

But I'm not in any hurry

And I need a moment

The whispered conversations

In overcrowded hallways

The atmosphere as thrilling here as always

Feel the early morning madness

Feel the magic in the making

Why, everything's as if we never said goodbye

I've spent so many mornings

Just trying to resist you

I'm trembling now, you can't know how I've missed you

Missed the fairy tale adventures

In this ever-spinning playground

We were young together

I'm coming out of makeup

The lights already burning

Not long until the cameras will start turning

And the early morning madness

And the magic in the making

Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye

I don't want to be alone

That's all in the past

This world's waited long enough

I've come home at last!

And this time will be bigger

And brighter than we knew it

So watch me fly, we all know I can do it

Could I stop my hand from shaking?

Has there ever been a moment with so much to live for?

The whispered conversations

In overcrowded hallways

So much to say, not just today, but always

We'll have early morning madness

We'll have magic in the making

Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye

Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye

We taught the world new ways to dream!

Paramount Conversations & Surrender (Reprise)

BETTY:

Well

Hello, Mr. Gillis

Where have you been

Keeping yourself?

JOE:

Someone's

Been doing it for me

BETTY:

And meanwhile "Blind Windows"

Is stuck on the shelf

You said

We'd work together

JOE:

New Year's crisis

What can I say?

BETTY:

Always

Full of excuses

JOE:

Promise I'll call you

Later today

BETTY (spoken):

You said that last time

JOE (spoken):

Betty, I won't let you down

BETTY:

I guess I'll just have to trust you

SHELDRAKE (spoken):

You're Miss Desmond's German shepherd. I'm the one who's been calling. The name is Sheldrake, A couple of weeks ago, I was looking out of my office window and I saw you driving on to the lot. And I said, "that's exactly the car I've been looking for". Great for my new Crosby picture. So, I made some inquiries and I've been calling for two weeks. Doesn't she ever answer the phone? It's so perfect. You can't find that kind of quality outside of a museum. We're willing to pay a hundred dollars a week

MAX:

It's outrageous

You insult her

How can you be so cruel?

I forbid you to approach her

SHELDRAKE (spoken):

You're insane

MAX (spoken):

Go away. Go away!

NORMA:

Did you see

How they all came

Crowding around?

They still love me

And soon we'll be

Breaking new ground

Brave pioneers

DEMILLE:

Those were the days

NORMA:

Just like before

DEMILLE:

We had such fun

NORMA:

We gave the world

New ways to dream

NORMA & DEMILLE:

We always found

New ways to dream

DEMILLE:

Let's have a good long talk one day

NORMA:

The old team will be back in business

DEMILLE:

Sorry, my next shot's ready

(spoken)

MAX:

Mr. Gillis!

JOE:

What's the matter, Max?

MAX:

I just found out the reason for all those phone calls from Paramount. It's not Madame they want. It's her car

JOE:

Oh, my God

(DEMILLE and NORMA have reached the doorway of the studio.)

NORMA:

Now, you remember, don't you? I don't work before 10 or after 4:30 in the afternoon

DEMILLE:

It isn't entirely my decision, Norma, New York must be consulted

NORMA:

That's fine. You ask any exhibitor in the country. I'm not forgotten

DEMILLE:

Of course you're not

(DEMILLE and NORMA embrace)

DEMILLE:

Goodbye, young fellow. We'll see what we can do

NORMA:

I'm not worried. It's so wonderful to be back

BETTY:

Was that really Norma Desmond?

DEMILLE:

It was

HEATHER:

She must be about a million years old

DEMILLE:

I hate to think where that puts me. I could be her father

HEATHER:

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. DeMille

DEMILLE (sung):

If you could have seen

Her at seventeen

When all of her dreams were new

Beautiful and strong

Before it all went wrong

She's never known the meaning of

Surrender

Never known the meaning of

Surrender 

Girl Meets Boy (Reprise)

JOE:

How about

They don't know each other

He works the night shift

And she takes classes all day?

Here's the thing

They both share the same room

Sleep in the same bed

It works out cheaper that way

BETTY:

I've a feeling you're just kidding

But to me it sounds believable

Makes a better opening than that car chase scene

Girl find boy, borrowing her toothbrush

Or oversleeping

Or at her sewing machine

(spoken)

JOE:

You know, it's not bad, there are some real possibilities

BETTY:

Who's Norma?

JOE:

Who's who?

BETTY:

Sorry, I don't usually read private cigarette cases

JOE:

Norma's a friend of mine: middle-aged lady, very foolish, very generous

BETTY:

I'll say: this is solid gold. "Mad about the boy"?

JOE:

So how's Artie?

BETTY:

Stuck in Tennessee. It rains all the time - they're weeks behind

No one knows when they'll be back

JOE:

Good

BETTY:

What's good about it? I'm missing him something fierce

JOE:

No, I mean this idea we had. It's really pretty good

(sung)

Back to work

BETTY:

What if he's a teacher?

JOE:

Where does that get us?

Don't see what good it would do

BETTY:

No, it's great

If they do the same job

JOE:

So much in common

They fall in love, wouldn't you?

BETTY:

Yes, but if he's just a teacher

Then we lose those scenes in the factory

JOE:

Not if he's a champion for the working man

Girl likes boy, she respects his talent

BETTY:

Working with someone can turn you into a fan

JOE:

This is fun, writing with a partner

BETTY:

Yes, and it could be

JOE:

A helluva movie

BETTY:

Can we really do this?

BOTH:

I know that we can