Princess

You'll be famous, and I'll be rich.

Spotlights, glamour, fame.

CinemaScope, Technicolor and stereophonic sound.

Capitalist.

Hick.

Hey, lady, listen to me. You can... Yes, hello? Lady?

Hey, lady, my car. Stop. Hey!

Walter?

Walter?

What are you up to?

Walter?

No shouting in my courtyard.

Mr. Walter, what's this all about? In my courtyard?

In my time...

Together they came down the stairs, holding hands, like a couple to be married.

Mr. Walter, but that's your novel.

That guy is crazy.

And she nodded timidly...

Hand in hand,

they come down the stairs.

Like a married couple. Princess doesn't even feel...

Princess?

Turned down again?

Dear sir, at this moment we don't see a possibility to publish your work.

Great.

Dear sir, our programme is full,

so we are obligated to send back your manuscript.

- Fantastic. - Dear sir,

your work doesn't belong to the genre we publish...

Extraordinary.

- What are you saying? - Great.

- Great. Exceptional. - What do you mean?

Here you are. Look. What do you think of this? That's incredibly beautiful.

Fantastic.

Mark, do you know what that novel of mine means?

A masterpiece.

- That's a masterpiece. - That's all great,

but without my idea you'll never sell that story.

- Nonsense. - That girl's just exceptionally pretty.

- It will be a bestseller. - A bestseller. Come on...

It will work, it has to work. Give me the copy.

- The copy of your novel. - I never make copies.

One types it twofold with a carbon paper in between.

Where is it?

- Downstairs? - Downstairs.

- In the courtyard? - In the courtyard.

Idiot.

...sad tears press the princess' shoulders forward.

Walter, it's all in there, incredible.

- Go tell that to the publishers. - I've read all his books.

- Then you're probably the only one. - Because I quit writing.

You have to re-write it.

- How sad. - He'll be world famous.

I've been saying it forever, sir.

- There, idiot. Keep it. - As a souvenir?

- It's a good book. - it's too good, man.

- People... People want sex. - Sex.

- Action, they want. - Action.

- Violence. - Violence.

You have to give the people what they want.

I'm going to... we are going to make a picture novel out of your book.

A comic? Based on my book? Never.

And it will be named: Princess. That's great.

And exceptional and fantastic. Yes, we know that.

Touch it up a little, mess around a little.

And the title...

- Princess. - Yes, that will be all, eh?

And the action and sex, eh?

And what about this?

- That's till the same girl. - Yes, but what kind of girl?

Your conquests mean nothing to me, I don't care about your girls at all.

Yes, but this will. This is Princess.

Incredible, but in God's name tell me, where are you going with this?

To Venice. Because I've met her there.

Listen.

Signorita, lady, miss?

- I'm Mark. - I know. Me Jane, you Tarzan.

I'm a photographer. Can I take a picture? I'm here for the film festival.

- You already have. - But I mean a real one this time.

Can I... Jane?

Margie.

- May I? - Go ahead.

Thanks.

- I'm hungry. How about you? - You'll buy me lunch?

- Why not? - It will be spaghetti with your kind of money.

You're wrong. It will be ravioli.

- And if I don't like it? - You will like it.

- Do you always take pictures of girls? - No, I'm specialized in landscapes.

- I can imagine, plenty of curves. - Oh, let's not talk about my job.

- Why? Don't you like it? - Well there are nicer things.

- For instance... - You.

It must be fun to be a press photographer.

Yes, when you like bread and butter.

- Are you a tourist? - I'm here on holiday.

- Do you like Venice? - I love it.

Why? Have you for that any special reason?

I think it's the only city I know that the tourists can't destroy.

Are you sure you're a photographer?

- Are you going tonight? - Where?

- The film festival. - I'm not a star.

- You could be one. - Anyway, I haven't been invited.

- I... I invite you. - Thank you. I'd like that.

Twelve o'clock already? I must go.

- You come tonight? - I don't know.

- You will. - Perhaps.

Hey Cinderella, don't lose your slipper.

- Oh Mark, you pinched it. - No, the waiter gave it to me.

Liar.

Never.

Cheers.

Oh I love champagne.

I propose a toast. From one drink to another.

I wish this night would never end.

- Let's go to the North Pole and build an igloo. - Too cold.

- We could make an open fire. - It will melt.

- And hunting bells. - And fish through holes in the ice.

- And jingle bells. - You mean sleigh bells.

We would have to stay very close together or we would freeze to death.

And in 2000 years they'd dig up us as good as new.

Oh Margie let's not waste 2000 years.

- There, Shakespeare, here we are. - I don't get it at all.

This girl, Margie, will be Princess, the main character in the picture novel.

- I get... - Your story...

Your story will be our blueprint for that photo novel.

I still don't get it.

Your unpopular, incredible novel will be a goldmine.

And that magnificent, fantastic plan, a vulgar photo novel...

Not an ordinary one, a photo novel with Margie and action.

And sex.

- Not too much. Just enough. - But...

It all fits. The dark forces tormenting your Princess, that's...

- A group of gangsters. - How do you know?

- Just an idea, a brilliant idea. - Not an ordinary gang.

A gang of gangster girls.

I'm seeing it already, the gang of the the naked bosom.

Of the bended lily.

The routine of daily life your Princess can't compete with,

will be an adventure. In your book she gets help from a psychiatrist,

- in our photo novel she'll be helped... - By a private detective.

No, by me. And that means a load of money.

- But money isn't the only thing. - No, there's sex as well.

Violence, ask everyone. Everyone. Everyone? Everyone?

Sex in the news papers.

Sex on TV, violence on the football field,

at the race track, on... you'll find sex everywhere.

- You'll find violence everywhere as well. - And?

- The rest is in your novel. - Nobody's interested in that.

- The publishers will fight over it. - The publishers always refused.

- Want to bet? - It's a bet.

OK.

Who parked that car there?

Idiots. Look at that. Just got back.

- Yes, yes. There. - Morons they are, morons.

- A dent. - A what?

- A dent. - Yes, but I can't see it.

- You wish? - De Ridder, Mr. De Ridder.

Do you have an appointment with the president-director-general?

I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting.

Excuse me.

Hello?

Yes, Mr. president-director-general.

- Yes, sure. - Hello, Maeterlinck speaking.

Mark. Photographer. The photographer.

You don't have any time? Sir, I have a great idea.

We'll be upstairs. Thank you. Are you coming along?

Never be intimidated.

In a meeting.

I'm sorry. That's not done. No, sir, that isn't possible.

That's life.

I see you managed to get in after all. Well, my time is limited, gentlemen.

- Time is money, isn't it? - And we are bringing you money.

No words, but facts. What's your proposal?

- A photo novel. - A photo novel? I don't have much time.

I know, use it well. But this isn't an ordinary photo novel.

This one has action, adventure and sex.

- Sex? - In color.

In color? Yes. No, there's no demand for that.

A pretty girl, the main character of the story,

will take on a gang, in color.

A colored gang? Yes, that's attractive.

Sir, that's great. The girl will get into trouble.

All the people will be thrilled. Will she make it, or won't she?

- And does she make it? - The gang wins.

But Princess has a trick up her sleeve.

Princess wins after all, Princess always wins.

- Who's Princess? - The main character in my novel.

- Who, sir? - She's the main character in the photo novel.

Princess wins, the masses cheer, and there will be a next episode.

A sensational novelty. The weak conquers the strong.

- I knew you'd understand. - Yes, but in my novel...

the most dangerous situations occur.

- Not a problem to Princess. - She can solve everything.

I'm picturing it. Sextrasex will be extra sex.

- And the sentiment. - No eroticism.

- No need to exaggerate. - Make things up before your start.

What does she look like?

Here you go.

Lovely. Exceptional.

- There's only one Princess. - There can be only one Princess.

- What's her name? - Margie Stafford.