The Night of the Hunter

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 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
          Get in the skiff, Pearl, goodness, goodness,
          hurry!

                    PEARL
               (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 toward 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
          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
          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.)
          ...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 plenty
          of good home cooking.  Your devoted Harry Powell

                    ICEY
          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' those gypsies busted in and done off
          with all three of 'em.

                    ICEY
          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 the 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
          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 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
               (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
          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
          Are we goin' home, John?

                    JOHN
          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
A 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;

[LANE]

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
               (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.

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
               (loud)
          You two youngsters get up here to me this
          instant!

TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL -- RACHEL'S ANGLE

                    RACHEL (o.s.)
          Mind me now!

JOHN lowers the oar at the female authority in her voice.

                    RACHEL (o.s.)
          Now git on up to my house. 

They hesitate.

THREE-SHOT -- OVER JOHN

                    RACHEL
          I'll get 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
          Don't you hurt her!

                    RACHEL
          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.