Moonraker script

1st Draft 13/1/03

Sc1 

Pan of London HQ
Lift doors open to ministry of works corridor, Bond steps out of lift, walks down corridor to the end door on the right, Bond knocks on door and waits. Bond looks at watch, shows 11am, the door opens.
Bond
Morning Lil.
Loelia smiles
Loelia
Give me that coat, it stinks of cordite, and don’t call me Lil, you know I hate it.
Bond takes of coat and hands it to Loelia
Bond
Anyone who gets christened Loelia Ponsonby ought to get used to pet names.
Loelia hangs coat on iron frame near window, she turns and looks at Bond
Bond
I only call you Lil on Mondays. Miss Ponsonby the rest of the week, But I’ll never call you Loelia, it sounds like somebody in an indecent limerick. Any messages?
Loelia
No, but there’s piles of stuff on your desk, nothing urgent, but there’s an awful lot of it. Oh and the powder-vine says that 008’s got out, he’s in Berlin, resting. Isn’t it wonderful
Bond
When did you hear this?
Loelia
About half an hour ago
Bond goes through the other door to his office, stacks of folders on his desk, he goes to the window. Shots of Regent’s Park. The red telephone rings, there are three on his desk, A black, green and Red one.
M (through the phone)
Can you come up
Bond
M?
M
Yes
Bond 
Any clue?

M
Simply said if you were about he’d like to see you.
Bond
Right.
Bond puts down the receiver , walks back to Loelia and grabs his coat.
Bond
I’ll be with M, don’t wait for me
Bond walks out of office, down the corridor to the lift, Bond shrugs his shoulders
Bond
Mondays!
Lift doors open
Bond
Ninth please
Bond steps in, lift doors close

END OF SCENE

Sc2

The lift doors open and Bond turns left down the corridor to the green door, pushes through the door and walks to the last room, Miss Moneypenny is sitting at her desk typing, she wears the same model shirt as Loelia, but with Blue stripes
Bond
New uniform, Penny?
Moneypenny laughs
Moneypenny
Loelia and I share the same little woman, we tossed and I got blue.
The CoS walks through the open door
CoS
Break it up, M’s waiting. Lunch afterwards?
Bond
Fine with me.
Bond turns to the door, walks through and shuts it behind him. A green light above the doors goes on.
CoS
I don’t think it’s business, Penny, Just sent for him out of the blue.
CoS goes back to his own office.

END OF SCENE

Sc3

M is sitting at his desk lighting a pipe, he makes a gesture towards the chair on the other side of the desk with the lighted match, Bond walks over and sits down.
M
Have a good leave?
Bond
Yes, thank you sir
M
Still a bit sunburned I see
Bond
Yes, sir it’s very hot near the equator
M
Quite.
There is silence the noise of London traffic can be heard
M
Got anything on at the moment James?
Bond
Only paperwork and the usual courses, anything you want me for sir?
M
As a matter fact there is, but it is rather a personal matter, thought you might give me a hand.
Bond
Of course sir.
M
Well now you’ve heard of this man, Sir Hugo Drax?
Bond
Of course sir, you can’t open a paper without reading something about the man.
M
And what do you make of him?
Bond
Well for one he is a national hero, not to much to look at, with all the war injuries. A bit ostentatious. His friends call him ‘Hugger’ Drax. He seems to be a lonely man despite his millions. He was in the war in the German breakthrough in the Ardennes in the winter of ‘44. Werewolves some how managed to mine the mess hall of the HQ between the American and British armies, killed or wounded over 100. Drax was one of the English casualties, the blast caused amnesia, didn’t know who he was until the war office found a description matching him, but he still doesn’t really know who he is.
M
He is a member of Blades, I’ve often played Bridge with him.
Bond
Made his millions investing in a metal called Columbite. And then came his astonishing letter to the queen, where he asked if he could build a super atomic rocket, costing him £10,000,000, out of his own pocket. So when the plans were finalised the queen conferred knighthood upon the donor.
M
Yes and now  the rocket is nearly ready, ‘The Moonraker’.
There is silence
M
That’s about it, I don’t know much more than you do, there is only one thing……
Bond
What’s that sir?
M looks at Bond
M
Sir Hugo Drax Cheats at cards.
Bond
Cheats at cards?
M (drily)
That’s what I said, it doesn’t seem to odd that a multimillionaire should cheat at cards.
Bond
Not as odd as all that sir. I’ve known very rich people to cheat themselves at patience, but it just doesn’t fit in with my picture of Drax.
M 
That’s the point, why does he do it? Drax  does it so well that nobody has caught him yet. As a matter of fact I doubt if anyone has begun to suspect him, except Basildon, he is the chairman of Blades. He asked for my advice on the matter, he doesn’t want to make a fuss, just save Drax from making a fool of himself, I’ve agreed to help.
M looks right  at Bond
And that is where you come in, you’re the best player in the service, I remember that we’d spent a lot of money putting you through a course in card-shaping.
Bond
Steffi Esposito, that was the chap, made me work my arse off learning a thing call r=Riffle Stack and how to deal Seconds and Bottoms and Middles. He knew every trick in the book.
M
There is nothing sensational about Drax’s cheating and for all I know it could be a fantastic run of luck. What system do you suppose he’s got?
Bond
Assuming he’s not a professional, sir, and can’t doctor the cards in anyway, there are only two answers, He is either looking at ore else he has got a system of signals with his partner.
M
We always cut for partners after each rubber, unless there’s a challenge. Drax nearly always brings a man called Meyer, his metal broker, nice chap.
Bond
I might be able to tell if I watched.
M
That’s what I was going to say, how about coming along tonight? Meet you there about six? I’m not taking you away from your work?
Bond Grins
Bond
No, sir, not at all. That all sir?
M
Yes, James, and thankyou for your help.
Bond walks over to the door and lets himself out. Moneypenny is still at her desk

Bond
I suppose he gave up?
Moneypenny
Yes, it’s half past one, he’ll be back any minute now.
Bond
I’ll pay for his lunch next time.
Bond smiles at Moneypenny and walks out into the corridor to the lift

END OF SCENE

ã 2003