The Woman From Malibu - Script

Title: The Woman From Malibu
Title: Music: The Platters
Title: assisted by Lisa Steele

Image: CU Colin in drag close-up
“They made some progress on the fifteenth but it snowed very heavily that night and was cold and windy. The next morning Ben and Graham made some progress going up but they encountered difficulty at about 22,000 feet and backed off. Between 11am and 1pm I was looking for my tent and I saw them moving slowly as they began to come down but after 1pm I did not see them. The next thing I saw was my husband on the ridge of the peak just below the summit. He was walking towards the summit but I don’t know if he made it to the top. Then I saw John on the ridge. They began to descend together. They came down to about 22,000’ where Ben and Graham had difficulty earlier. Then I saw them fall, they slipped. Down they went, 3,000’ to about a height of 19,000’. So I put on my boots to look down the glacier to see if they were moving but I just saw their two bodies and then I saw the other two bodies of Ben and Graham and I knew they had gone also. It was 4pm, it was too late for me to do anything. About 1,000’ below on the 17th I noticed some porters. I whistled and I thought they had seen me or heard me but they turned around and went back down again. I was very disappointed. But as it turned out they had gone to the base camp to get help. Fortunately some Italian climbers from a nearby mountain had gone to the base camp. The next day, the 18th, three Italians and one porter came up and they helped me down to the base camp and they fed me and took care of me. Then they climbed up to the 19,000’ level where the bodies were and buried them. It took me several days to descend to the Himalayan foothills. I returned to Malibu in early November.”

Camera pan to right to blank wall, focus, zoom out from closed window
Music begins (The Platters):
Heavenly shades of night are falling
It’s twilight time
Out of the mist your voice is calling
It’s twilight time
When purple curtains mark the end of day
I hear you my dear at twilight time

Deepening shadows gather splendour
As day is done
Fingers of night will soon surrender
The setting sun
I count the moments darling until you’re hear with me
Together at last at twilight time

Here in the afterglow of day
We keep our under mood beneath our blue
And in the same and simple way
I fall in love again as I depend

Deep in the dark your kiss will thrill me
Like days of old
Lighting the spark of love that fills me with dreams untold
Each day I pray for evening just to be with you
Together at last at twilight time

Image: close-up hands examine rings on them “Didn’t I tell you that we would have Swiss steak? The women’s committee for the Democratic Party always has Swiss steak for their fall luncheon. Oh, and we had a salad too. Let me see, there was one piece of tomato, Boston lettuce, a green onion not chopped, five pieces of celery, a square of green pepper, and two black olives.”

Title: she spent the entire afternoon photographing.

Image: Colin sits in chair unmoving, staring straight ahead at the camera, Lisa Steele (in a white slip) combs his hair very carefully, then takes light meter readings. She leaves frame, puts camera on timer (audible) then sits next to Colin.
Image: still photograph of Colin’s face in shadow, Lisa is not visible

Title: then they dressed, got in the car, and drove the 27 miles to Malibu.

Title: Colin Campbell 1976