The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter   

by

James Agee,David Grubb

& Charles Laughton

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 switchblade 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
          the 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 facade; 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
          Stand still, Miss Jenny!

                    JOHN
               (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
               (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
          Where's your Mom?

                    JOHN
          Out shopping -- you're bleeding, Dad --

                    BEN
          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 the 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
               (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
               (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 THE CHILDREN
Police cars approaching in BACKGROUND.  PEARL hugs her doll.  JOHN is dazed.
BEN stands, pistol in hand.

                    BEN
          Here they come.

                    JOHN
          Dad, you're bleeding....

He grabs JOHN's shoulder and stoops as we TIGHTEN IN.

                    BEN
          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
          Yes, Dad.

                    BEN
          You understand?

                    JOHN
          Not even her?

In b.g. the TROOPERS get out of their cars and fan out cautiously to
surround BEN: guns in hand.

                    BEN
          You got common sense. She ain't. When you grow
          up that money will be yours.  Now swear. "I
          will guard Pearl with my life ..."

                    JOHN
               (fumbling)
          I will guard Pearl with my life ...

                    BEN
          ... "And I won't never tell about the money."

                    JOHN
          And I won't never tell about the money.

                    BEN
          You, Pearl.  You swear too.

CLOSE SHOT -- PEARL

                    PEARL
               (giggling)
          Who's them Blue Men yonder?