The Night of the Hunter

                    RACHEL (o.s.)
          Clary!

CLARY, eleven, pops up.

                    RACHEL (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
          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
          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
          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
          Gracious!  If you hain't a sight to beat all! 
          Where you from?

No answer; their eyes are wide with curiosity.

                    RACHEL
          Where's your folks?

CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN

                    RACHEL (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
               (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 hand
of a female hand on the 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
          With the price o' pork what it is?

CLOSE TRACKING SHOT -- RACHEL
She keeps walking.

                    RACHEL
               (talking to herself)
          I'm butcherin' my hog myself, smokin' the hams,
          and cannin' the sausage.
               (she calls to the children
                over her shoulder)
          You-all have your work cut out!

CLOSE TRACKING TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND CLARY IN MID-PROCESSION

                    JOHN
          She talks to herself.

                    CLARY
          All the time.

                    JOHN
          Your Maw's funny.

                    CLARY
          She ain't our Maw.  We just live at her house.

They walk in silence.

                    JOHN
          Where's your folks?

                    CLARY
          Some place.

                    MARY
          My Daddy's in Dee-troit.

                    JOHN
               (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 into MARY.  The procession halts briefly.  She
embraces MARY.

                    WAITRESS
          Mary!  Honey! 
               (to Rachel)
          Mornin', Miz Cooper.
               (to Mary)
          Guess what!  I'm savin' up to buy ye a charm
          bracelet!

CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL

                    RACHEL
          Never mind the geegaws; 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
          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
               (to children)
          Take yer baskets in.

The CHILDREN file in past her and GROCER.

                    RACHEL
               (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.  She takes a list from her bosom and
gives it to the GROCER.

                    RACHEL
          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
          John, you go fetch Ruby.

JOHN goes.  As GROCER empties baskets and tots up, RACHEL continues:

                    RACHEL
          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
               (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 by her side.  They stand together, as so often before.

                    GROCER
          See ye got two more peeps to your brood.

                    RACHEL
          Yeah, and ornerier than the rest.

                    GROCER
          How's your own boy, Miz Cooper?

                    RACHEL
          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
               (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.  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
          Now old Pharaoh, 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 (o.s.)
          And do you know what it was, children?

RESUME GROUP SHOT

                    RUBY, CLARY, MARY
               (excited)
          No!

                    PEARL
          No!

                    RACHEL
               (still loud)
          Well, it was a skiff, washed up on the bar. 
          And who do you reckon was in it?

                    RUBY
               (confidently)
          Pearl and John!

                    RACHEL
               (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
               (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
               (commandingly)
          John, git me an apple.

JOHN crosses behind her and off, towards door.  We hear it open and close.