"THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER" screenplay by James Agee and Charles Laughton Based on a novel by Davis Grubb SHOOTING DRAFT 1955 FULL SHOT -- THE STARLIT SKY VOICE And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying... FADE sky to day. LAP DISSOLVE TO: LONG SHOT -- HELICOPTER -- OHIO RIVER COUNTRY High over the country, CENTERING the winding river. VOICE Beware of false prophets... LOWER LONG SHOT -- HELICOPTER -- RIVER COUNTRY We approach a riverside village. VOICE ...which come to you in sheep's clothing... A CLOSER, LOWER HELICOPTER SHOT We descend low over a deserted house; CHILDREN in yard run and hide; we hear "IT" counting "five, ten, fifteen, twenty..." VOICE ...but inwardly they are ravening wolves. MEDIUM SHOT -- "IT" He finishes his count with a loud "Hundred" and turns, then: "IT" What's wrong? We PAN as he comes towards a little boy, beside an open cellar door, who gestures towards the open door. "IT" looks down. "IT" (a low gasp) Heyy! (then he shouts to all and to us) Heyy! We DOLLY IN fast to, and TILT DOWN into open cellar, into: CLOSE SHOT -- A LEG A skeletal leg in a rotted fume of stocking and a high-heeled shoe. We HOLD a moment, then PULL UP and AWAY over the converging heads of several CHILDREN. A CHILD whimpers softly. HELICOPTER SHOT The yard and the CHILDREN, same angle and height as the last descending helicopter shot. We PULL BACK and AWAY. VOICE Ye shall know them by their fruits. DISSOLVE TO: HIGH LONG SHOT -- HELICOPTER CENTERING the river. VOICE A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit... LOWER LONG SHOT (HELICOPTER) CENTERING on open touring car, as it drives along a river road. VOICE Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. We STOOP LOW towards the car. VOICE Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. CUT TO: CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He is the driver of the car. Pleasant river landscapes (PROCESS) flow behind him. He is dressed in dark clothes, a paper collar, a string tie. As he drives he talks to himself. PREACHER What's it to be, Lord, another widow? Has it been six? Twelve?... I disremember. He nods, smiles, and touches his hat. We see a farm couple in a poor wagon. PREACHER You say the word, and I'm on my way. LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER DRIVING He brakes his car in a small riverside town; then proceeds. PREACHER You always send me money to go forth and preach your Word. A widow with a little wad of bills hidden away in the sugar- bowl. LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER DRIVING He shifts into second gear, climbing a steep little hill. PREACHER I am tired. Sometimes I wonder if you really understand. (pause) Not that you mind the killin's... The stones of a country graveyard gleam in the last daylight. PREACHER Yore Book is full of killin's. He starts fast and noisily down a steep hill. PREACHER But there are things you do hate, Lord: perfume-smellin' things -- lacy things -- things with curly hair -- CUT TO: INT. A BURLESQUE HOUSE -- MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- A DANCER She is hard at work, to music o.s. FULL SHOT -- AUDIENCE -- CENTERING ON PREACHER, IN AISLE SEAT Among the members of the sad burlesque audience, he is in strong contrast: a sour and aggressive expression. Music o.s. We MOVE IN fast to a HEAD CLOSE-UP. MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- THE DANCER INSERT -- PREACHER'S LEFT HAND Labeled H-A-T-E in tattoo across four knuckles, it grips and flexes. INSERT -- HIS RIGHT HAND Before we see the lettering he slides it into his pocket. EXTREME CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER His head slants; a cold smile; one eyelid flutters. INSERT -- RIGHT HAND AND POCKET We hear the snapping open of a switch-blade knife and the point of the knife cuts through his clothes. LESS EXTREME CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He seems to "listen" for something. PREACHER No, there are too many of them; you can't kill a world. A hand descends firmly onto his shoulder. He glances up behind him as we TILT TO: CLOSE SHOT -- A STATE TROOPER He bends down and speaks quietly next PREACHER'S ear. TROOPER You driving an Essex tourin'-car with a Moundsville license? LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. COURTROOM -- CLOSE THREE-SHOT -- JUDGE AND CLERK, OVER PREACHER JUDGE Harry Powell, for the theft of that touring car you will spend thirty days in the Moundsville Penitentiary. PREACHER (correcting Clerk) Preacher Harry Powell. JUDGE A car thief! Picked up where you were! A man of God? (to Clerk) Harry Powell. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- MOUNDSVILLE PENITENTIARY -- DAY (HELICOPTER) A grim stone turretted façade; an American flag idles at top center. LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE DOWNWARD TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL HARPER They sit in the grass, a sentimental picture. JOHN is nine; PEARL is five. They are working together on PEARL'S doll; PEARL is dressing her, while JOHN gets on a difficult shoe. PEARL HARPER Stand still, Miss Jenny! JOHN HARPER (across her) There! What's so hard about that! He proudly exhibits the shod foot. They hear the sound of an auto engine o.s. They look o.s. and get up, PEARL dangling the doll. LONG SHOT -- OVER THE CHILDREN -- BEN HARPER'S FORD A Model-T Ford approaches at maximal speed on uneven dirt road. PEARL HARPER (to John, happily) Daddy! The car careens towards us; then swings into the sideyard as we PAN, and stops. They run towards their father fast; then JOHN looks puzzled and they stop short. BEN HARPER half-falls out of the far door, his shoulder blood- stained, his eyes wild. A hefty, simple man of thirty. He looks at them, dazed, across the car. MEDIUM SHOT -- BEN HARPER BEN HARPER Where's your Mom? JOHN HARPER Out shopping -- you're bleeding, Dad -- BEN HARPER Listen to me John. On this he comes around clear of the car with a revolver in one hand and a bloody roll of banknotes in the other. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He screams. BEN slaps him with the back of the money hand, leaving blood on JOHN'S cheek. CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- JOHN, BEN, PEARL PEARL, and the house, are in BACKGROUND. PEARL just clutches her doll. During BEN'S next lines, JOHN touches his cheek and looks at the blood on his fingers and at the bloody money -- of which we FLASH-CUT an INSERT. BEN HARPER (rushing) Listen! This money here! We got to hide it before they get me! There's close to ten thousand dollars. (his eyes dart wildly) Under a rock in the smokehouse? Ah no. Under the bricks in the grape arbor? No, they'd dig for it. CLOSE SHOT -- BEN BEN HARPER (sudden triumph) Why sure! That's the place! He moves forward and OUT and in his place we see two police cars, small in distance, coming fast. We hear sirens. INT. FRONT POLICE CAR -- THROUGH WINDSHIELD ...and OVER two STATE TROOPERS. They move at high speed, with sirens. BEN and his CHILDREN, tiny in the distance, dilate. TROOPER (driving) That's him. 2ND TROOPER (over his shoulder, as if to us) He prob'ly still has that gun. CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- BEN AND CHILDREN ...police cars approaching in BACKGROUND. PEARL hugs her doll. JOHN is dazed. BEN stands, pistol in hand. BEN HARPER Here they come. JOHN HARPER Dad, you're bleeding... He grabs JOHN'S shoulder and stoops as we TIGHTEN IN. BEN HARPER Listen to me son. You got to swear. Swear means promise. First swear you'll take care of little Pearl. Guard her with your life, boy. Then swear you won't never tell where that money's hid. Not even your Mom. JOHN HARPER Yes, Dad. BEN HARPER You understand? JOHN HARPER Not even her? In b.g. the TROOPERS get out of their cars and fan out cautiously to surround BEN: guns in hand. BEN HARPER You got common sense. She ain't. When you grow up that money'll be yours. Now swear. "I will guard Pearl with my life..." JOHN HARPER (fumbling) I will guard Pearl with my life... BEN HARPER ..."and I won't never tell about the money." JOHN HARPER And I won't never tell about the money. PEARL HARPER You, Pearl. You swear too. CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL PEARL HARPER (giggling) Who's them Blue Men yonder? HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (under breath) Blue men. GROUP SHOT -- TROOPERS IN BACKGROUND A TROOPER Ben Harper! BEN HARPER I'm goin' now children. Goodbye. BEN backs away from his CHILDREN, raising his hands, gun in one hand. We PULL BACK a little, enlarging the GROUP SHOT and the role of the TROOPERS in it. TROOPER Drop that gun, Harper. We don't want them kids hurt. TWO TROOPERS approach BEN from behind. BEN HARPER Just mind what you swore, son. Mind, boy! GROUP SHOT -- JOHN He runs forward and clasps his stomach, with his mouth open. MEDIUM SHOT -- BEN AND TROOPERS -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT One TROOPER smacks the back of BEN'S head with a pistol barrel. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (shouting; a sickly smile) Don't! MEDIUM SHOT -- BEN AND TROOPERS -- AS BEFORE Another TROOPER, with a pistol barrel, knocks the pistol from BEN'S lifted hand. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (shouting) Don't! BEN sinks to his knees as both men, and two others from the front, close in on him. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN JOHN HARPER Dad! He takes in the GROUP with his mouth open. o.s. we hear the slamming of car doors, and car starting away. FULL SHOT -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT -- THE CARS They drive away fast in road dust. THREE-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN AND WILLA HARPER Carrying a shopping bag, their mother, WILLA, runs up from BACKGROUND between the CHILDREN, looking always to cars o.s. CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA She has a rich body. RESUME THREE-SHOT PEARL comes to her and she picks up PEARL and the doll; JOHN, laden with his oath, walks quickly into the house. WILLA does a bewildered take, then looks again towards the cars o.s. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. COURTROOM -- CLOSE THREE-SHOT -- JUDGE AND CLERK, OVER BEN JUDGE Ben Harper, it is the sentence of this Court that for the murder of Ed Smiley and Corey South, you be hanged by the neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- THE MOUNDSVILLE PENITENTIARY SAME VIEW AS BEFORE; BUT NOW IT IS NIGHT LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. BEN'S CELL -- NIGHT -- CLOSE DOWN-SHOT -- BEN He lies on his back, chuckling and murmuring indistinctly in his sleep. BEN HARPER I got you all buffaloed! You ain't never gonna git it outen me; not none o' you! PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s., very low) Where, Ben? Where? Where? BEN HARPER (distinctly) And a little child shall lead them. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- BEN, THEN PREACHER BEN lies in profile. From the bunk above, the face of PREACHER stretches down into the SHOT, upside down, snake-like. PREACHER (softly) Come on, boy: tell me. BEN wakes, sees PREACHER, and hits him so hard in the face that he falls from bunk to floor. PREACHER collects himself into a squat, nursing his face. BEN sits up in bed. PREACHER (with wholesome dignity) Ben, I'm a Man of God. BEN HARPER Tryin' to make me talk about it in my sleep! PREACHER No, Ben. BEN HARPER What'd I say? (he grabs Preacher's throat and shakes him) What? What? What? What? PREACHER (choking) You was quotin' Scripture. You said -- you said, "And a little child shall lead them." BEN HARPER Hm! He lies back, amused. PREACHER sits on the bedside; manner of a parson visiting the sick. PREACHER (gravely) You killed two men, Ben Harper. BEN HARPER That's right, Preacher. I robbed that bank because I got tired of seein' children roamin' the woodlands without food, children roamin' the highways in this year of Depression; children sleepin' in old abandoned car bodies on junk-heaps; and I promised myself I'd never see the day when my youngins'd want. PREACHER With that ten thousand dollars I could build a Tabernacle that'd make the Wheeling Island Tabernacle look like a chicken-house! BEN HARPER Would you have free candy for the kids, Preacher? He picks up and wads a sock. PREACHER Think of it, Ben! With that cursed, bloodied gold! BEN HARPER How come you got that stickknife hid in your bed-blankets, Preacher? PREACHER I come not with Peace but with a Sword. BEN HARPER You, Preacher? PREACHER gets and pockets the knife. PREACHER That Sword has served me through many an evil time, Ben Harper. BEN HARPER What religion do you profess, Preacher? PREACHER The religion the Almighty and me worked out betwixt us. BEN HARPER (contemptuously) I'll bet. PREACHER Salvation is a last-minute business, boy. BEN HARPER (sock near mouth) Keep talkin', Preacher. PREACHER If you was to let that money serve the Lord's purposes, He might feel kindly turned towards you. BEN HARPER Keep talkin', Preacher. He wads the sock into his mouth and lies back, sardonic. PREACHER (his voice fading into Dissolve) You reckon the Lord wouldn't change his mind about you if... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PENITENTIARY COURTYARD -- NIGHT DISSOLVE TO: INSERT -- PREACHER'S HANDS They rest on sill of cell window, the lettered fingers legible. The right hand is lettered L-O-V-E. The hands open, disclosing his open knife. They close over it. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER, AT CELL WINDOW His eyes lift from his hands, heavenward. Moonlight on his face. He prays, quietly. PREACHER Lord You sure knowed what You was doin' when You brung me to this very cell at this very time. A man with ten thousand dollars hid somewheres, and a widder in the makin'. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PENITENTIARY COURTYARD -- NIGHT Same SHOT as before, but now, prison lights are on; and a man, a prison GUARD, waits close inside door. BART the HANGMAN joins him with a silent salute. BART wears a hard derby. EXT. PENITENTIARY -- THE DOOR -- (REVERSE) They walk in silence into MEDIUM, MOVING SHOT, the GUARD talkative, BART reluctant to talk. The Penitentiary recedes in b.g. GUARD Any trouble? BART No. GUARD He was a cool one, that Harper. Never broke. BART He carried on some; kicked. EXT. BART'S HOUSE -- MEDIUM SHOT -- BART AND GUARD On porch, by door, is a doll's perambulator. BART and GUARD walk into the SHOT. GUARD stops, BART starts up his front steps. GUARD He never told about the money. BART (walking up steps) No. GUARD What do you figure he done with it? BART (turning, at door) He took the secret with him when I dropped him. The GUARD leaves the SHOT; BART goes in. INT. BART'S HALLWAY -- CLOSE SHOT -- BART He hangs up his coat and hat. Across this his wife speaks o.s.; a lighted door is ajar at rear of hall. A clatter of dishes and pans o.s. BART'S WIFE (o.s.) That you, Bart? Supper's waitin'. BART just nods, and, tiptoeing, walks into a door next the kitchen and snaps on a light and turns on water o.s. His wife comes out of the kitchen and goes in. INT. BART'S BATHROOM -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- BART AND WIFE He is washing his hands in thick lather. Passing, she pecks his cheek and, as we PAN, looks into the next room. He looks past her, and we see two small CHILDREN asleep in a big brass bed. BART registers, turns again to the basin, and we PAN them back into the original TWO-SHOT. BART (low) Mother: sometimes I think it might be better if I was to quit my job as guard. His WIFE'S eyes go sharp and quiet. WIFE (low) You're always this way when there's a hangin'. You never have to be there. BART rinses his hands. A sigh; he takes up the towel. BART Sometimes I wish I was back at the mine. WIFE And leave me a widow after another blast like the one in '24? Not on your life, old mister! He looks at her a moment. She goes out. He looks o.s. towards his CHILDREN. He goes into their room on tiptoe. MEDIUM SHOT -- BART He approaches his children, across whose bed WE SHOOT without yet seeing them. He comes into MEDIUM CLOSE-UP. As he leans and we TILT DOWN, he extends his large hands. CLOSE DOWNWARD TWO-SHOT -- HIS CHILDREN Two rose-and-gold little GIRLS lie in sleep; BART'S hands enter the SHOT and gently rearrange the covers so that their mouths and throats are free. We watch, for a moment more, the two sleeping faces. LAP DISSOLVE TO: HEAD CLOSE-UP -- BART, HOVERING HIS CHILDREN CHILDREN'S VOICES (o.s. chanting) Hing, hang, hung. See what the Hangman done! LAP DISSOLVE TO: EXT. CRESAP'S LANDING -- DAY We are in Peacock Alley. The tree-shaded dirt street of a small, one-street river town; a picturesque, mid-19th-century remnant of the old river civilization, which general progress has left behind. Chiefly we see, in this order: A schoolhouse (on far side of street); Miz Cunningham's second-hand shop; a Grange House sporting a poster for a Western movie; Spoon's Ice Cream Parlor. At the end of this street, down the river- bank, is a brick wharf and UNCLE BIRDIE'S wharf-boat. In b.g. and in passing, suggestions of sleepy small-town life. From the HEAD CLOSE-UP of BART the Hangman o.s. chanting, we LAP DISSOLVE TO: HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN HARPER Chanting VOICES o.s. complete "see what the Hangman done!" PULL BACK TO: CLOSE PULLING TWO-SHOT -- PEARL AND JOHN They stroll barefoot down the empty dirt sidewalk. They look towards the voices, PEARL friendly, JOHN hostile. MEDIUM SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER JOHN AND PEARL Several, within the door of the Schoolhouse, stick their heads around the edge. They chant at the HARPER CHILDREN. Another, next the door, is drawing something on the wall. CHILDREN (chanting) Hung, hang, hing! See the Robber swing! OVER these lines we CUT briefly to -- CLOSER SHOT -- THE CHILDREN ...chanting, drawing. The ARTIST completes in chalk, a large simple sketch of a man hanging from gallows. As the verse ends we CUT TO: MEDIUM SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER JOHN AND PEARL They look towards OUR CHILDREN; JOHN pays them no attention. The drawing is revealed. JOHN takes PEARL'S hand. The other CHILDREN giggle. CHILDREN (chanting) Hing, hang, hung! Now my song is done! Between lines one and two JOHN turns away from them into -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL -- THROUGH WINDOW We SHOOT them through the window of MIZ CUNNINGHAM'S second- hand store. The back of a watch is silhouetted large in FOREGROUND; JOHN'S eyes instantly fix on it; in b.g. the SCHOOL-CHILDREN finish their song and vanish, giggling, into the schoolhouse. We hear the ticking of the watch. INSERT -- THE WATCH A watch with a moving sweep-hand, ticking. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL PEARL HARPER Are you goin' to buy it, John? No answer. JOHN'S eyes are fixed on the watch. OVER a shop- doorbell we hear: MIZ CUNNINGHAM'S VOICE (o.s.) Uh-Hawwww! (They glance toward her.) MEDIUM SHOT -- MIZ CUNNINGHAM Fantastically dirty and fantastically dressed, she hustles to them and we PAN her into a THREE-SHOT. She talks like a Tidewater Cockatoo. MIZ CUNNINGHAM (continuing) So your Mommy's keepin' you out of school! Poor little lambs! PEARL watches her; JOHN, the watch. MIZ CUNNINGHAM And how is your poor, poor mother? JOHN HARPER She's at Spoon's Ice Cream Parlor. MIZ CUNNINGHAM (she snuffles) The Lord tends you both these days! JOHN doesn't take his eyes off the watch. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN His eyes are fixed on the watch o.s. MIZ CUNNINGHAM'S VOICE (o.s.) Didn't they never find out what your father done with all that money he stole? Eyes as before till "money," then he looks up towards her. MEDIUM SHOT -- MIZ CUNNINGHAM MIZ CUNNINGHAM When they caught him, there wasn't so much as a penny of it to be seen! Now what do you make of that! Eh, boy? She grins horribly. TWO-SHOT -- OVER JOHN AND PEARL JOHN HARPER Pearl and me, we have to go. He walks off fast as we DOLLY BEHIND THEM; he leads PEARL, who hugs her doll. PEARL HARPER (chanting) Hing, hang, hung. JOHN HARPER You better not sing that song. PEARL HARPER Why? JOHN HARPER 'Cause you're too little. A few paces in silence; now they come to the big window of Spoon's Ice Cream Parlor. PEARL HARPER Can we get some candy? WILLA'S face is seen within; serving a customer, she sees them and waves them away. JOHN HARPER No. He keeps her strolling. WALT SPOON, comes out, proffering two lollypops. WALT Howdy, youngins. PEARL drags at JOHN'S hand but JOHN, pretending not to see or hear, drags her out of the SHOT, shaking his head. We DOLLY IN on WALT, who looks after them, surprised and touched, then goes inside. INT. SPOON'S PARLOR -- GROUP SHOT -- WALT, WILLA, ICEY SPOON We PAN WALT across a little of his Parlor; he plants the lollypops back in a jar on the counter and leaves the SHOT as we TIGHTEN IN on WILLA and ICEY. WILLA slides used dishes into wash-water; ICEY jaws down her back, from first moment of shot. ICEY SPOON Willa Harper there is certain plain facts of life that adds up just like two plus two makes four and one of them is this: No woman is good enough to raise growin' youngsters alone! The Lord meant that job for two! WILLA HARPER Icey, I don't want a husband. CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON (fiercely) Fiddlesticks! LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- EXT. STREET -- NIGHT The weekly movie audience is letting out, next door to SPOON'S. Some start cars or wagons, others stroll to SPOON'S. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. SPOON'S PARLOR -- EVENING -- TWO-SHOT -- ICEY AND WILLA We start with a CLOSE SHOT as ICEY'S hands slap together a gooey banana split; TILT UP to TWO-SHOT, favoring ICEY; finish on WILLA, on "it's a man you need," etc. Murmur of CUSTOMERS o.s. WALT'S VOICE (calling o.s.) One solid brown sody, one Lovers' Delight. ICEY SPOON 'Tain't a matter of wantin' or not wantin'! You're no spring chicken, you're a grown woman with two little youngins; it's a man you need in the house, Willa Harper! LAP DISSOLVE TO: LONG SHOT -- NIGHT -- A TRAIN A short, lighted, toy-like train departs the town along the river-bank, whistling. The whistle TIES OVER the previous DISSOLVE. STARLIT SKY. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FRAMING SHOT -- EXT. HARPER HOUSE -- NIGHT A square, HEAD-ON SHOT, river water below and vibrant starlight above; featuring a gas-lamp by the road; a tree; and pretty tree-shadows which work across a window. INT. HARPER CHILDREN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT -- TWO-SHOT -- JOHN, PEARL, SHADOWS PEARL lies in their bed, her doll snug on her shoulder. JOHN sits on the edge of the bed, in his underwear. PEARL HARPER Tell me a story, John. JOHN HARPER Once upon a time there was a rich king... (he sees the shadows on the wall and gets up and looks at them) ...and he had him a son and a daughter and they all lived in a castle over in Africa. Well, one day this King got taken away by bad men and before he got took off he told his son to kill anyone that tried to steal their gold, and before long these bad men come back and -- PEARL HARPER The Blue Men? He moves, and as his shadow moves away we see the shadow of PREACHER, motionless. PEARL sits up and points at it. JOHN notices her and sees it. We PAN JOHN to the window. He looks out. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER -- THROUGH WINDOW, JOHN'S VIEWPOINT. He stands motionless. RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT -- JOHN AT WINDOW He turns and we PAN him to bed. JOHN HARPER (casually) Just a man. (he climbs into bed and pulls up the covers) Goodnight Pearl, sleep tight; and don't let the bedbugs bite. PEARL HARPER (to doll) 'Night Miss Jenny; don't let the bedbugs bite. As they settle down we hear PREACHER'S singing, sweet and quiet o.s.: "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." DISSOLVE TO: EXT. RIVER AND TOWN -- MORNING -- FULL SHOT -- A GINGERBREAD SIDE-WHEELER She steams around a bend towards a toy-like small town. PREACHER'S song, o.s., ties over. People are waving from shore and boat. FULL PANNING SHOT -- THE BOAT, FROM SHORE We PAN her into frame UNCLE BIRDIE STEPTOE'S toy-like little wharf-boat. As she passes broadside we CUT TO: MEDIUM SHOT -- BIRDIE, THEN JOHN ...as boat passes. BIRDIE'S head sticks through a porthole. He is a wiry old river character. The boat whistles. As BIRDIE speaks we PAN JOHN, and foundered skiff, into TWO-SHOT with BIRDIE. BIRDIE STEPTOE She don't put in at Cresap's Landing no more, but she still blows as she passes. Come on in and have a cup of coffee. JOHN HARPER (starting towards him) Ain't nobody stole Dad's skiff. BIRDIE STEPTOE Ain't nobody goin' to neither, long as Uncle Birdie's around. He vanishes from the porthole. We PAN JOHN from skiff to wharf and Birdie's door. BIRDIE'S VOICE (calling o.s.) First day my jints is limber enough I'll haul her up and give her a good caulkin'. INT. BIRDIE'S BOAT -- TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND BIRDIE JOHN enters and sits on a box. BIRDIE, in a ramshackle rocking chair, pours coffee. BESS'S photograph on chest near BIRDIE. BIRDIE STEPTOE Ain't seen you in a coon's age, Johnny. JOHN HARPER I been mindin' Pearl. BIRDIE STEPTOE Pshaw now! Ain't it a caution what women'll load onto a feller's back when he ain't lookin'? He gives JOHN a cup of coffee. BIRDIE STEPTOE 'Scuse me, Cap, while I sweeten up my coffee. He fetches a liquor bottle from beneath the rocking chair; about to pour he does a take at BESS'S PHOTOGRAPH. INSERT -- THE PHOTOGRAPH It stands in a cabinet frame: A fine-looking young woman in archaic dress, with sharp, accusing black eyes. BIRDIE'S VOICE (o.s.) Dead and gone these twenty-five years and never takes her eyes off me. CUT OVER his line to -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND BIRDIE He turns the picture away and splashes liquor into his coffee. BIRDIE STEPTOE (pouring) Man o' my years needs a little snort to get his boiler heated of a morning. They drink. BIRDIE, satisfied, sighs and rocks. BIRDIE STEPTOE This mornin' I was talkin' to this stranger up at the boarding-house. He knowed your Dad! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN looks cautious. JOHN HARPER Where did he know Dad? CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE BIRDIE'S face falls; he takes another drink. BIRDIE STEPTOE Well, boy, I'll not hide the truth; it was up at Moundsville Penitentiary. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE JOHN puts his cup down and gets up. JOHN HARPER I got to go now, Uncle Birdie. He heads for the door. BIRDIE STEPTOE Why shucks boy, you just got here. He follows JOHN to the door. JOHN runs up the bank, not looking back. JOHN HARPER (running) I told Mom I'd be back to Spoon's for Pearl. EXT. STREET -- MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN He runs up the street close to Spoon's and stops dead. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He is horrified by what he sees. INT. SPOON'S ICE CREAM PARLOR GROUP SHOT through door-glass, from JOHN'S VIEW POINT PREACHER, WILLA and PEARL surround a little table. WALT stands by, puffing his pipe. ICEY in BACKGROUND, stirs fudge at a little soda-fountain stove. WILLA looks both moved and pleased. PEARL, shyly flirting with PREACHER, all but hides in WILLA'S skirts. PREACHER dandles PEARL'S doll on his knee as he talks. All the grownups are avid for his words, which we don't hear through the glass. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN We SHOOT THROUGH the DOOR; he quietly enters. GROUP SHOT They look casually to JOHN, and continue talking. ICEY SPOON (stirring; with a meaningful glance at Willa) God works in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. OVER this JOHN ENTERS the SHOT and stands at the fringe of the GROUP, staring at PREACHER'S hands and at the doll. PREACHER I was with Brother Harper almost to the end;... GROUP SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- FAVORING JOHN AND PREACHER PREACHER (continuing) ...and now that I'm no longer employed by the Penitentiary it is my joy to bring this small comfort to his loved ones. FLASH-CUT CLOSE-UP -- JOHN On "Penitentiary" he glances quickly at PREACHER'S face; then back to his hands. GROUP SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON (sniffing) It's a mighty good man would come out of his way to bring a word of cheer to a grieving widow! CLOSE SHOT -- WALT WALT So you ain't with the State no more? GROUP SHOT -- FAVORING PREACHER AND JOHN PREACHER No, Brother; I resigned only yesterday. The heart-renderin' spectacle of them poor men was too much for me. He becomes aware of JOHN'S staring. PREACHER Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers. He hands the doll to PEARL. JOHN'S eyes follow the doll. PREACHER holds up both hands to JOHN. JOHN looks back at his hands. PREACHER Shall I tell you the little story of Right-Hand-Left-Hand -- the tale of Good and Evil? JOHN stands still. PEARL, with her doll, crosses to PREACHER and twines about his knee. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He looks on, in dumb alarm. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER H-A-T-E! (he thrusts up his left hand) It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low! L-O-V-E! (he thrusts up his right hand) See these here fingers, dear friends! These fingers has veins that lead straight to the soul of man! The right hand, friends! The hand of Love! GROUP SHOT -- ICEY, WALT, WILLA -- OVER PREACHER'S HANDS They are impressed in their different ways. PREACHER (o.s.) Now watch and I'll show you the Story of Life. The fingers of these hands, dear hearts! -- They're always a- tuggin' and a-warrin' one hand agin' t'other. (he locks his fingers and writhes them, crackling the joints) Look at 'em, dear hearts! MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN -- OVER PREACHER'S HANDS He looks on with unseeing eyes. PREACHER (o.s.) Old Left Hand Hate's a-fightin' and it looks like Old Right Hand Love's a goner! GROUP SHOT -- WALT, ICEY, WILLA, OVER HANDS PREACHER (o.s.) But wait now! Hot dog! Love's a- winnin! Yessirree! CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER It's Love that won! Old Left Hand Hate's gone down for the count! (he crashes both hands onto the table) FULL SHOT -- THE WHOLE GROUP Slight applause from the ADULTS. PREACHER takes PEARL, with her doll, onto his lap. ICEY SPOON I never heard it better told. I wish every soul in this community could git the benefit. You jest got to stay for our church pick-nick Sunday! PEARL offers PREACHER the DOLL to kiss. PREACHER complies. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN'S REACTION RESUME GROUP SHOT PREACHER (finessing it) I must wend my way down River on the Lord's work. ICEY SPOON You ain't leavin' in no hurry if we can help it! WILLA HARPER John: take that look offen your face and act nice. PREACHER He don't mean no impudence; do you, boy? (no answer) Do you, boy? Ah, many's the time poor Brother Ben told me about these youngins. JOHN HARPER What did he tell you? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He does a little take. His eyes twinkle palely. PREACHER Why, he told me what fine little lambs you and your sister both was. GROUP SHOT JOHN HARPER Is that all? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER Something new enters his eyes; a game has begun between them. PREACHER Why, no, boy; he told me lots and lots of things. Nice things, boy. A tight silence. ICEY pours fudge into a buttered pan. PREACHER My, that fudge smells yummy! CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON (with horrid archness) It's for the pick-nick. And you won't get a smidgen of my fudge unless you stay for the pick-nick! Over her line, o.s., hymn-singing begins and now, OVER her "the case rests" smile we bring up the singing and LAP DISSOLVE TO: EXT. THE RIVER BANK -- CHURCH IN BACKGROUND -- FULL SHOT -- THE SINGING PICKNICKERS A pleasant, grassy river-bank. Few men in proportion to women and children. We CENTER PREACHER. They are singing "Brighten the Corner;" PREACHER sings conspicuously well. The women watch him and admire him. He gives WILLA the eye as we PAN to CENTER WILLA, who looks wooed and self-conscious. ICEY enters the SHOT and whispers and beckons WILLA and, as the singing continues, they leave the group and start towards a shade tree in MEDIUM GROUND, which we PAN TO CENTER. FULL SHOT -- WILLA AND ICEY They walk; singers in BACKGROUND. ICEY SPOON Don't he have the grandest singin' voice? WILLA nods. ICEY, looking ahead, is displeased. MEDIUM SHOT -- THE TREE, JOHN AND PEARL They sit on the bench, their backs to us, partly concealed by the tree trunk. ICEY'S VOICE (sharp) John! Pearl! They look around. ICEY and WILLA enter the SHOT, their backs to us. ICEY SPOON Run along and play, you two. JOHN HARPER Where? ICEY SPOON Down by the river. My goodness! Docile, they leave the shot as WILLA and ICEY approach the bench. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- WILLA AND ICEY They sit on the bench, their back to us. The CHILDREN recede towards the river in BACKGROUND. WILLA meekly keeps her head down. Singing continues o.s. ICEY SPOON That feller's just achin' to settle down with some nice woman and make a home for himself. WILLA HARPER It's awful soon after Ben's passing. ICEY SPOON If ever I saw a Sign from Heaven! WILLA HARPER John don't like him much. ICEY SPOON Pearl dotes on him. WILLA HARPER The boy worries me. It's silly, but it's like there was something still between him and his Dad. ICEY SPOON What he needs is a dose o' salts! WILLA HARPER There's something else. ICEY SPOON What? WILLA HARPER The money, Icey. ICEY SPOON I declare, you'll let that money haunt you to your grave, Willa Harper! WILLA HARPER I would love to be satisfied Harry Powell don't think I've got that money somewhere. ICEY SPOON You'll come right out and ask that Man of God! (turning and yelling) Mr. Paow-well! (to Willa) Clear that evil mud out of your soul! PREACHER starts towards her. ICEY pivots and we PAN OVER her to CHILDREN by river. ICEY SPOON (yelling) John! Pearl! CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL AND JOHN JOHN looks up from pebble-skimming and loosens his tie. ICEY SPOON (yelling o.s.) Come along hee-ere and get some fuu- udge! JOHN HARPER (calling) I don't want no fudge. His brow is furrowed. He skims another pebble. ICEY SPOON (shouting o.s.) You'll do what you're told! They unwillingly get moving. RESUME TWO-SHOT -- ICEY AND WILLA ICEY SPOON You go set down by the River. WILLA HARPER (getting up) Oh, Icey, I'm a sight! ICEY SPOON Get along with you. Both women set off, WILLA to River, ICEY towards GROUP. We TRACK after ICEY. PREACHER approaches. ICEY, crossing him, gives him a little shove towards WILLA and a coy -- ICEY SPOON You!!! We FOLLOW her to the women who are busying themselves with the fudge. CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- ICEY AND WOMEN, FAVORING ICEY ...a few men in BACKGROUND, and, beyond them, PREACHER sits down by WILLA at water's edge. JOHN and PEARL approach. As ICEY starts yammering the men, WALT among them, shyly withdraw. ICEY SPOON That young lady'd better look sharp or some smart sister between here and Captina's a-gonna snap him up right from under her nose! (they nod and agree, ad lib) She's not the only fish in the river! (more agreement. John and Pearl join Icey. Icey speaks to John) Now you two stay put! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He looks hard towards WILLA and PREACHER o.s. ICEY SPOON (o.s., to women) Shilly-shallying around... LONG SHOT -- WILLA AND PREACHER ...from JOHN'S VIEWPOINT in tableau of decorous courtship, framed by heavy domestic bodies. ICEY SPOON (o.s.) A husband's one piece of store goods ye never know till you get it home and take the paper off. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- WILLA AND PREACHER They sit by the water; drooling willows; almost in travesty of a romantic scene. WILLA dabbles one hand in the water. WILLA HARPER (very shy) Did Ben Harper ever tell you what he done with that money he stole? HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PREACHER His head goes slantwise and he smiles oddly. PREACHER My dear child, don't you know? CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He watches intently towards his mother; PEARL holds his hand. ICEY'S voice o.s. GROUP SHOT -- WOMEN, JOHN AND PEARL ICEY SPOON She's moonin' about Ben Harper. That wasn't love, it was just flapdoodle. (agreeing nods and murmurs) Have some fudge, lambs. (she hands some down to John and Pearl. Pearl smears her mouth with it; John, watching always towards his mother, takes one nibble and throws the rest away) When you're married forty years, you know all that don't amount to a hill o'beans! I been married to my Walt that long, and I'll swear in all that time I'd just lie there thinking about my canning. In BACKGROUND WALT looks sheepish. WILLA'S VOICE (calling o.s.) John! John? All look towards her. LONG SHOT -- OVER GROUP WILLA is standing, beckoning JOHN MEDIUM TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL They start towards their mother. GROUP SHOT -- ICEY AND WOMEN -- NEW ANGLE ICEY SPOON A woman's a fool to marry for that. It's something for a man. The good Lord never meant for a decent woman to want that -- not really want it! It's all just a fake and a pipe-dream. The others agree with her. She puts a piece of fudge in her mouth. CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- PREACHER, WILLA, CHILDREN ...as JOHN and PEARL (with DOLL) come shyly up. WILLA is seated again. She is radiant. WILLA HARPER John, Mr. Powell has got something to tell you. PREACHER Well, John, the night before your father died, he told me what he did with that money. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He desperately conceals his reaction; he thinks BEN has betrayed him. RESUME GROUP SHOT PREACHER That money's at the bottom of the river wrapped around a 12-pound cobblestone. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL He now conceals his new reaction. RESUME GROUP SHOT WILLA touches PREACHER'S hand, warmly. WILLA HARPER Thank you, Harry. She looks all around her, glowing, and stands up, hands to hair. PEARL HARPER John... JOHN HARPER Sshhh... WILLA HARPER I feel clean now! My whole body's just a quiverin' with cleanness! She walks away towards ICEY and the WOMEN. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER John: here. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL JOHN moves to stand in front of him; PEARL, to stand beside PREACHER, with the DOLL. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER AND CHILDREN From JOHN'S eye-level; as JOHN steps in front of him and PEARL beside him. PREACHER Your tie's crooked. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN The hand named LOVE and the hand named HATE come in to straighten the necktie. JOHN looks down. He looks up and sees: GROUP SHOT -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT PREACHER, in close-up, hands busy o.s.; PEARL, with doll; and between them, in BACKGROUND, WILLA. She is now running fast towards ICEY, who walks towards her with arms outstretched. Behind them, the group of WOMEN. BIRDIE'S guitar music begins o.s. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BIRDIE'S BOAT -- EVENING -- MEDIUM SHOT -- BIRDIE, JOHN AND SKIFF Birdie sits beside his open door, strumming a guitar and singing. The scene is lamplighted from within. Ben's skiff is inverted on trestles in FOREGROUND. At start of scene we see only JOHN's feet; he's under the skiff, examining it. After three lines of song he comes out from under, and lounges against the skiff, tracing a tarry seam with his forefinger. BIRDIE STEPTOE (singing) 'Twas down at Cresap's Landing, Along the River Shore, Birdie Steptoe was a Pilot in the good old days of yore. Now he sets in his old wharf-boat... JOHN HARPER (across him) When'll Dad's skiff be ready? BIRDIE STEPTOE Can't hear ye, boy. (singing) ...So the big boats heave a sigh, They blow for Uncle Birdie... JOHN HARPER (across him) When'll the skiff be ready? BIRDIE STEPTOE (singing) And the times that are gone by. I'll have her ready inside of a week; and then we'll go fishin'. How's your Maw? Through rest of scene, Birdie picks lazily at his guitar. JOHN HARPER O, she's all right. BIRDIE STEPTOE How's your sister Pearl? JOHN HARPER Just fine. He gets up. BIRDIE STEPTOE Leavin', boy? JOHN HARPER Yep; gotta watch out for Pearl, Uncle Birdie. BIRDIE STEPTOE Well goodnight, boy. Come again -- any time. JOHN leaves the SHOT. BIRDIE STEPTOE And mind now -- I'll have your Paw's skiff in ship-shape, 'side of a week. MOVING SHOT -- JOHN As he runs past SPOON'S, looking in, he is curious. MOVING SHOT -- SPOON'S, HIS VIEWPOINT ICEY embraces WILLA or waltzes her around; WALT looks on, pleased. FULL SHOT -- JOHN He hurries away from us towards home. FRAMING SHOT -- THE HARPER HOUSE In the otherwise dark house, one window is lighted. JOHN enters the SHOT, his back to us. Seeing the lighted window, he hesitates. JOHN HARPER (softly) Is somebody there? Silent pause, listening; then he walks cautiously towards us. FULL SHOT -- JOHN A tall, narrow shooting-frame; right and left thirds of screen are black. We SHOOT from inside the screen door. JOHN crosses the porch and softly opens the door and enters on tiptoe and pauses, close to us, in the dark hallway, listening sharp. JOHN HARPER (softly) Is anybody here? Silence. Relieved, but puzzled, he tiptoes along towards the rear of the hallway in CLOSE-UP as we PULL AWAY. We bring in the bottom of the stairs. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Good evening, John. JOHN gasps, peering, and looks up. TWO SHOT -- JOHN AND PREACHER -- NARROW SCREEN PREACHER looks at JOHN; JOHN sinks onto the edge of a chair. PREACHER sits opposite. A bar of light from door falls across PREACHER'S face. PREACHER I had a little talk with your mother tonight, John; and your mother decided it might be best for me to -- let you know the news. From JOHN, just a questioning helpless reaction. PREACHER Your mother told me tonight she wanted me to be a daddy to you and your sister. We're going to get married, son. JOHN is still. PREACHER Did you hear what I said, son? JOHN HARPER Huh? PREACHER Married! We have decided to go to Sistersville tomorrow, and when we come back -- JOHN HARPER (just breathing it) You ain't my Dad! You won't never be my Dad! PREACHER (obsessed, disregarding him) -- and when we come back, we'll all be friends -- and share our fortunes together, John! JOHN HARPER (screaming) You think you can make me tell! But I won't! I won't! I won't! He gawks at his own folly, covers his mouth with his hand and looks up at PREACHER. PREACHER (softly) Tell me what, boy? JOHN HARPER Nothin'! PREACHER Are we keeping secrets from each other, little lad? JOHN HARPER No. No. PREACHER stiffens, relaxes, and chuckles softly. PREACHER No matter, boy, we've got a long time together. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PREACHER JOHN starts for the stairs. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HARPER YARD -- MORNING -- CLOSE SHOT -- BEN'S FORD It stands vibrating, then moves out of shot with receding engine sound o.s., disclosing: TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL ICEY'S skirts in BACKGROUND. They are awfully spic-and-span; they even wear shoes. ICEY SPOON (o.s.) Wave yer hands! Great sakes! They wave after the car, bewilderedly. ICEY SPOON (o.s.) You wait here while I get your night- things. She hustles out of shot. PEARL HARPER Now can I tell? JOHN HARPER Hm? PEARL HARPER When Mr. Powell's our Daddy then I can tell him about -- His hand clamps over her mouth. She struggles and whimpers. JOHN HARPER You swore, Pearl! PEARL HARPER (across him) John! Don't! JOHN HARPER You promised Dad you wouldn't never tell! He takes his hand away but holds it ready. PEARL HARPER I love Mr. Powell lots and lots, John. JOHN grabs her by the shoulders and glares. JOHN HARPER Don't you tell! Don't you NEVER DARE tell! Over them we LAP DISSOLVE TO: SHOULDER CLOSE-UP -- WILLA She is caressing her shoulders. FULL SHOT -- WILLA Her back is to us. She is in a pathetic night dress; she stands before a mirror in a hotel bedroom in Sistersville. She walks to the door. INSERT WILLA'S HAND It hesitates on the doorknob. CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA Shooting OVER her as she opens the door, we see PREACHER in bed, his back to us. Beyond him, a window. The drawn shade rustles quietly. CLOSE SHOT -- THE DOOR ...from within the room. WILLA closes the door, on which PREACHER'S coat hangs. The closing brings a knocking sound. WILLA feels the outside of the coat; feels something hard; takes out the knife and looks at it. INSERT -- THE KNIFE IN HER HAND -- CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA A moment of perplexity; then a little smile. WILLA HARPER (whispering) Oh! It's... uh... She puts it back in the pocket and gives the pocket a pat. She starts towards the bed. TWO-SHOT -- WILLA AND PREACHER We SHOOT OVER PREACHER as she approaches modestly and stands by the bed. WILLA HARPER (softly) Harry... His hand comes up; she puts out her own, expecting a loving hand-clasp; but PREACHER points to the window. PREACHER Fix that window shade. Startled, then again tender, she moves to: CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA AT WINDOW She adjusts the shade, looking always towards the bed. She smiles maternally. As we PULL BACK and PAN into FULL SHOT OF BED she comes to the bed and sits on the edge and slips off her mules. PREACHER'S back is to her. WILLA HARPER (softly) Harry! PREACHER (cool and clear) I was praying. WILLA HARPER Oh, I'm sorry, Harry! I didn't know! I thought maybe -- With a sounding of bedsprings PREACHER turns. His voice is quiet and cold. PREACHER You thought, Willa, that the moment you walked in that door I'd start in to pawing you in the abominable way men are supposed to do on their wedding night. Ain't that right, now? WILLA HARPER No, Harry! I thought -- PREACHER I think it's time we got one thing perfectly clear, Willa. Marriage to me represents a blending of two spirits in the sight of Heaven. He gets out of bed. WILLA puts her face down to the pillow and moans. PREACHER snaps on a harsh bare bulb at center of room. PREACHER (quietly) Get up, Willa. WILLA HARPER Harry, what -- PREACHER Get up. She obeys. PREACHER Now go and look at yourself yonder in that mirror. WILLA hesitates. FULL SHOT -- OVER PREACHER -- CENTERING A STAINED BUREAU MIRROR PREACHER Do as I say. WILLA walks to meet her image in the mirror; her eyes on PREACHER. PREACHER LOOK at yourself. Her head drops, facing the mirror. CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA, PREACHER, BULB WILLA is in HEAD CLOSE-UP; bulb hangs at center; PREACHER, in his nightshirt, is beyond it. PREACHER What do you see, girl? Her mouth trembles; she can't talk. PREACHER You see the body of a woman! The temple of creation and motherhood. You see the flesh of Eve that Man since Adam has profaned. That body was meant for begetting children. It was not meant for the lust of men. WILLA just opens her mouth. PREACHER Do you want more children, Willa? WILLA HARPER I -- no, I -- PREACHER It's the business of our marriage to mind those two you have now -- not to beget more. WILLA HARPER Yes. He stands watching her for a moment; then he snaps off the light and gets into bed. PREACHER You can get back into bed now and stop shivering. WILLA, in the darkness, does not move. She folds her hands in prayer and lifts her eyes. WILLA HARPER (whispering) Help me to get clean so I can be what Harry wants me to be. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INSERT -- A TORCH OR RAILROAD FLARE VOICES (o.s.) AAA-MEN! GROUP SHOT -- CONGREGATION A dozen country men and women in religious ecstasy. (NOTE: No set necessary for this scene. Flare, or flares, in every SHOT. Faces lighted by flares.) CONGREGATION AAA-MENN! WILLA HARPER (o.s., very loud) You have all sinned! CONGREGATION Yes! Yes! HEAD CLOSE-UP -- WILLA WILLA HARPER But which one of you can say as I can say: I drove a good man to murder because I kept a-houndin' him for clothes and per-fumes and face paint! GROUP SHOT -- CONGREGATION WILLA HARPER (o.s.) And he slew two human beings and he come to me and he said: Take this money and buy your per-fumes and paint! FULL FIGURE SHOT -- WILLA, STANDING; PREACHER STANDING IN B.G. WILLA HARPER But Brethren, that's where the Lord stepped in! That's where the LORD stepped in! PREACHER Yes! CONGREGATION (o. s.) Yes! Yes! GROUP SHOT -- CONGREGATION WILLA HARPER (o.s. screaming) And the Lord told that man -- CONGREGATION Yes! Yes! CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA WILLA HARPER The Lord said, Take that money and throw it in the River! CONGREGATION (o.s.) Yes! Yes! Hallelujah! WILLA HARPER Throw that money in the River! In THE RIVER! CONGREGATION (o.s.) IN THE RIIV-ER! CUT TO: EXTREME CLOSE DOWN-SHOT -- PEARL'S DOLL It lies face down on arbor bricks, its back wide open; money spilling out. A little breeze toys with the money. HOLD, a moment, in silence. Then we hear a snipping sound o.s. TILT UPWARD into -- CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL She sits at the end of the grape-arbor. She finishes cutting a skirted paperdoll out of a hundred dollar bill and lays it down beside a male hundred-dollar paper-doll. She pats the dolls. PEARL HARPER Now! You're John -- and you're Pearl. JOHN'S VOICE (o.s. calling) Pearl?... Pearl? PEARL starts guiltily and looks towards him, scrambling money together. JOHN'S footsteps o.s. PEARL HARPER You'll get awful mad, John. I done a Sin! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN -- PEARL'S ANGLE JOHN HARPER You what? He hears the frantic rustling of paper -- JOHN HARPER (aghast) Pearl! You ain't -- CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL, OVER JOHN PEARL HARPER John, don't be mad! Don't be mad! I was just playing with it! I didn't tell no one! FLASH CUT CLOSE-UP -- JOHN ...as he stoops toward her, dumb with horror. CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL She continues to gather the money together. PEARL HARPER (pleading) It's all here. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL JOHN HARPER Pearl! Oh, Pearl! She's stuffing bills back into the torn doll. They slide through her fingers. He helps. FLASH INSERT -- PREACHER'S FOOT ...as he plants it, with sound, in damp grass. CLOSE SHOT -- THE CHILDREN JOHN freezes. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) John? JOHN HARPER Oh -- yes? LONG SHOT -- PREACHER -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT He stands at far end of arbor. PREACHER What are you doing, boy? LONG SHOT -- CHILDREN -- PREACHER'S VIEWPOINT JOHN HARPER Getting Pearl to bed. I -- PREACHER What's taking you so long about it? FLASH INSERT -- THEIR FRANTIC HANDS, MONEY, THE DOLL JOHN HARPER (o.s.) It -- she -- CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER -- PEERING TOWARDS THEM PREACHER What's that you're playing with, boy? LONG SHOT -- CHILDREN -- PREACHER'S VIEWPOINT JOHN HARPER Pearl's junk. Mom gets mad when she plays out here and don't clean up afterward. PREACHER Come on, children! INSERT -- JOHN'S HANDS PIN THE DOLL TOGETHER FULL SHOT -- CHILDREN STAND UP, LOOK TOWARDS PREACHER, AND SLOWLY START TOWARDS HIM. THE TWO FORGOTTEN PAPER-DOLLS ARE BLOWN TOWARDS HIM TOO. MOVING SHOT -- PREACHER -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT PREACHER'S watch-chain gleams. The shot SLOWLY CLOSES DOWN on it and becomes still. We see the paper-dolls blow past him. PREACHER'S VOICE Now, up to bed with the both of you. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL JOHN starts to laugh uncontrollably. We PAN them past PREACHER'S stomach into FULL SHOT. PREACHER'S VOICE Come here, John. Run along, Pearl. PEARL goes, JOHN comes towards PREACHER. PREACHER -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT PREACHER Your mother says you tattled on me, boy. She says you told her that I asked you where that money was hid. JOHN HARPER (o.s.) Yes. Yes. PREACHER That wasn't very nice of you, John. Have a heart, boy. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN His helpless reaction. Pause. PREACHER'S VOICE Run along to bed. As JOHN turns away we LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA IN PROFILE ...and PULL AWAY showing JOHN as he turns to her. (PEARL'S head is turned away; she's asleep.) WILLA HARPER Were you impudent to Mr. Powell, John? JOHN HARPER Mom, I didn't mean -- WILLA HARPER What were you impudent about? JOHN HARPER He asked me about the money again, Mom. WILLA HARPER You always make up that lie, John! There is no money, John. Can't you get that through your head? LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- A GAR, UNDERWATER CLOSE UPWARD TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND BIRDIE They look down into the water. BIRDIE STEPTOE Meanest, orneriest, sneakinest critter in the whole river, boy! A gar! CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND BIRDIE They sit up into it. JOHN HARPER Here's your can o' hooks, Uncle Birdie. BIRDIE STEPTOE There hain't nary hook in the land smart enough to hook Mister Gar. What a feller needs is mother-wit -- and a horse-hair. Over this, he pulls horse-hair out of his hatband. He sets to work rigging his noose. JOHN HARPER Won't he bust it, Uncle Birdie? BIRDIE STEPTOE Shoot, a horse-hair'll hold a lumpin' whale. He puts over his line. Pause. BIRDIE STEPTOE Do you mind me cussin', boy? JOHN HARPER No. BIRDIE STEPTOE Tell you why I ask -- your step-pa being' a Preacher an' all... JOHN's lips go like string. BIRDIE sees it. BIRDIE STEPTOE Never was much of a one for preachers myself. I dunno what's wrong up at your place, but just remember one thing, Cap -- if ever you need help you just holler out and come a- runnin'. Old Uncle Birdie's your friend. A powerful strike. BIRDIE lands the gar. The air is full of sparkling water. BIRDIE STEPTOE There! You slimy, snag-toothed, egg- suckin', bait-stealin' so-and-so! QUICK INSERT -- THE THUMPING FISH IN BOTTOM OF BOAT FULL SHOT He beats the fish with the heel of an old shoe. BIRDIE STEPTOE (beating) Mind what I told you. If ever you get in a crack, I just come a-runnin'. Now there is no sound of thumping or beating. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN Admiring BIRDIE, he squares his shoulders, full of confidence. JOHN HARPER Can we eat him, Uncle Birdie? BIRDIE STEPTOE If you got an appetite for bones and bitterness. On this, he flings the dead gar in a wide arc out into the river. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT The children are ready for bed. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER Smiling, quiet, awaiting an answer. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER I don't know. TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PREACHER PEARL plays unconcernedly in background. PREACHER (intimately) She thinks that money's in the river, but you and me, we know better, don't we, boy? JOHN HARPER I don't know nothin'! PREACHER The summer is young yet, little lad. (he turns away from John) Pearl? He holds out his hands to her; she comes to his lap, dropping her doll at his feet. JOHN turns his back and looks out the window beside bureau. PREACHER John's a feller who likes to keep secrets. PEARL HARPER Mm-hm. PREACHER I'll tell you a secret. PEARL HARPER Yes? PREACHER I knowed your Daddy. (PEARL frowns) And do you know what your Daddy said to me? He said, "Tell my little girl Pearl there's to be no secrets between her and you." INSERT -- JOHN'S HAND COMES TO REST BESIDE A HAIRBRUSH RESUME TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND PEARL, JOHN IN B.G. PEARL HARPER Yes? PREACHER Now it's your turn. PEARL HARPER What secret shall I tell? PREACHER How old are you? PEARL HARPER That's no secret. I'm five. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN -- PREACHER AND PEARL IN B.G. A look of impotent hatred. PREACHER Sure, that's no secret. RESUME TWO-SHOT PREACHER (continuing) What's your name? PEARL HARPER (giggling) You're just foolin'! My name's Pearl. PREACHER Tst-tst! Then I reckon I'll have to try again! Where's the money hid? JOHN throws the hairbrush, striking PREACHER's head. JOHN HARPER (screaming as he throws) You swore you wouldn't tell! (he beats the air with his fists) You swore! You swore! You swore! CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He is sure now PEARL knows. THREE-SHOT -- PEARL, PREACHER, JOHN PEARL HARPER (awed) You hit Daddy with the hairbrush! Another silence. PREACHER (cheerfully) You see? We can't have anything to do with John. (light off) You and me will go down to the parlor. PEARL HARPER Miz Jenny! Miz Jenny! She gets the doll. We PAN them through the door. TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND PEARL Outside door as he closes it. PREACHER John's just plumb bad through and through -- CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL As PREACHER's hand locks the door. PEARL HARPER (at door) Yes, John's just plumb bad. CUT TO: INT. SPOON'S ICE CREAM PARLOR -- THREE-SHOT -- WILLA, ICEY, WALT We shoot over ICEY as WILLA opens the door to leave. WILLA is in outdoor clothes and is not dressed for work in the parlor. WILLA HARPER That boy's as stubborn and mulish as a sheep! ICEY SPOON It's a shame! WILLA's face shines like one possessed. WILLA HARPER Goodnight. WALT enters shot, his back to us. ICEY SPOON Goodnight, honey. As WILLA starts away we DOLLY THROUGH DOOR and PAN her to deserted street. There is a river mist. TWO-SHOT -- WALT AND ICEY WALT is ill at ease. RESUME SHOT ON WILLA ICEY SPOON (o.s. calling) Plan on a longer visit next time. WALT (o.s.) You don't hardly get settled till you're frettin' to git home again. Again WILLA pauses and turns. WILLA HARPER (with sweet radiance. To Walt) I'm needed to keep peace and harmony between them. (to Icey) It's my burden and I'm proud of it, Icey! She walks off into the mist. LAP DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HARPER HOME -- NIGHT -- MEDIUM SHOT -- LIGHTED PARLOR WINDOW; REST OF HOUSE DARK Distant muffled sound of river-boat whistle. PEARL HARPER (o.s.) John's bad. WILLA enters, her back to us; she stops. PREACHER (o.s.) Yes; John's bad. PEARL HARPER Tell me another secret about my Dad. CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA She smiles benignly. PREACHER (o.s.) O no! Your turn! PEARL HARPER All right. PREACHER Where's the money hid. WILLA keeps smiling. PEARL HARPER John's bad. PREACHER Where's the money hid? Tell me, you little wretch, or I'll tear your arm off! Still smiling, shaking her head as in disbelief, WILLA makes for house as PEARL screams. INT. HARPER HALLWAY -- TWO-SHOT -- WILLA AND PREACHER Narrow screen, same set-up as in earlier corridor scene, PREACHER and WILLA. Their eyes meet. Pause. PREACHER (stunned) I didn't expect you home so soon. CLOSE SHOT -- WILLA She still smiles; her eyes turn to sound of PEARL's sobbing. TWO SHOT -- AS BEFORE PREACHER stands still; WILLA in BACKGROUND opens closet door where PEARL sobs. CUT TO: TWO-SHOT -- WALT AND ICEY ...washing and drying glasses. ICEY is washing briskly, WALT is drying slowly. WALT Icey, I'm worried about Willa. ICEY SPOON How do you mean? WALT I'm figurin' how I can say it so's you won't get mad. ICEY SPOON Say what, Walt Spoon! WALT There's somethin' wrong about it, Mother. ICEY SPOON About what! WALT About Mr. Powell. All of it! ICEY SPOON Walt! WALT Now, Mother, a body can't help their feelin's. ICEY SPOON May the Lord have mercy on you, Walt Spoon! WALT Mother, I only -- CUT TO: INT. WILLA'S AND PREACHER'S BEDROOM -- FULL SHOT -- WILLA ON BED -- PREACHER IN BACKGROUND WILLA lies in profile on the bed along the bottom of the frame. A prim, old woman's nightdress makes her look like a child. Her hands are clasped. PREACHER, fully dressed, stands at the window, which is in BACKGROUND towards foot of bed. His coat, hung over a chair, is in silhouette. River mist outside window halated by exterior gas-lamp. The window shade is up. She is mumbling in prayer. She stops. PREACHER (his back still turned) Are you through praying? WILLA HARPER I'm through, Harry. He turns. WILLA is calm and immobile with the ecstasy of a martyr. PREACHER You were listening outside the parlor window. WILLA HARPER It's not in the river, is it Harry? PREACHER Answer me! WILLA HARPER Ben never told you he throwed it in the river? Did he? PREACHER hits her across the mouth. A pause. WILLA HARPER (continues, unruffled) Then the children know where it is hid? John knows? Is that it? (a pause) Then it's still here, somewhere amongst us, tainting us? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER, LISTENING FOR A VOICE RESUME TWO-SHOT WILLA HARPER So you must have known it all along, Harry. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER, LISTENING After a moment, the river boat whistle blows, nearer. HOLD CLOSE-UP a moment after whistle. CLOSE DOWN-SHOT -- WILLA, SAINT-LIKE WILLA HARPER But that ain't why you married me, Harry. I know that much. It couldn't be that because the Lord just wouldn't let it. RESUME TWO-SHOT -- WILLA WILLA HARPER He made you marry me so's you could show me the Way and the Life and the Salvation of my soul! Ain't that so, Harry? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He has heard the VOICE and starts to move out of CLOSE SHOT. RESUME TWO-SHOT He has moved over to the coat on back of chair. CLOSE SHOT -- COAT His hand goes into the pocket and brings the knife out. (It is the same coat, and pocket, as in the wedding-night scene.) RESUME TWO-SHOT WILLA HARPER So you might say it was the money that brung us together. He pulls down the blind. He moves toward the bed. WILLA HARPER The rest of it don't matter, Harry. INSERT -- PREACHER's HAND AND KNIFE It clicks open. RESUME TWO-SHOT As he raises his arm to strike: HEAD CLOSE-UP -- WILLA WILLA HARPER Bless us all! DISSOLVE TO: INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM -- FULL SHOT -- THE SHADOWS ON THE WALL They are shaped as in earlier scene, but altered by mist. Set-up as in earlier scene. Over them we hear the whinny-and- catch and the failure of the Ford being cranked; once; then again: the JOHN's shadow moves on the wall and on a third cranking which engages the engine, we PAN TO WINDOW, shooting over JOHN, who peers out, into blind mist. The gears of the car shift; the car moves away, unseen; its sounds diminish slowly, and die. A moment of silence; then JOHN turns and we PAN him to the bed. He gets in beside PEARL, who is asleep, and, as we TIGHTEN IN CLOSE, puts his hand across the face of the doll. DISSOLVE TO: HEAD CLOSE-UP -- ICEY An ominous expression. She looks sharp to WALT, beckoning secretly; through rear screen door of kitchen, onto porch. ICEY SPOON (loud whisper) Walt! Come quick! FULL FIGURE SHOT -- WALT He is scrubbing out an ice cream container on the back porch. He looks up and moves towards her. WALT (natural voice) What's wrong, Mother? MEDIUM CLOSE -- ICEY, THEN WALT ICEY SPOON (whisper) Sshhh! He's in there. WALT ENTERS SHOT with pipe. WALT Who? ICEY SPOON (whisper) Mr. Powell! (Walt looks enquiry) Willa has run away! WALT I'll be switched!... They enter the kitchen. We hear muffled sounds of sobbing o.s. MEDIUM CLOSE TWO-SHOT WALT Just went? ICEY SPOON She took out some time durin' the night, -- in that old Model-T -- WALT clucks his tongue. WALT Is he hit pretty bad? ICEY SPOON All to pieces! WALT moves towards kitchen cabinet. WALT There's a little peach brandy -- maybe a sip? ICEY SPOON A man of the Cloth? MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- WALT He pours, snaps it down; weak-defiance. MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON Walt Spoon, that's for sickness in the house! MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT -- WALT He looks towards o.s. sobbing. WALT What can we do, Mother? TWO-SHOT ICEY SPOON I thought if you went and talked to him -- another man -- MEDIUM SHOT -- PREACHER He sits at a table, his back towards us, mumbling over his Bible. TWO-SHOT -- WALT, ICEY BEHIND HIM, ENTERING THROUGH DOOR WALT Mister Powell? PREACHER (suddenly loud) A strange woman is a narrow pit! ICEY SPOON (a reverent whisper) Amen! Amen! PREACHER She lieth in wait as for a prey. And increaseth the transgressors among men. He closes his Bible and turns to them with weepy eyes and a brave little smile. PREACHER My dear, dear friends! Whatever would I do without you! CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON (wailing) Mister Powell! THREE-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE WALT Is there anythin' -- anythin'...? PREACHER It is my shame -- my crown of thorns. And I must wear it bravely. ICEY SPOON What could have possessed that girl! PREACHER (simply) Satan. ICEY SPOON Ah. WALT sits across from PREACHER. ICEY is at PREACHER's elbow. WALT Didn't you have no inkling? PREACHER Yes; from the first night. WALT The first night? PREACHER Our honeymoon. CLOSE SHOT -- WALT WALT How's that? TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY PREACHER She turned me out of the bed. ICEY SPOON (with pleasure) Nnnoooo!! CLOSE SHOT -- WALT Filling his pipe. WALT What do you figure to do? TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY PREACHER Do? Why stay and take care of them little kids. Maybe it was never meant for a woman like Willa to taint their young lives. ICEY SPOON (hands clasped; with approval) Mmmmm! CLOSE SHOT -- WALT Dabbing at moisture in the corner of his eye. WALT That's mighty brave of you, Reverend. TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY PREACHER I reckon it's been ordained this way, Brother Spoon. CLOSE SHOT -- WALT WALT Didn't -- didn't she leave no word? TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY PREACHER A scrawl. On a piece of notepaper on the bureau. ICEY smiles sideways. PREACHER I burned it. (Preacher holds out his hand, stares in disgust, and wipes his palm dramatically on his coatsleeve) I tore it up and burned it -- it stank so strong of hellfire. ICEY SPOON Amen. PREACHER The pitcher has went to the well once too often, my friends. CLOSE SHOT -- WALT WALT She'll come draggin' her tail back home. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER She'll not be back. I reckon I'd be safe in promisin' you that. CLOSE SHOT -- WALT WALT Maybe she's just run off on a spree. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) No! WALT Well, there's no harm in hopin'. TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY PREACHER Ain't no sense in it, neither. I figured somethin' like this was brewin' when she went to bed last night. ICEY SPOON (all woman) How? PREACHER She tarried around the kitchen after I'd gone up, and when I went downstairs to see what was wrong... ICEY SPOON (eagerly) What! PREACHER She'd found this fruit jar of dandelion wine (Icey touches him) that the husband -- Harper -- had hid somewheres in the cellar. (playing his ace) She was drinking. CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY is happy to let her mouth fall open and let out a gasp. CLOSE SHOT -- WALT Sniffling. THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, ICEY, WALT PREACHER I tried to save her. ICEY SPOON I know you did, Reverend. Oh, I know how you tried! PREACHER The devil wins sometimes! CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER (eyes upturned) Can't nobody say I didn't do my best to save her! DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE UNDERWATER SHOT (TANK) We PAN, with slowly streaming weeds, and bring in WILLA in close profile; the current, coming from behind her, drifts her long hair across her throat. MEDIUM SHOT -- WILLA AND CAR She is in profile as before -- CLOSE SHOT -- A BAITED HOOK It descends, and catches on the windshield, and the line tautens; then tugs. We start to follow the line up. CLOSE SHOT -- ABOVE WATER -- THE LINE We continue to follow the line up, and bring in, close, the stern of BEN HARPER's skiff. MEDIUM SHOT -- UNCLE BIRDIE He sits back, tugging unconcernedly at the line. Then he leans over to see what's wrong. CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE ...as he peers over side. DOWNSHOT -- FULL SHOT OF CAR AND WILLA; BIRDIE'S VIEWPOINT CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE, HORROR-STRICKEN MOVING UNDERWATER SHOT -- WILLA We hear PREACHER's voice o.s., singing: PREACHER (o.s.) Leaning! Leaning! Safe and secure from all alarms! Meanwhile we move vertically DOWNWARD TOWARDS HER FACE, serene in death. We may or may not glimpse the gashed throat, through drifting hair. LAP DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HARPER HOME -- FULL SHOT -- THE HOUSE AND TREE PREACHER leans against the tree; he continues singing: PREACHER Leaning! Leaning! Leaning on the Everlasting Arms! (seductively) Children! CLOSE MOVING SHOT -- PREACHER We start moving before he does. LOW CAMERA; full figure. We TILT to frame him from the waist downward and follow close behind him. As he leaves the tree and walks along the side of the house; we TILT DOWNWARD and CLOSE IN, to follow only his feet; he steps past a tiny cellar window and we PAN and TIGHTEN IN CLOSE ON IT, into -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL Their noses are flat against the glass; their cheeks touch; their window isn't quite big enough to hold both their heads. It is on the ground; we don't see their chins. They look towards the departed PREACHER. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Chill-dren? PEARL, who is on the side PREACHER has left by, turns her head towards JOHN. INT. CELLAR -- MEDIUM CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL They are standing on a coal heap, faces at window. PEARL HARPER John, why do we have to hide? JOHN has taken charge. He speaks very quietly, but calmly and cheerfully, as to an invalid. He starts down the rustling coal-heap, helping PEARL down. JOHN HARPER Careful... The following dialogue as they climb down, making as little noise as possible. We PULL slowly away. PEARL HARPER Where's Mom? JOHN HARPER She's gone to Moundsville. PEARL HARPER To see Dad? JOHN HARPER Yes, I reckon that's it. They have achieved the cellar floor. PREACHER'S VOICE (more peremptorily outside) Children! During the following dialogue we hear, o.s., the opening of a door, and PREACHER'S footsteps indoors as he crosses floor, climbs stairs, and opens another door. JOHN HARPER Someone is after us, Pearl. PEARL HARPER I want to go upstairs. It's cold and spidery down here. I'm hungry. JOHN HARPER Now listen to me, Pearl. You and me is runnin' off tonight. PEARL HARPER Why? JOHN HARPER If we stay here somethin' awful will happen to us. PEARL HARPER Won't Daddy Powell take care of us? JOHN HARPER No, that's just it. No. FULL SHOT -- A ROOM UPSTAIRS PREACHER looks under the bed. RESUME CELLAR TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN PEARL HARPER Where are we goin', John? JOHN HARPER Somewheres. I don't know yet. o.s., PREACHER'S footsteps come down stairs; JOHN leads PEARL carefully past a rake, a hoe, and a shelf-prop and they crouch down into -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL ...beside an apple barrel. PREACHER'S footsteps cross kitchen o.s. PEARL HARPER I'm hungry, John. JOHN HARPER We'll steal somethin' to eat. PEARL HARPER It'll spoil our supper. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) Pearl? Both look sharp towards cellar door o.s. THE CELLAR DOOR -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT The door opens; PREACHER'S head, carrying a candle in holder; a white-washed wall and stairs are lighted. PREACHER'S VOICE I hear you whisperin', children, so I know you're down there. I can feel myself gettin' awful mad, children. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN PEARL HARPER (whispering) John... JOHN claps his hand over her mouth. CELLAR DOOR PREACHER'S VOICE My patience has run out, children. I'm comin' to find you now. He clop-clops nearly to the bottom of the stairs. ICEY'S voice cuts cheerfully across his descent. ICEY SPOON (calling o.s.) Yoo-Hooooo! Mis-ter Paow-welll! He goes up the stairs and vanishes. Light on wall through open door to kitchen. ICEY'S VOICE Just a little hot supper I fixed for you and the children. PREACHER'S VOICE Bless you, bless you! ICEY'S VOICE And how are the children? PREACHER'S VOICE They're down there playin' games in the cellar and they won't mind me when I call 'em. I'm at my wit's end, Miz Spoon. ICEY clucks her tongue o.s. ICEY'S VOICE (yelling) John: Pearl: She appears at head of stairs. Her voice crackles with authority. ICEY SPOON John! Pearl! Shake a leg! (she claps her hands sharply) FULL SHOT -- THE KITCHEN -- OVER ICEY ICEY SPOON (continuing) I won't have you worryin' poor Mister Powell another minute! A short pause; then the children, covered with coal-dust, emerge into the light and climb the stairs. JOHN'S head is hung in defeat. As they enter the kitchen we PULL BACK. ICEY SPOON Just look at you! Dust and filth from top to toe! GROUP SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER PREACHER AND ICEY ICEY SPOON Want me to take 'em up and wash 'em good? PREACHER Thank you, no. Thank you, dear Icey. I'll tend to them. Thank you. ICEY pats JOHN'S head. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN ICEY'S VOICE Don't be too hard on 'em, Reverend. Poor motherless children. JOHN looks to PEARL and we PAN HER IN as PREACHER'S hand named LOVE moves through her locks. We PAN with PREACHER and ICEY as they move towards the door. ICEY SPOON Remember now Mister Powell, don't be afraid to call on us. Good night. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He watches ICEY leave, o.s. PREACHER (o.s.) Good night Miz Spoon, and thank you again. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY ICEY goes away along path outside. PREACHER, his back to us, watches her a moment, then turns. PREACHER Weren't you afraid, my little lambs, down there in all that dark? HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN Wondering what to do next. LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE, OVER BESS'S PICTURE We begin with HEAD CLOSE-UP of BIRDIE as he rocks, and PULL BACK He is rocking; and drunk. A bottle stands beside the picture. He turns and speaks to the picture. BIRDIE STEPTOE They'll think it was me! They'll think it was old Uncle Birdie! CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE -- NEW ANGLE His hands grip the edge of the chest on either side of the picture, which we now see. BIRDIE STEPTOE If you'd o' seen it, Bess! I'm drunk as a lord and I know it, but... INSERT -- BESS'S PICTURE BIRDIE'S VOICE (o.s. continuing) Sweet Heaven, if you'd o' seen it! RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT BIRDIE picks up the bottle. His hand and the liquor tremble. BIRDIE STEPTOE (continuing) Down there in the deep place... her hair wavin' lazy and soft like meadow grass under flood waters and that slit in her throat just like she had an extry mouth. INSERT BESS'S PICTURE BIRDIE'S VOICE (o.s.) And there ain't mortal human I can tell but you... RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT BIRDIE STEPTOE (continuing) ...Bess, for if I go to the Law they'll hang it on to me. The bottle falls from his hand onto its side on the edge of the chest. CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE -- NEW ANGLE The reverse angle of the opening shot. BIRDIE rocks heavily; liquor gurgles from bottle to floor. BIRDIE STEPTOE Sweet Heaven save poor old Uncle Birdie! LAP DISSOLVE TO: MEDIUM THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, JOHN, PEARL PREACHER sits at head of table. JOHN stands to PREACHER'S right, around corner of table; he remains expressionless and immobile, until he speaks. PEARL stands to JOHN'S right, hugging the DOLL. The table is loaded with good food. PREACHER, well-fed and at leisure, dabs his mouth delicately with his napkin, folds it, puts it in a ring, and folds his hands. He waits. PEARL HARPER (at last) I'm hungry. PREACHER Why, sure. And there's fried chicken and candied sweets and cornsticks and apple cobbler! PEARL HARPER Can I have my supper please? PREACHER Naturally. PEARL HARPER Can I have milk too? PREACHER Yes. But first of all we'll have a little talk. PEARL frowns and puts her finger in her mouth; she remembers he twisted her arm. PREACHER (softly) About our secrets. PEARL HARPER No. PREACHER Why, pray tell? PEARL HARPER Because John said I mustn't. THREE-SHOT REVERSE -- PREACHER, OVER NECKS OF CHILDREN He slaps the table; his eyes crackle. PREACHER NEVER -- MIND -- WHAT -- JOHN -- SAID! PEARL starts to snivel. PREACHER John is a meddler. Stop sniveling. Looky here a minute! He brings out the knife. PREACHER Know what this is? PEARL shakes her head for no. PREACHER Want to see something cute? Looky now! He touches the spring; the blade flicks open. PREACHER How about that! This is what I use on meddlers. He lays the open knife on the table. PREACHER John might be a meddler. THREE-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER PREACHER PEARL thinks the knife is a toy and crosses behind JOHN to pick it up. PREACHER NO -- no, my lamb. Don't touch it! Now don't touch my knife! That makes me mad. Very, very mad. She hugs the DOLL and he puts the hand named LOVE on her curls. PREACHER Just tell me now; where's the money hid? PEARL HARPER (affectionately) But I swore. I promised John I wouldn't tell. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER JOHN -- DOESN'T -- MATTER! Can't I get that through your head, you poor, silly, disgusting little wretch! HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PEARL Her mouth quivers; a large tear brims in her eyes. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER There now! You made me lose my temper! THREE-SHOT -- CHILDREN, OVER PREACHER PREACHER I'm sorry! I'm real sorry! PEARL sniffles and wipes her eyes with her free fist. PREACHER (in a caressing tone) Now! Where's it hid, honey? JOHN HARPER (suddenly and lightly) I'll tell. THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, OVER NAPES OF CHILDREN PREACHER (lightly) I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut -- JOHN HARPER (light and quick) NO, -- it ain't fair to make Pearl tell when she swore she wouldn't. I'll tell. PREACHER'S EYES CRINKLE and he turns to PEARL, smiling brightly. PREACHER (chuckling) Well I declare! Sometimes I think poor John will make it to heaven yet! His eyes snap back to JOHN and his voice is like a whip. PREACHER All right boy: where's the money? HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN JOHN HARPER In the cellar. Buried under a stone in the floor. THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER OVER CHILDREN He closes and pockets the knife. His eyes never leave JOHN'S. PREACHER It'll go hard, boy, if I find you're lyin'. THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER OVER CHILDREN PEARL gapes up at JOHN as he speaks. JOHN HARPER I ain't lyin'. Go look for yourself. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER ...as he gets up, cellar door in BACKGROUND. PREACHER All right... (he turns towards the door; then glances around) Come along. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN JOHN HARPER What? THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, OVER CHILDREN PREACHER Go ahead of me -- the both of you. They cross him, towards the door. FULL SHOT -- THE CELLAR STEPS -- FROM THE BOTTOM The CHILDREN precede PREACHER, who carries a candle in holder. PEARL is gaping at JOHN'S lie. JOHN is looking left and right, casing the joint. PREACHER (continuing) You don't reckon I'd leave you. JOHN HARPER (with forced lightness) Don't you believe me? PREACHER (sardonically) Why sure, boy, sure. Now they are at bottom of stairs. JOHN sees PEARL'S expression and takes her hand. PREACHER Now where, boy? Mind; no tricks. I can't abide liars. JOHN HARPER Yonder. He squeezes PEARL'S hand harder, and points. FULL SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- OVER THE THREE JOHN points out a place beneath a shelf laden with Mason jars; it is at the most distant part of the cellar from the stairs. PREACHER starts toward it, leaving them at foot of stairs, then turns, catching JOHN'S ruse. PREACHER (sardonic) O no you don't! He shepherds them ahead of him. THREE-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE They arrive beneath the shelf. PREACHER Now: Where? JOHN HARPER (lying magnificently, meeting Preacher's eyes) Under the stone in the floor. PREACHER sets the candle on a barrel near the shelf-prop and sinks to his knees below shot as PEARL gapes at JOHN and JOHN looks stony. She seems about to speak. FLASH INSERT -- JOHN SQUEEZES PEARL'S HAND HARD CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER, FEATURING FLOOR His hands sweep dust and expose concrete. He straightens on his knees and turns to the children in close BACKGROUND. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PREACHER ...as he turns. PREACHER This is concrete. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN A moment's silence. PEARL HARPER John made a Sin. John told a lie. THREE-SHOT -- FAVORING PREACHER PREACHER gets slowly to his feet and puts on his "listening" look. His sincerity is beyond doubt. PREACHER The Lord's a-talkin' to me now. He's a-sayin', "a liar is an abomination before mine eyes." He takes his knife out, and springs it open. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- FAVORING JOHN PREACHER Speak, boy: Where's it hid? (the knife pricks the flesh under John's ear) Speak; before I cut your throat and leave you to drip like a hog hung up in butcherin' time! CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL She starts to sob. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PREACHER JOHN HARPER Pearl, shut up! Pearl, you swore! PREACHER You could save him, little bird. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PEARL PEARL HARPER (crying) Inside my doll! Inside my doll! TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PREACHER, FAVORING PREACHER PREACHER is astounded. His hands fall away from JOHN. He leans back against the wall and talks through laughter. PREACHER In the doll! Why sure! Sure! HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN His eyes are all over the place. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) The last place anyone would look! THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, JOHN, PEARL PREACHER makes a lunge across JOHN for the doll; JOHN ducking under his arm, pulls PEARL forward with his left hand; he turns backwards and with his free hand, in one movement, knocks over the candle and pulls out the support on the shelf. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER Jars shower over him; one crowns him and breaks, shedding guck, which he wipes from his eyes. TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN They start up the stairs. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER He makes one step forward, steps on a rolling jar, and falls. TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN They are near the top of the stairs. We hear PREACHER below them. JOHN slips and they nearly fall backward. As JOHN recovers, PREACHER enters the shot, his back to us. The children get through the open door as PREACHER reaches top. JOHN slams the door, catching PREACHER'S hand. PREACHER screams. JOHN'S astonished eyes peer through the crack in the door; the door loosens; PREACHER yanks his hand loose and sucks it, groaning; the door slams to; the bolt is shot home. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PREACHER ...over sound of slamming bolt. He snarls like the Big Bad Wolf. All the above happens at once. INT. KITCHEN -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL, BY DOOR PEARL, dangling her doll, cries. JOHN panting, leans against wall by door. JOHN is wondering what to do now. Pause. PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s., sweetly) Chilll-dren? (continuing) The only reason I wanted that money is so's you could have it. JOHN HARPER (to himself; panting) The river. That's the only where! Uncle Birdie Steptoe! PREACHER'S VOICE (cooing) Puhr-urrl? Want your Mommy back? (Pearl hugs her doll) Want me to get her right now? PEARL HARPER (sharply) John? JOHN HARPER Hush, Pearl. Come on. They fly out of the house. PREACHER'S VOICE (bellowing, as they go) OPEN THAT DOOR, YOU SPAWN OF THE DEVIL'S OWN STRUMPET! FRAMING SHOT -- EXT. THE HARPER HOUSE A pretty, pastoral shot of the house in light mist, as they run across and leave the shot. Before they disappear, we hear PREACHER'S fists hammering against the door. We stay on the house at leisure; we hear him lunging, shoulder to door; we begin to hear squeaking of hinges and splintering of wood. FULL CIRCLE SHOT -- FRAMING BIRDIE'S WHARF-BOAT An ultra romantic image of shelter and peace. Frogs or river noises o.s., then the rattle of running footsteps. The children center, their backs to us, sprinting towards the boat. Light mist as in previous shot. JOHN HARPER (calling) Uncle Birdie! Uncle Birdie! INT. BIRDIE'S BOAT -- GROUP SHOT -- BIRDIE AND CHILDREN We shoot over BESS'S turned photograph and over BIRDIE, close, passed out in his rocker. The children run through open door in BACKGROUND and JOHN runs up to BIRDIE. JOHN HARPER Uncle Birdie! CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE BIRDIE STEPTOE (gesturing feebly) Don't! CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- BIRDIE, OVER JOHN JOHN HARPER Hide us Uncle Birdie! He's a-comin' with his knife! He grabs BIRDIE'S shoulder; BIRDIE half-rises, and falls face down on floor. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- BIRDIE ON FLOOR, OVER JOHN JOHN HARPER It's me! John Harper and Pearl! You said to come a-runnin' if we needed you! BIRDIE rears on one elbow and looks up at him. BIRDIE STEPTOE (in friendly recognition) Johnny! He falls face down again. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- FAVORING JOHN JOHN grabs BIRDIE by one ear, turning his face up. JOHN HARPER Uncle -- Birdie! Oh -- please! Please wake up! CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- FAVORING BIRDIE He looks up earnestly at JOHN. BIRDIE STEPTOE I never done it, boy. Sweet Heaven I never done such a terrible thing! I'll swear on the Book to it, boy! I never done it! I never! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He is lost; and he becomes a man. BIRDIE'S VOICE (o.s.) Lord save poor old Uncle Birdie Steptoe that never hurt a fly! (he snores, softly) JOHN HARPER (quiet) There's still the river. -- The skiff is down by the willows. He masterfully takes PEARL by the hand and leads her into the night. LONG SHOT -- THE CHILDREN We shoot from the river. They struggle through the sumac and pokeberry weeds at edge of river, towards skiff, whose prow, tethered to willow, we see throughout this un-moving shot, at our extreme right. When they come opposite skiff -- which is a few yards out from shore -- WE CUT TO: TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN PEARL, frankly bored, dangling her doll, is yawning. JOHN, as he finishes undoing rope from a willow root, looks up and around, checking on pursuit. His eyes fix. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER'S SHADOW On the bank above, it is huge in the mist. Same camera position as foregoing; new angle. TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN BACK view: skiff in BACKGROUND. Same camera position; new angle. JOHN HARPER (whispering) Please be quiet -- Oh please, Pearl! PEARL HARPER (natural voice) John, where are we g -- JOHN HARPER Hush. FULL SHOT -- SHADOW, THEN PREACHER Same position and angle as before. PREACHER'S own figure advances to supplant his shadow. He peers downward, his open knife catching the light. PREACHER (businesslike) Children? He starts slashing his way down through the brush-filth. FULL SHOT -- THE CHILDREN Same camera position as before. They are floundering through mud, half-way to the skiff. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER Same position and angle as in previous shot of him. He is half-way down the bank. With his knife, he hacks at an entangling vine. FULL SHOT -- THE CHILDREN Position and angle as before. They reach the skiff. Hacking sounds o.s. JOHN HARPER Get in the skiff, Pearl, goodness, goodness, hurry! PEARL HARPER (hesitant) That's Daddy! He picks her up and throws her into the skiff. CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL AND DOLL ...as they land, sprawling, in bottom of skiff among fish- heads and bait cans. JOHN gets in after them. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT He tears free of brush to edge of river, knife glittering. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN With his oar, he tries to push the boat free of mud. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT He wades towards them, knee-deep in mud. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He is shoving at the oar even more desperately. INSERT -- JOHN'S HANDS Straining. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT He flounders deeper and more heavily through the mud; much closer. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He pushes the boat free of mud. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER -- CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT He hurries much closer through shallow water. Prow of boat in FOREGROUND. PREACHER Wait, you little whelps! Wait! Another step forward and he does a pratt-fall and makes a splash. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN -- PEARL IN BACKGROUND He is trying to feather the boat out to where the current will catch it. In panic and haste he is clumsy. JOHN HARPER Why can't I do it when I know how to do it! FULL SHOT -- PREACHER ...as he gets up, at edge of mud. PREACHER Wait! Wait! I'll slit your guts! FULL DOWN-SHOT -- THE SKIFF, THEN PREACHER The current catches it and spins it round like a leaf. JOHN'S efforts with the oars are useless. PREACHER enters, wading fast. His hands are within an inch of reaching the helpless skiff; capriciously the current takes it downstream. TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL The skiff is taken steadily by the current. PEARL sits up, doll in arms. JOHN is almost asleep with exhaustion. FULL SHOT -- THE SKIFF, OVER PREACHER It is well away from him and getting smaller. Waist-deep, he wades a couple of steps after it, then just looks. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- PREACHER He begins a steady, rhythmical, animal scream of outrage and loss. LONG SHOT -- THE RIVER AND LANDSCAPE, FEATURING STARLIGHT; AND THE DRIFTING BOAT -- PEARL IN STERN TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN -- FRONT ON JOHN is asleep. PEARL sits sleepily whispering to her doll. PEARL HARPER Once upon a time there was a pretty fly, and he had a wife, this pretty fly... MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- THE DRIFTING BOAT THROUGH FIREFLIES PEARL'S VOICE (o.s.) ...and one day she flew away, and then one night his two pretty fly children... SPECIAL SHOT -- THE MOVING SKIFF, THROUGH DEW-JEWELED SPIDER- WEB PEARL'S VOICE (o.s., continuing) ...flew away too, into the sky, into the moon... SPECIAL SHOT -- A FROG, AND SKIFF A big frog is profiled; the skiff drifts by in distance; the frog twangs out a bass-note. DISSOLVE TO: INSERT -- A PICTURE POSTCARD -- A COUNTY COURTHOUSE As the card is turned to the handwritten side we CUT TO: CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- WALT AND ICEY WALT (reading aloud) Dear Walt and Icey: I bet you been worried and gave us up for lost. Took the kids down here with me for a visit to my sister Elsie's farm. Thot a little change of scenery would do us all a world of good after so much trubble and heartache. At least the kids will git a plenty of good home cooking. Your devoted Harry Powell ICEY SPOON Now ain't you relieved, Walt? WALT Sure, but you was worried too, Mother; takin' off with never a word of goodbye. I even got to figurin' them gypsies busted in and done off with all three of 'em. ICEY SPOON You and your gypsies! They been gone a week! WALT Not before one of 'em knifed a farmer and stole his horse. Never caught the gypsies nor the horse. LAP DISSOLVE TO: DESCENDING HELICOPTER SHOT -- THE RIVER -- DAY A man is going along a river lane on horseback. It is PREACHER; he walks the horse away from us. DISSOLVE TO: DESCENDING HELICOPTER SHOT -- ANOTHER BEND OF THE RIVER We descend to a poor riverside farmhouse; JOHN and PEARL tether a boat in front of it. GROUP SHOT (FROM GROUND) THREE HOMELESS CHILDREN, OVER JOHN AND PEARL They are eating hot boiled potatoes. A glance at JOHN and PEARL, and they turn away towards lane in BACKGROUND. JOHN and PEARL proceed towards the house. MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN, PEARL, WOMAN, THROUGH DOOR We shoot from within open door of kitchen. JOHN and PEARL advance to edge of porch. A TIRED FARM WOMAN stands by door, within. We shoot OVER her. TIRED FARM WOMAN Hungry, I s'pose. Well, I'll see if there's any more potatoes to spare. Where's your folks? JOHN HARPER Ain't got none. Woman leaves shot briefly (we HOLD on CHILDREN) She re-enters and goes to them with a bowl of steaming potatoes. They take hands-ful, and make to eat. TIRED FARM WOMAN Go 'way; go 'way. They turn away and walk towards boat. She looks after them. TIRED FARM WOMAN Such times, when youngins run the roads! She leaves the SHOT. We frame them briefly, walking away, then; DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- A PLACARD -- NIGHT It is lit by firelight. It reads: PEACH-PICKERS WANTED WEEKLY HIRE PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.) An ungrateful child is an abomination... LAP DISSOLVE TO: GROUP SHOT -- PREACHER AND MEN PREACHER stands behind the flames; in FOREGROUND an OLD MAN sits profiled on a box. Other workers, all men, sit around fire. PREACHER (continuing) ...before the eyes of God. The world is fast going to damnation because of impudent youngins a-flyin' in the face of Age. Short silence, as the other men look at PREACHER without liking. Then the old man spits into the fire. CLOSE SHOT -- THE FLAMES A spurt of steam as spit strikes. CLOSE SHOT -- A HOOT OWL ...hooting. LAP DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE SHOT -- A TURTLE -- NOONDAY He comes down to water. JOHN'S VOICE (o.s.) They make soup out of them... LONG SHOT -- THE CHILDREN IN PASSING SKIFF Full landscape in BACKGROUND. JOHN HARPER (continuing) ...but I wouldn't know how to go about gettin' him open. LAP DISSOLVE TO: LONG SHOT -- CHILDREN AND SKIFF, OVER RABBITS IN GRASS We shoot OVER two sitting rabbits as they watch, their ears up. The skiff passes. PEARL plays with doll JOHN unsnarls line. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- THE CHILDREN AND SKIFF, FRAMED BY WILLOWS -- TWILIGHT The skiff passes. Baa-ing of sheep o.s. MOVING SHOT -- FROM RIVER -- A SHEEP The sheep bleats. We PAN in a big barn near the river, then a lighted house; willows along shore. FULL SHOT -- THE SKIFF -- FROM THE BANK JOHN re-sets his oar. They angle towards us for the shore. JOHN HARPER We're gonna spend a night on land. UP-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER THE MOORED SKIFF ...they reach top of the bank. Corner of barn and lighted window in BACKGROUND. Sounds of mouth-organ and girl singing o.s. FULL SHOT -- A LIGHTED WINDOW, THE SHADE DRAWN A wire bird-cage hangs close to the shade, silhouetted. On the perch, a canary. Lullaby and mouth-organ continue o. s. After a moment the CHILDREN enter, backs to us, and stop, looking. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN Window-light on faces, song over. A moment. PEARL HARPER Are we goin' home, John? JOHN HARPER Ssh... He turns, her hand in his. We PAN as they tiptoe towards the big, open door of barn; big open hayloft window above. INT. ROOM -- LOW TRACKING SHOT -- THE CHILDREN As they walk down aisle of barn we shoot them past bellies and legs of row of cows. Sounds of munching and soft lowing o.s. JOHN helps PEARL up a little ladder to the hayloft. MEDIUM SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, WINDOW -- TWILIGHT ...as the CHILDREN bed down in hay, only legs visible, protruding into frame of window, which frames a middle-distant white lane beyond house, and a landscape. Whippoorwill o.s. A DARKENING OF LIGHT. LAP DISSOLVE TO: SAME SET-UP The full moon is half-risen. Whippoorwill o.s. LAP DISSOLVE TO: SAME SET-UP The moon is well above the horizon. Whippoorwill o.s. LAP DISSOLVE TO: SAME SET-UP The moon is still higher. A pause; the whippoorwill stops in mid-phrase. Brief pause; then John sits up into silhouette. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He listens intently. We hear nothing. His eyes alter. We hear, distantly PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s., singing) Leaning, Leaning... At various distances o.s., we hear dogs barking at the sound of the singing. PREACHER'S VOICE (continuing; louder) ...safe and secure from all alarms; The dog from the farm rushes braying to his gate. Other dogs continue o.s. PREACHER appears, astride his walking horse, singing. PREACHER Leaning... CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN Watching; dread and despair. Sounds go. PREACHER (o.s.) Leaning; Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER He approaches and crosses center screen, continuing the hymn. (We do not PAN with him; he crosses the frame of the great window.) CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN Eyes following PREACHER. PREACHER and dogs continue o.s. JOHN HARPER (to himself) Don't you never sleep? FULL SHOT -- PREACHER He vanishes beyond trees, his singing more distant. Dogs continue. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL -- NEW ANGLE He wakes her. PREACHER'S singing o.s. JOHN HARPER (scared whisper) Pearl, wake up! Come on, Pearl! FULL SHOT -- PREACHER He vanishes; scuttling of children in hay, o.s.; dogs quiet; his song dies. Brief silence. The whippoorwill resumes. MEDIUM LONG SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, NEAR BARN Hand in hand, they hurry out of barn and, as we PAN, along its side, towards River, o.s. Whippoorwill o.s. FULL SHOT -- A BRIGHT FULL MOON The whippoorwill's singing continues o.s. FULL SHOT -- CHILDREN AND SKIFF JOHN steers through turbulent, moonlit water. Whippoorwill continues. Low moon. CLOSE SHOT -- A FOX, BARKING CLOSE DOWN-SHOT -- CHILDREN ASLEEP IN SKIFF (TANK) Blank, calm water; the skiff enters and passes full length below us, the CHILDREN asleep in it; blank water again; again the fox barks. MEDIUM SHOT -- THE SKIFF, DRIFTING SHOT THROUGH RIVERSIDE GRASS Crickets o.s. The skiff nears a sand-bar. INSERT -- THE PROW, GROUNDING The prow softly grates against sand. MEDIUM SHOT -- THE GROUNDED SKIFF, AGAIN THROUGH GRASS Crickets fainter. TILTING UPWARD. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- THE STARLIT SKY LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- RIVER LANDSCAPE -- SUNRISE Distant; medium; the near; roosters crow o.s. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN WAKING He looks to PEARL o.s. FULL SHOT -- PEARL, THEN RACHEL, OVER JOHN PEARL is picking daisies. A fence up beyond her. Beyond the fence, a woman, RACHEL COOPER, appears. She carries a berry- basket on her arm. JOHN scrambles up, grabs an oar, and holds it defensively. PEARL freezes. RACHEL COOPER (loud) You two youngsters get up here to me this instant! TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL -- RACHEL'S ANGLE RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Mind me now! JOHN lowers the oar at the female authority in her voice. RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Now git on up to my house. They hesitate. THREE-SHOT -- OVER JOHN RACHEL COOPER I'll git me a willow switch. They still hesitate. She breaks off a switch and comes for them, squishing through the mud. She surrounds them and drives them like geese up the bank. LOW FULL SHOT -- THE THREE, FROM SIDE They move across the meadow like a nursery frieze. She tweaks with her switch. As she goes near PEARL'S calves, JOHN turns. JOHN HARPER Don't you hurt her! RACHEL COOPER Hurt her nothin'! Wash her's more like it! (hand to mouth, yelling) Ruby! FULL SHOT -- A TOMATO PATCH Three crouching figures pick tomatoes beyond a low white fence; Rachel's house in background. RUBY, thirteen, pops her head up like a rifle-target. RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Clary! Clary, eleven, pops up. RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Mary! Mary, four, pops up. THE GIRLS (in chorus) Yes Miz Cooper! GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND HARPERS, MOVING TOWARDS FENCE She has JOHN and PEARL by their napes. RACHEL COOPER Bring yer baskets. The three girls enter, their backs to us, carrying baskets of tomatoes. GROUP SHOT -- THE GIRLS, OVER RACHEL AND HARPER CHILDREN She holds JOHN and PEARL very firmly, inspecting baskets, across gate of fence. RACHEL COOPER Nicely picked, Clary. Mary; put the big ones on top. Ruby, most o' them ain't fit to go to market. Put them baskets down. Ruby, fetch the washtub and put it by the pump. Mary, Clary, fetch me a bar o' laundry soap and the scrub brush. GIRLS (in chorus) Yes Miz Cooper! They hurry off. RACHEL COOPER Come on, now; up to the house. She opens the gate, pushes the Harper children through, shuts the gate, and walks between them, her back to us. The children hesitate. She turns to them and stops. THREE-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER RACHEL She looks them up and down. If we saw her face, her lips would be pursed and working with anger. RACHEL COOPER Gracious! If you hain't a sight to beat all! Where you from? No answer; their eyes are wide with curiosity. RACHEL COOPER Where's your folks? CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Speak up now! His eyes go down to her feet. He, and we, start to examine her from foot to head; for this is our heroine at last. CLOSE TILTING SHOT -- RACHEL ...from JOHN'S eye-level. We TILT SLOWLY UP her height. She wears man's shoes, heavy with mud; a rough skirt; a shapeless sweater hangs over her shoulders; she is in her middle sixties and wears a man's old hat. Her face says: RACHEL COOPER (sort of roughly) Gracious! So I've got two more mouths to feed! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN For no reason at all he feels he has come home. LAP DISSOLVE TO: GROUP SHOT -- JOHN, PEARL, RACHEL, RUBY, DURING WASHING RACHEL mercilessly scrubs JOHN; JOHN doesn't like it; RUBY washes PEARL with a cloth. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN Hating the scrubbing. He breaks away. FULL SHOT -- JOHN AND RACHEL JOHN dodges behind a bush, RACHEL in hot pursuit. CLOSE SHOT -- THE BUSH; RACHEL RACHEL'S head bobs up and down above the bush; we hear the unmistakable sound of a female hand on a child's bottom. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- A SHELF, FULL OF MARKET BASKETS, NEATLY COVERED WITH DAMP MUSLIN LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- THE CARRIED BASKETS, IN MOTION EXT. MOUNDSVILLE STREET -- TRACKING SHOT -- RACHEL AND HER BROOD All carry baskets. RACHEL charges along at the head of the procession. A CATTLE DEALER strolls the other way. CATTLE DEALER Howdy Miz Cooper -- you goin' to sell me yer hog this year? RACHEL doesn't stop walking. RACHEL COOPER With the price o' pork what it is? CLOSE TRACKING SHOT -- RACHEL She keeps walking. RACHEL COOPER (talking to herself) I'm butcherin' my hog myself, smokin' the hams, and cannin' the sausage. (she calls to children over her shoulder) You-all have your work cut out! CLOSE TRACKING TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND CLARY IN MID-PROCESSION JOHN HARPER She talks to herself. CLARY All the time. JOHN HARPER Your Maw's funny. CLARY She ain't our Maw. We just live at her house. They walk in silence. JOHN HARPER Where's your folks? CLARY Some place. MARY My Daddy's in Dee-troit. JOHN HARPER (to Ruby) Who's your folks? RUBY I dunno. FULL SHOT -- THE STREET A WAITRESS, wearing an apron labeled EMPIRE EATS, hurries across the street towards the GROUP. We PAN her in to MARY. The procession halts briefly. She embraces MARY. WAITRESS Mary! Honey! Mornin' Miz Cooper. (to Mary) Guess what! I'm savin' up to buy ye a charm bracelet! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER Never mind the gewgaws; don't you miss your visit this Sunday; and come to Church with us. FULL STREET SHOT The WAITRESS hurries away. She dodges past a car. WAITRESS See ye Sunday, love! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL she follows WAITRESS, then LOVERS in car, with her eyes. FULL STREET SHOT The car CENTERS, held up in traffic; two lovers in it, sitting close. CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL She takes in the LOVERS. RACHEL COOPER Women is durn fools! All of 'em! She sighs, angry at all women, herself included, and turns away. We are at the door of a GROCERY STORE. The GROCER is on his doorstep. FULL SHOT -- GROUP AND GROCERY RACHEL COOPER (to children) Take yer baskets in. The CHILDREN file in past her and GROCER. RACHEL COOPER (to Grocer) Looky there. (she indicates the lovers) She'll be losin' her mind to a tricky mouth and a full moon, and like as not I'll be saddled with the consequences. She starts into store with the GROCER. INT. STORE -- GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL, GROCER, CHILDREN RACHEL and GROCER come up to counter. RACHEL COOPER (continuing; she takes a list from her bosom and gives it to Grocer) Here's what you owe me. (she counts baskets) One, two, three, four, five... where's the other basket? Where's Ruby? CLARY She went. RACHEL COOPER John: you go fetch Ruby. (John goes. As Grocer empties baskets and tots up, Rachel continues:) Big Ruby's my problem girl. She can't gather eggs without bustin' 'em; but Ruby's got mother hands with a youngin, so what're you to say? EXT. DRUG STORE -- FULL SHOT -- RUBY She stands with her market-basket, reacting to wolf whistles o.s.; she is seeking the world. THREE-SHOT -- RUBY, OVER TWO YOUNG LOAFERS 1ST LOAFER How 'bout tonight, Ruby? RUBY gestures RACHEL'S nearness. 2ND LOAFER (to 1st) What gives? 1ST LOAFER The Old Lady's around. (to Ruby) How 'bout Thursday? RUBY nods. 1ST LOAFER (to 2nd) The old gal thinks she comes in fer sewin' lessons o'-Thursday. FULL SHOT -- RUBY; JOHN IN BACKGROUND JOHN HARPER (calling) Miz Cooper wants you. He turns and goes; RUBY, with an eye to 1ST LOAFER, turns and follows. INT. GROCERY STORE -- GROUP SHOT -- CENTERING RACHEL GROCER (to Pearl) And will you show me your dolly, little lady? JOHN has entered in BACKGROUND. PEARL holds the doll to her, and JOHN moves in quietly to her side. They stand together, as so often before. GROCER See ye got two more peeps to your brood. RACHEL COOPER Yeah, and ornerier than the rest. GROCER How's your own boy, Miz Cooper? RACHEL COOPER Ain't heard from Ralph since last Christmas. Don't matter -- I've got a new crop. (she laughs. Loudly) I'm a strong tree with branches for many birds. I'm good for something in this old world and I know it, too! We know that she will rout the Devil. GROCER (a good tradesman) Got a good buy in soap, Miz Cooper. RACHEL COOPER (triumphant) Don't need no soap. I'm boilin' down the fat from my hog. DISSOLVE TO: INT. RACHEL'S SCREENED PORCH -- EVENING -- GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL, GIRLS, JOHN ASIDE CENTERING RACHEL as she takes a book from table, and the GIRLS MOVE to set at her seat, and JOHN stands to one side. RACHEL glances at him. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He looks suspiciously to the Book in her hands, for to him it has come to mean only Preacher. INSERT -- THE BIBLE ...as she opens it on her lap o.s. we hear a screen door open. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL, CHILDREN, JOHN IN BACKGROUND We see the door closing as JOHN goes out. The girls sit on low stools in semi-circle at RACHEL'S feet. We CENTER RACHEL. RACHEL, keenly aware of JOHN, pretends to ignore him. JOHN crosses behind her and stands with his back to us. We see the back of his head through the screen. RACHEL, changing her mind about what story to tell, finds the new page she's after, and spreads her hands flat on the pages. She never glances at the text. She is fishing for JOHN. RACHEL COOPER Now old Pharoah, he was the King of Egyptland! And he had a daughter, and once upon a time (louder) she was walkin' along the river bank and she seen somethin' bumpin' and scrapin' along down on a sandbar under the willows. CLOSE SHOT -- THE BACK OF JOHN'S HEAD, IMMOBILE RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) And do you know what it was, children? RESUME GROUP SHOT RUBY, CLARY, MARY (excited) No! PEARL HARPER No! RACHEL COOPER (still loud) Well, now, it was a skiff, washed up on the bar. And who do you reckon was in it? RUBY (confidently) Pearl and John! RACHEL COOPER (still loud) Not this time! It was just one youngin -- a little boy babe. And do you know who he was, children? CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN'S HEAD ...as he turns around. RUBY, MARY, CLARY, PEARL (o.s. in unison) No! RESUME GROUP SHOT RACHEL closes the Bible; she knows the Lord's battle is won. As she continues, she puts aside the book and takes up her mending. RACHEL COOPER (very quietly) It was Moses! -- A King of men, Moses, children. Now. Off to bed. Hurry. On "off to bed," JOHN turns his back again. CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL; JOHN IN BACKGROUND She mends for a few moments. RACHEL COOPER (commandingly) John, git me an apple. JOHN crosses behind her and off, towards door. We hear it open and close. RACHEL COOPER Git one for yourself, too. MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN He approaches with two apples. We PAN him into a: TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND RACHEL He gives her an apple. She immediately takes a bite. He doesn't bite his. She looks up at him from her apple. RACHEL COOPER (suddenly) John, where's your folks? JOHN HARPER (plainly) Dead. RACHEL COOPER Dead. (she nods with finality) JOHN starts to eat his apple. RACHEL COOPER Where ye from? JOHN HARPER Up river. RACHEL COOPER I didn't figger ye rowed that skiff from Parkersburg! JOHN makes a move; he slowly and tenderly reaches out his hand and lays his fingers on her knuckles. JOHN HARPER Tell me that story again. Our heroine would like to thank the Lord openly, but she knows she must not show her feelings; she speaks gruffly -- RACHEL COOPER Story, honey? Why, what story? JOHN HARPER About them Kings. That the Queen found down on the sandbar in the skiff that time. RACHEL COOPER Kings! Why, honey, there was only one. JOHN HARPER I mind you said there was two. RACHEL COOPER Well, shoot! Maybe there was! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL Maybe we see -- though JOHN does not -- the thanksgiving in her eyes. RACHEL COOPER Yes, come to think of it, there was two, John. o.s., in distance, we hear the whistle of a river boat. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MOUNDSVILLE STREET -- EVENING -- MOVING SHOT -- RUBY Her head and shoulders from behind as she walks down the neon-lighted street; drugstore and loafers in b.g.; jazz music o.s. FULL SHOT -- RUBY, OVER DRUGSTORE LOAFERS Our two loafers lounge on a bench. RUBY approaches. 2ND LOAFER (to 1st) Hey. Must be Thursday. 1ST LOAFER Here we go. He gets up and starts towards RUBY, who catches his eye. RUBY, FROM BEHIND She turns to a magazine stand and fingers a magazine, awaiting LOAFER, who approaches in BACKGROUND. INSERT -- RUBY'S HAND; MAGAZINES They are lurid, tawdry fan and pin-up magazines. PREACHER enters, between RUBY and LOAFER, and turns to RUBY into CLOSE TWO-SHOT. LOAFER pauses in BACKGROUND. PREACHER You're Ruby, ain't you, my child? RUBY Can I have this? PREACHER Surely. I'd like to talk to you, my dear. RUBY Will you buy me a choclit sody? PREACHER O' course. LOAFERS Watch out Preacher! Why, Preacher! PREACHER (sternly) Shet yer dirty mouths! CLOSE SHOT -- RUBY She looks up at him admiringly; then to LOAFERS; back to PREACHER. LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. DRUGSTORE -- CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND RUBY RUBY is finishing her soda. RUBY Ain't I purty? This is a familiar clue to PREACHER. PREACHER Why, you're the purtiest girl I've seen in all my wandering. Didn't nobody never tell you that, Ruby? RUBY (hoarsely) No. No one never did. PREACHER (moving in) There's two new ones over at your place, ain't there Ruby? She nods. PREACHER What's their names? RUBY Pearl and John. PREACHER Ahhh. (whispering) And is there -- a doll? RUBY (nods) Only she won't never let me play with it. PREACHER Ahh! He gets up and heads for door. RUBY, dismayed, hurries after him. PREACHER (firmly) Yes! He strides through door, RUBY following. THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER AND RUBY ON SIDEWALK, 2ND LOAFER IN B.G. 1ST LOAFER HAS GONE PREACHER comes out fast, RUBY touches his arm, he turns on her. They are in CLOSE TWO-SHOT. RUBY goes on tiptoe. PREACHER inclines his ear. CLOSE SHOT -- RUBY RUBY Did you ever see such purty eyes in all your born days? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER INSERT -- PREACHER'S HAND It slides into his knife pocket. We hear a click. 2ND LOAFER (o.s.) Don't let him git away, Sugar! THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER AND RUBY, LOAFER IN B.G. RUBY He ain't like you-all! Next time I won't even ask him to buy me a sody! She turns to PREACHER, but PREACHER, on "next time," has left the SHOT. CLOSE SHOT -- RUBY She looks after him, clasping the magazine under her chin. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER Her hero strides away into darkness. CLOSE SHOT -- RUBY Gazing after him. RUBY I been bad! DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE DOWN-SHOT -- THE MAGAZINE, OPEN, IN RACHEL'S LAP WE PULL UP AND AWAY INTO: TWO-SHOT -- RACHEL, SEATED; RUBY STANDING BESIDE HER RACHEL COOPER Ruby, you didn't have no money to buy this. RUBY You'll whip me! RACHEL COOPER When did I ever? RUBY This man down at the Drugstore... RACHEL COOPER The Drugstore? RUBY Miz Cooper. I never went to sewin' lessons all them times. RACHEL COOPER What you been up to? RUBY I been out with men. RUBY collapses face down over RACHEL'S lap and sobs, as we TRACK IN CLOSE. RACHEL COOPER Dear God, child! Now RACHEL also weeps. She bends low over RUBY, stroking her hair. RACHEL COOPER You was lookin' for love, Ruby, the only foolish way you knowed how. (she lifts Ruby's face cheek to cheek beside her own) We all need love. Ruby, I lost the love of my son -- I've found it with you-all. They weep together. RACHEL COOPER You must grow up to be a fine, full woman; and I'm goin' to see to it you do. She starts making up RUBY'S hair like that of a young woman. RUBY This gentleman warn't like them! He just give me a sody and the book. RACHEL COOPER Now who was this? RUBY He never asked me for nothin'. RACHEL COOPER He must have wanted somethin', Ruby. A man don't waste time on a girl unless he gets something. RUBY shakes her head. RACHEL COOPER What'd you all talk about? RUBY Pearl and John. RACHEL COOPER John and Pearl! RUBY nods. RACHEL COOPER Is he their Pap? RUBY shrugs. RACHEL COOPER Why hasn't he been to the house? DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- PREACHER ON HORSE ON ROAD FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RUBY Seeing PREACHER, she drops two eggs. RUBY (shouting) Miz Cooper! RACHEL COOPER (o.s. from within house) What? RUBY The man! The man! TRACKING SHOT -- PREACHER He tethers his horse and, as we PAN and TRACK on behind him, walks to the bottom of the steps; RUBY moves into side of SHOT: beyond PREACHER, RACHEL stands behind her screen door, hands folded under apron. PREACHER Mornin', ladies. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RACHEL, BEHIND SCREEN RACHEL COOPER How'do. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- PREACHER RACHEL'S VIEWPOINT, through screen. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RACHEL, BEHIND SCREEN PREACHER You're Miz Cooper, I take it. RACHEL COOPER (coming through door) It's about that John and that Pearl? THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, RACHEL, RUBY IN BACKGROUND PREACHER'S face twitches with emotion. He breaks out into great thankful sobs. He falls to his knees. PREACHER My little lambs! To think I never hoped to see them again in this world! Oh, dear Madam, if you was to know what a thorny crown I have borne in my search for these strayed chicks! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL She takes him in. He doesn't take her in. THREE-SHOT -- AS BEFORE RACHEL COOPER Ruby, go fetch them kids. RUBY minces off around the side of the house. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER -- RACHEL'S ANGLE He wipes off tears with the heel of his left hand, watching her. PREACHER Ah, dear Madam, I see you're looking at my hands! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL She is. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER -- AS BEFORE He holds up the right hand. PREACHER Shall I tell ye the little story of Right-Hand-Left-Hand -- the tale of Good and Evil? CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL PREACHER (o.s.) It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low -- RACHEL COOPER (wanting to know) Them kids is yours? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER PREACHER (recovering from the interruption) My flesh and blood! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER Where's your Missus? TWO-SHOT -- PROFILING RACHEL AND PREACHER PREACHER gets to his feet. PREACHER She run off with a drummer one night. Durin' prayer-meetin'. RACHEL COOPER Where's she at? PREACHER Somewheres down river! Parkersburg, mebbe! -- Cincinnati! -- One of them Sodoms on the Ohio River. RACHEL COOPER She took them kids with her? PREACHER Heaven only knows what unholy sights and sounds those innocent little babes has heard in the dens of perdition where she dragged them! CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER Right funny, hain't it, how they rowed all the way up river in a ten- foot john-boat! CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER ...recovering, and by-passing it. PREACHER Are they well? He turns his head. FULL SHOT -- RACHEL AND PREACHER, FROM SIDE All the CHILDREN enter, around corner of house. As they move in, RACHEL replies: RACHEL COOPER A sight better than they was. By now JOHN is on the top step beside RACHEL. One of his hands holds on to her skirt, as if he were pulling her towards him. His eyes never leave hers. All the CHILDREN freeze, PEARL is on ground, just beyond JOHN. Others in BACKGROUND; RUBY as near PREACHER as she can get. PREACHER Gracious, gracious! You are a good woman, Miz Cooper! RACHEL COOPER How you figgerin' to raise them two without a woman? PREACHER The Lord will provide. PEARL, with a wail of happiness, drops the DOLL on the step and runs to PREACHER, who picks her up. JOHN instantly picks up the DOLL and holds it to him. He looks up at RACHEL. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND RACHEL JOHN looks deep into RACHEL'S eyes. PREACHER (o.s.) The Lord is merciful! What a day is this! -- And there's little John! RACHEL COOPER What's wrong, John? JOHN HARPER Nothin'. (he smiles) PREACHER (o.s.) Come to me, boy! RACHEL COOPER What's wrong, John? TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND PEARL PREACHER Didn't you hear me, boy? TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND RACHEL RACHEL bends a little over him. She wants the situation clarified. RACHEL COOPER John, when your Dad says 'come', you should mind him. JOHN HARPER He ain't my Dad. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RACHEL She takes this in; JOHN has sold her. She looks to PREACHER o.s. RACHEL COOPER He ain't no Preacher neither. I've seen Preachers in my time, an' some of 'em was saints on earth. A few was crookeder'n a dog's hind leg, but this 'un's got 'em all beat for badness. She starts to turn. GROUP SHOT She walks purposefully into the house. PREACHER lunges for JOHN and the DOLL. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- PREACHER AND JOHN JOHN ducks under the porch and PREACHER tries to follow him. He can't get under. o.s. we hear the slam of the screen door. PREACHER'S head comes up to see and we TILT UP, shooting OVER the back of his head. RACHEL stands there, full figure, with a pump-gun. RACHEL COOPER Just march yourself yonder to your horse, Mister. Back of PREACHER'S head is still immobile. RACHEL COOPER March, Mister! I'm not foolin'. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER, OVER GUN-BARREL PREACHER gets to his feet. The open knife is in his hand. As we see it, the gun-barrel twitches. PREACHER backs away towards his horse, bouncing the knife lightly in his hand. PREACHER (screaming) You ain't done with Harry Powell yet! The Lord God Jehovah will guide my hand in vengeance! You devils! You Whores of Babylon! I'll come back when it's dark! As he mounts his horse we DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- RACHEL'S HOUSE -- NIGHT It is dark. o.s. we hear PREACHER singing Leaning. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RACHEL She sits in profile, her gun across her knees. Song continues o.s. FULL SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, ASLEEP ...in a big bed. RUBY sits up, listening to song o.s. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RACHEL, AS BEFORE Song continues o.s. We PAN to PREACHER outside. We see him through window. He sits hunched on a stump. FULL SHOT -- THE HOUSE, OVER PREACHER He continues singing. HEAD PROFILE -- RACHEL After a moment we see her mouth open; and either to comfort herself or to drown out PREACHER'S voice, she joins in the hymn. FULL SHOT -- THE HOUSE -- AS IN OPENING SHOT A descending candle moves past a window; RACHEL and PREACHER sing o.s. FULL SHOT -- PREACHER ON STUMP ...over back of RACHEL'S head. The song ends. RUBY enters SHOT carrying a candle. Its light blacks out the window-glass. RACHEL looks up. RACHEL COOPER Moonin' around the house over that mad dog of a Preacher! Shame, Ruby! She blows out the candle. We see through the window. PREACHER has gone. CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER Merciful Heaven! She stands up. CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- RACHEL AND RUBY RACHEL COOPER Ruby, get the children out of bed. Bring them all down here to the kitchen. RUBY leaves the SHOT. RACHEL moves towards window. She puts her hand over her eyes. RACHEL COOPER Women is such fools! The soft hoot of an owl o.s. RACHEL looks up. CLOSE SHOT -- AN OWL ON A BRANCH, LOOKING DOWN CLOSE SHOT -- A BABY RABBIT CLOSE SHOT -- THE OWL SPREADS HIS WINGS AND SWOOPS CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL Still for a second; then o.s., the scream of a rabbit. RACHEL COOPER It's a hard world for little things. OVER this line we have heard the patter of feet down staircase. She turns. GROUP SHOT -- THE CHILDREN They look at her with complete trust. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL, OVER CHILDREN RACHEL COOPER (snapping) Children, I got lonesome. I figgered we might play games. PEARL and MARY jump up and down, patting their palms. RACHEL extends her hands and they gather close to her. PEARL HARPER Won't you tell us a story? CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER I might (a swift furious glance into the moonlight) I might tell a story. She sits down, the gun across her knees. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN ...as MARY and PEARL sit at her feet. RUBY stands beside RACHEL. JOHN stands near RACHEL. CLARY I'll light the lamp. RACHEL COOPER It's more fun hearin' stories in the dark. CLARY sits at RACHEL'S feet. CLOSE PANNING SHOT -- JOHN He is alert now. He moves in close beside RACHEL, whom we PAN into CLOSE TWO-SHOT with him, and presses the whole of his right arm against her arm. RACHEL registers quietly. CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN RACHEL COOPER Well... mind what I told you about little Jesus and his Ma and Pa and how there was No Room at the Inn? HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RACHEL Her eyes, sharp and glittering, look outside. FULL SHOT -- THE OUTSIDE, FEATURING EMPTY STUMP, RACHEL'S VIEWPOINT GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN She gets up with gun; we PULL AWAY; in BACKGROUND, CHILDREN turn faces to keep watching her. She comes close to window, gun ready, CHILDREN in BACKGROUND RACHEL COOPER Well now, there was this sneakin', no-'count, ornery King Herod! She turns round and walks back to her chair; CHILDREN'S eyes always on her. RACHEL COOPER And he heard tell of this little King Jesus growin' up and old Herod figgered: Well, shoot! There sure won't be no room for the both of us! (she sits down) I'll just nip this in the bud. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN, FROM SIDE RACHEL COOPER (continuing) Well, he never knowed for sure which one of all them babies of the land was King Jesus. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RACHEL Her eyes glittering as she turns to look towards us. RESUME SIDE GROUP SHOT RACHEL gets up, with gun. Again we PULL AWAY, as faces of all CHILDREN in b.g. turn to watch her. RACHEL COOPER And so that cursed old King Herod figgered if he was to kill all the babies in the land, he'd be sure to get little Jesus. Without speaking, she goes back to her chair. FRONT GROUP SHOT RACHEL COOPER (more relaxed) And when little King Jesus' Ma and Pa heard about that plan, what do you reckon they went and done? CLARY They hid in a broom closet! MARY They hid under the porch! HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN JOHN HARPER No; they went a-runnin'. TWO-SHOT -- RACHEL AND JOHN RACHEL COOPER Well now, John, that's just what they done! They went a-runnin! The clock starts striking three. RACHEL looks to sound o.s. FULL SHOT -- CLOCK AND HALL MIRROR, BEYOND DARK KITCHEN In the mirror, a shadow ducks. FULL GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN RACHEL gets up, gun at port, and faces into the darkness. PREACHER (o.s.) Figured I was gone, eh? Eyes on the darkness, she bends low to the CHILDREN. RACHEL COOPER (whispering) Run hide in the staircase! Run quick! They scatter out of shot; RUBY lingers. RACHEL COOPER (without turning to her) Ruby, git. RUBY obeys in a trance. RACHEL, gun at ready, looks into the darkness. FULL SCREEN -- DARKNESS Pause. RACHEL COOPER (o.s.; in a high, steady voice) What do you want? PREACHER (o.s.) Them kids! RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) What are you after them for? PREACHER (o.s.) None of your business, Madam. RACHEL COOPER I'm givin' you to the count of three to get out that screen door; then I'm a-comin' across this kitchen shootin'! A stepped-on cat screams o.s. and PREACHER'S satanic face, and his hand lifting the open knife, rise swiftly from floor. FULL FIGURE SHOT -- RACHEL -- SAME SHOT AS BEFORE She fires off her gun. FULL SHOT -- SCREEN DOOR PREACHER staggers out and runs yelping with pain into the barn. o.s. we hear the zing-zing of a country phone being cranked. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL, OVER BACKS OF CHILDREN'S HEADS They huddle on the stairs in reverent silence. RACHEL, her gun slung sportily under one arm, talks into wall phone which hangs just within the box stairway. RACHEL COOPER Miz Booher? Rachel Cooper. Git them State Troopers out to my place. I done treed somep'n up in my barn. DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- RACHEL AND JOHN RACHEL sits on the screened porch, awake, gun on knees. JOHN sits on floor, asleep, his head leaning against her. Barn in BACKGROUND. Sunrise. CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL AND JOHN Same position. JOHN awakes. JOHN HARPER I'll see to Pearl. RACHEL COOPER I'll make coffee. They get up and start into kitchen. GROUP SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER RACHEL AND JOHN They lie huddled in calm sleep. JOHN and RACHEL watch a moment. JOHN HARPER She's all right. They start for the stove. TWO-SHOT -- RACHEL AND JOHN, AROUND STOVE RACHEL puts her gun beside the stove, ready to hand, and picks up a coffee-pot; JOHN puts kindling in stove. RACHEL COOPER John, you know? When you're little you have more endurance than God is ever to grant you again? Children are Man at his strongest. They abide. JOHN looks at her a moment. o.s. we hear police car sirens. They look towards the sound. FULL SHOT -- THROUGH POLICE CAR WINDSHIELD We SHOOT OVER two TROOPERS. Sirens loud, they rapidly approach RACHEL'S house as RACHEL, without gun, holding JOHN'S hand, comes down to fence. Presently, the other CHILDREN hurry out of house behind. The car brakes. FULL SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN OVER TWO POLICE CARS -- BARN IN BACKGROUND The TROOPERS, fanning wide, advance towards barn. RACHEL and the CHILDREN are grouped a short distance behind them. The barn door gapes black. Short pause; then PREACHER appears. A TROOPER (shouting) Is that him, Ma'am? RACHEL COOPER (shouting) Yes! Mind where you shoot, boys! There's children here! TROOPER Whyn't you call us up before? RACHEL COOPER Didn't want yer big feet trackin' up my clean floors. CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER He stands, swaying; his left arm is bloody and helpless. In his right hand the open knife hangs apathetic. His eyes are glazed. He does not seem to care whether they come or not. TROOPER'S VOICE (o.s.) Harry Powell, you're under arrest for the murder of Willa Harper! MEDIUM SHOT -- PREACHER AND TROOPERS -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT TROOPERS close in on PREACHER, from before and behind, exactly as for BEN'S arrest. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN The same sickly look, as at BEN'S arrest. MEDIUM SHOT -- PREACHER AND TROOPERS -- JOHN'S VIEWPOINT One TROOPER smacks the back of PREACHER'S head with a pistol- barrel. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (shouting) Don't! RESUME VIEWPOINT SHOT Another TROOPER, with a pistol barrel, knocks the knife from PREACHER'S lifted hand. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (shouting) Don't! RESUME VIEWPOINT SHOT PREACHER sinks to his knees as both men, and two others from the front, close in on him. The tableau is the same as in BEN'S arrest. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER (shouting) Dad! FRONT GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN JOHN grabs the DOLL from PEARL and starts to run. RACHEL COOPER John! John! She starts after him. FULL SHOT -- TROOPERS, JOHN, RACHEL, OVER PREACHER PREACHER prostrate along bottom of screen. TROOPERS are beating him. JOHN runs up from BACKGROUND followed by RACHEL. JOHN rushes among the TROOPERS, flogging PREACHER over the head with the DOLL. The TROOPERS, astounded, lay off. RACHEL is stopped in her tracks. JOHN HARPER Here! Here! Take it back! I can't stand it, Dad! It's too much, Dad! I don't want it! I can't do it! Here! Here! The DOLL has burst open and the money has spilled over PREACHER. Now two TROOPERS gently lift JOHN away. RACHEL lifts him in her arms; she turns towards house. FULL FIGURE PULL SHOT -- RACHEL AND JOHN -- GROUP IN BACKGROUND She carries JOHN towards the house. His head hangs back over her arm. We hear his dry, exhausted sobs. INT. COURTROOM -- DAY -- CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY ICEY SPOON (yelling) Lynch him! Lynch him! TWO-SHOT -- WALT AND ICEY ICEY SPOON (yelling) Bluebeard! WALT (yelling at all the men around him) Twenty-five wives! ICEY SPOON And he killed every last one of 'em! GROUP SHOT -- WALT, ICEY, MEMBERS OF COURTROOM AUDIENCE Perhaps ten faces. Most are frenetic. Our two LOAFERS are having fun. General hubbub o.s. A gavel o.s. ICEY SPOON (yelling) If the People of Marshall County... LOAFERS (cynically, across her) Bluebeard! Bluebeard! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN He looks to sound of gavel. The hubbub and the gaveling stop. LAWYER (o.s.) Will you identify the prisoner? JOHN looks over his shoulder in same direction as the gavel. LAWYER (o.s.) Please, little lad. Won't you look yonder... (his pointing finger enters the shot. John shakes as if he had a cold) ...and tell the Court if that is the man who killed your mother? JOHN looks at the finger. Short pause. LAWYER (o.s.) It's all right, Mrs. Cooper. You can take the little fellow away. The LAWYER'S hands gently help him from chair. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN ...as LAWYER'S hands consign JOHN to RACHEL. LAWYER Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mrs. Cooper. The CHILDREN bob and reply, ad lib, "Merry Christmas to you." RACHEL sniffs. LAWYER (o.s.) And what's Santy Claus going to bring you, little man? Above JOHN'S head, by winding and holding to ear, RACHEL pantomimes a watch. LAWYER (o.s.) O-ho-oo-o! ICEY SPOON (o.s.) Them is the ones he sinned against, my friends! Gaveling starts. LOAFER (o.s.) Bluebeard! Bluebeard! CROWD (o.s.) Bluebeard! Bluebeard! As RACHEL and CHILDREN turn to go, gaveling and hubbub fade and we LAP DISSOLVE TO: INT. A CAFE -- NIGHT RACHEL and her CHILDREN sit in two booths, in a corner, next to a big front window. Christmas parcels on bench at RACHEL'S right. FULL SHOT -- RACHEL AND HER GROUP, THEN CAFE AND WINDOW Sound o.s. of approaching crowd. As we PULL BACK we bring in a few other customers and the big window. There are Christmas decorations in the cafe and the street outside is hung with them. Thirty feverish people, some of whom carry torches, enter the scene; ICEY stares in the window and screams. ICEY SPOON (high-pitched) Them's hers! Everyone in the cafe stands up. RACHEL gathers her parcels. ICEY rushes to door and opens it. ICEY SPOON Them's her orphans! She turns to crowd. RACHEL COOPER Where's Ruby? CLARY She went. ICEY shouts into the cafe. ICEY SPOON Them poor little lambs! ICEY turns to the street mob. RACHEL hurries her CHILDREN to door. ICEY leaves door to yell at mob. ICEY SPOON Them's the ones he sinned against, my friends! CASHIER (across Icey) Go out the back way, Miz Cooper. As RACHEL leaves SHOT, the CASHIER shuts and locks the door. EXT. BACK ALLEY -- NIGHT -- PANNING SHOT -- RACHEL AND COMPANY EMERGING FROM DOOR MARY and CLARY come out first and start walking to our left. RACHEL comes out and hurries off to our right, followed by JOHN, holding PEARL'S hand. We PAN to MARY and CLARY. CLARY Ain't we goin' to the Bus Depot? No answer. They turn and we PAN with them as they hurry after RACHEL, and we bring in RACHEL, charging away from us with her brood hustling to keep up. GROUP SHOT -- FEATURING WALT AND ICEY ICEY carries a torch. She is flanked by rabid faces and by smiling LOAFERS, one of whom carries an axe. As she speaks, a MAN rushes up to WALT and gives him a rope. ICEY SPOON (shouting; high-pitched) Draggin' the name of the Lord through the evil mud of his soul! WALT (bellowing) Come on! They all start marching, in step. PANNING SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN Marching and voices o.s. and in BACKGROUND. Carrying Christmas parcels, they hurry alongside a building and, at CENTER of PAN, cross the end of a street. The MOB marches down the street TOWARDS CAMERA; Men run to join it. ICEY SPOON (high-pitched) He lied! WALT Tricked us! ICEY SPOON He taken the Lord's name in vain and he trampled on His Holy Book! WALT String that Bluebeard up to a pole! ICEY SPOON He's Satan hiding behind the Cross! OTHERS (ad lib) Lynch him! String him up! We PAN RACHEL and CHILDREN past this street and they hurry towards RUBY, who stands alone in BACKGROUND, facing the jail. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RUBY'S ECSTATIC FACE In BACKGROUND, RACHEL and CHILDREN hurry towards her. MOB noise o.s. Hearing the approach of RACHEL'S GROUP, RUBY turns the back of her head towards us. Now there are no mob voices; only the ominous sound of fifty-odd people marching in step. RUBY I love him! TRACKING SHOT -- RUBY Ominous silence. RUBY He loves me because I'm so purty! You think he's like them others! SIDE TRACKING SHOT -- RUBY, RACHEL AND GROUP Marching sound o.s. RACHEL firmly takes RUBY'S arm and drags her off in our direction. RACHEL shoos MARY and CLARY ahead of her. JOHN and PEARL flank RACHEL, clinging to her wide skirts. RUBY, nearest us, keeps looking back over her shoulder. We TRACK them along side of JAIL to rear of JAIL. RUBY (continuing) You took on something awful about him buying me that there movie book. You was so mad you shot him and the blue men took him. On "blue men," we stop TRACKING and, as GROUP leaves SHOT, CENTER a POLICE CAR, waiting at rear door of JAIL. POLICEMEN start out of door. MEDIUM GROUP SHOT -- POLICEMEN AND PREACHER They roughly hustle PREACHER into the car. Marching sound o.s. SHOT -- FROM WITHIN CAR -- BART PREACHER and POLICE are in b.g. Through car window we see BART the HANGMAN come out of his door. He wears his derby. A POLICEMAN puts head out of window. Marching sound o.s. MEDIUM SHOT -- BART THE HANGMAN On porch, by door, is a doll's perambulator, but this time there is a Christmas wreath on the door. Marching o.s. POLICEMAN (o.s.) Hey Bart! Auto engine starts up o.s. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- BART BART Yeah? MEDIUM SHOT -- BART Marching o.s. POLICEMAN (o.s.) We're savin' this bird up fer you! HEAD CLOSE-UP -- BART Marching o.s. BART This time it'll be a privilege. FULL PANNING SHOT -- POLICE CAR, THEN RACHEL AND GROUP The car jumps fast out of SHOT and we PAN PAST BART and CENTER RACHEL and GROUP, walking fast away from us. Mob voices o.s. A VOICE (o.s., over departing car) Bust the door down! CLOSE GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN Clutching Christmas parcels they hurry away from us into darkness. RUBY, hanging back, dragged by RACHEL, babbles over her shoulder. RUBY (happily) They'll git him out. I'll git my things ready -- my shawl and my Mickey Mouse wristwatch that don't run and the straw hat with the flower, and we'll be married and live happily ever after! VOICES (o.s. ad lib, cutting across Ruby) Bust the door down! Set fahr to it! Where's that axe! Climb up on the balcony! You six git 'round to the back! ICEY SPOON (o.s., screaming) People of Marshall County! DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- NIGHT LANDSCAPE -- PINE TREES, AND SOFTLY FALLING SNOW DISSOLVE TO: EXT. RACHEL'S HOUSE -- EVENING; SNOWING -- CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL AT MAILBOX She peers into empty mailbox. RACHEL COOPER Nothing! She slams the box shut and, as we TILT and PAN, walks away from us through snow towards her lighted house. RACHEL COOPER I'm glad they didn't send me nothing! Whenever they do it's never nothing I want but something to show me how fancy and smart they've come up in the world. She goes into the house. INT. RACHEL'S KITCHEN It is decorated for Christmas. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN Rachel enters; the four girls stand in line, packages ready; JOHN stands in b.g., in doorway to next room. MARY Can we give you your presents now? CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER Shoot! You don't mean to say you got me a present! Their hands hold packages up to her. RACHEL COOPER Shoot now! She takes a package. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) Why, Ruby! Embarrassed, JOHN leaves the shot. RACHEL COOPER (o.s.) A POT-HOLDER! CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN -- NEW ANGLE From a fruit bowl, he selects the biggest apple, shines it on his shirt, wraps it in the doily under his bowl, opens a drawer and gets out a clip clothespin, clips his package, and leaves shot. RACHEL COOPER (o.s., continuing) And much neater than last year's, Ruby! (Sound of tearing gift-paper o.s.) (o.s.) And Clary! ANOTHER POT-HOLDER! Ain't that thoughtful. I'm always burnin' my hands. FULL SHOT -- RACHEL, AND CHILDREN, OVER JOHN ...as he enters with present. RUBY and CLARY are standing aside; MARY and PEARL hold up a third pot-holder. RACHEL COOPER And did you two make this together? Both nod. MARY You hop us, some. CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL, ACCEPTING JOHN'S GIFT She opens it. RACHEL COOPER (quietly) John, that's the richest gift a body could have. (continued, briskly) You'll find your presents in the cupboard under the china-closet. GROUP SHOT -- RACHEL AND CHILDREN RACHEL COOPER You know where, Ruby. All turn and run through door except Ruby, whom RACHEL detains. RACHEL COOPER Ruby: (she takes a box from her apron pocket) This is yours. RUBY opens it quickly; it is a cheap costume-jewelry flower- spray. RUBY and RACHEL kiss like grown women and RUBY goes to join the others. FULL SHOT -- RACHEL She turns to her stove and is framed by Christmas garland in b.g.; banging pots about and stirring; praying as she works, which is the best way to pray. Appropriate noise, o.s., of opening presents. RACHEL COOPER Lord save little children! (bang) You'd think the world would be ashamed to name such a day as Christmas for one of them... (bang) ...and go on the same old way. (she starts stirring) My soul is humble when I see the way little ones accept their lot. (she pauses in stirring) Lord save little children! The wind blows and the rain is cold. Yet, they abide. In BACKGROUND, the girls run upstairs, their new dresses over their arms. RACHEL glances over her shoulder. MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN -- RACHEL'S VIEWPOINT JOHN stands in next room, looking at something in his hand. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN -- IN OTHER ROOM We see he holds a watch. He looks like any boy, rich or poor, with his first watch. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RACHEL RACHEL COOPER (whispering, so that he does not hear) For every child, rich or poor there's a time of running through a dark place; and there's no word for a child's fear. A child sees a shadow on the wall, and sees a Tiger. And the old ones say, "There's no tiger; go to sleep." And when that child sleeps, it's a Tiger's sleep, and a Tiger's night, and a Tiger's breathing on the windowpane. Lord save little children! JOHN enters boldly behind her and, with a scrape, masterfully swings a chair around close to her and straddles it. RACHEL turns her back to us. She expects him to speak, he doesn't, so she fills in: RACHEL COOPER That watch sure is a fine, loud ticker! JOHN gives her a burning, proud smile. RACHEL COOPER It'll be nice to have someone around the house who can give me the right time of day. JOHN finds his tongue. JOHN HARPER This watch is the nicest watch I ever had. RACHEL COOPER A feller can't just go around with run-down, busted watches. She turns back, face to us, and goes on with her stirring. JOHN goes off towards the staircase to join the girls; then turns back. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN JOHN HARPER I ain't afraid no more! I got a watch that ticks! I got a watch that shines in the dark! He turns and hurries to the stairs. HEAD CLOSE-UP -- RACHEL Over the sound of his running upstairs: RACHEL COOPER (telling us) They abide and they endure. LAP DISSOLVE TO: FULL SHOT -- STARRY SKY FADE IN TITLE: THE END