The Night of the Hunter

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
          Pearl and me, we have to go.

He walks off fast as we DOLLY BEHIND THEM; he leads PEARL who hugs her doll.

                    PEARL
               (chanting)
          Hing, hang, hung.

                    JOHN
          You better not sing that song.

                    PEARL
          Why?

                    JOHN
          'Cause you're too little.

A few paces in silence; now they come to the big window of Spoon's Ice Cream
Parlor.

                    PEARL
          Can we get some candy?

WILLA's face is seen within; serving a customer, she sees them and waves them
away.

                    JOHN
          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
          Willa Harper, there is certain plain facts of
          life that adds up just like two and 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
          Icey, I don't want a husband.

CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY

                    ICEY
               (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 Lover's Delight.

                    ICEY
          '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
          Tell me a story, John.

                    JOHN
          Once upon a time there was a rich king...

He sees the shadows on the wall and gets up and looks at them.

                    JOHN
          ... 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
          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
               (casually)
          Just a man.

He climbs into bed and pulls up the covers.

                    JOHN
          Goodnight, Pearl, sleep tight; and don't let
          the bedbugs bite.

                    PEARL
               (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
          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
          Ain't nobody stole Dad's skiff.

                    BIRDIE
          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
          Ain't seen you in a coon's age, Johnny.

                    JOHN
          I been mindin' Pearl.

                    BIRDIE
          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
          '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
               (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
          This mornin' I was talkin' to this stranger
          up at the boardinghouse.  He knowed your Dad!

CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN
JOHN looks cautious.

                    JOHN
          Where'd he know Dad?

CLOSE SHOT - BIRDIE
BIRDIE's face falls; he takes another drink.

                    BIRDIE
          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
          I got to go now, Uncle Birdie.

                    BIRDIE
          Why, shucks, boy, you just got here.

                    JOHN
               (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 VIEWPOINT:

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 grown-ups 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
               (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
               (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 left hand)
          See these here fingers, dear friends!  These
          fingers has veins that run 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, cracking the joints.

                    PREACHER
          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 gone
          down for the count!

He crashes both hands down to the table.

FULL SHOT -- THE WHOLE GROUP
Slight applause from the ADULTS.  PREACHER takes PEARL with her doll, onto
his lap.

                    ICEY
          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
          You ain't leavin' in no hurry if we can help
          it!