The Night of the Hunter

                    RACHEL
          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 at him from her apple.

                    RACHEL
               (suddenly)
          John, where's your folks?

                    JOHN
               (plainly)
          Dead.

                    RACHEL
          Dead.

She nods with finality.  JOHN starts to eat his apple.

                    RACHEL
          Where ye from?

                    JOHN
          Up river.

                    RACHEL
          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
          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
          Story, honey?  Why, what story?

                    JOHN
          About them Kings.  That the Queen found down on
          the sandbar in the skiff that time.

                    RACHEL
          Kings!  Why, honey, there was only one.

                    JOHN
          I mind you said there was two.

                    RACHEL
          Well, shoot!  Maybe there was!

CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL
Maybe we see -- though JOHN does not -- the thanksgiving in her eyes.

                    RACHEL
          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 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?

                    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 ever 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
          Ruby, you didn't have no money to buy this.

                    RUBY
          You'll whip me!

                    RACHEL
          When did I ever?

                    RUBY
          This man down at the Drugstore...

                    RACHEL
          The Drugstore?

                    RUBY
          Miz Cooper.  I never went to sewin' lessons all
          them times.

                    RACHEL
          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
          Dear God, child!

Now RACHEL also weeps.  She bends low over RUBY, stroking her hair.

                    RACHEL
          You was lookin' for love, Ruby, the only
          foolish way you knowed how.

She lifts RUBY's face cheek to cheek beside her own.

                    RACHEL
          We all need love.  Ruby, I lost the love of my
          son -- I've found it with you all.

They weep together.

                    RACHEL
          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 wasn't like them!  He just give
          me a sody and the book.

                    RACHEL
          Now who was this?

                    RUBY
          He never asked me for nothin'.

                    RACHEL
          He must have wanted somethin', Ruby.  A man
          don't waste time on a girl unless he gets
          something.

RUBY shakes her head.

                    RACHEL
          What'd you all talk about?

                    RUBY
          Pearl and John.

                    RACHEL
          John and Pearl!

RUBY nods.

                    RACHEL
          Is he their Pap?

RUBY shrugs.

                    RACHEL
          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
               (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
          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
               (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
          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
               (wanting to know)
          Them kids is yours?

CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER

                    PREACHER
               (recovering from the interruption)
          My flesh and blood!

CLOSE SHOT -- RACHEL

                    RACHEL
          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
          Where's she at?

                    PREACHER
          Somewheres down river!  Parkersburg, mebbe! 
          Cincinnati!  One of them Sodoms on the Ohio
          River.

                    RACHEL
          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
          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
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