The Night of the Hunter

                    PREACHER (o.s.)
          Leaning! Leaning!  Safe and secure from all
          alarms!

Meanwhile, we move vertically DOWNWARDS TOWARDS HER FACE, serene in death. 
We may or may not glimpse the gashed throat, through drifting hair. 

                                        LAP DISSOLVE TO

EXT. HARPER HOME -- FULL SHOT -- THE HOUSE AND TREE
PREACHER leans against the tree; he continues singing:

                    PREACHER
          Leaning!  Leaning!  Leaning on the everlasting
          arms!
               (seductively)
          Children!

CLOSER MOVING SHOT -- PREACHER
We start moving before he does.  LOW CAMERA; full figure.  We TILT to frame
him from the waist downward and follow close behind him.  As he leaves the
tree and walks along the side of the house; we TILT DOWNWARD and CLOSE IN, to
follow only his feet; he steps past a tiny cellar window and we PAN and
TIGHTEN IN CLOSE ON IT, into--

CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL
Their noses are flat against the glass; their cheeks touch; their window
isn't quite big enough to hold both their heads.  It is on the ground; we
don't see their chins.  They look towards the departed PREACHER.

                    PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.)
          Chill-dren?

PEARL, who is on the side PREACHER has left by, turns her head towards JOHN.

INT. CELLAR -- MEDIUM CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL
They are standing on a coal heap, faces at the window.

                    PEARL
          John, why do we have to hide?

JOHN has taken charge.  He speaks very quietly, but calmly and cheerfully, as
to an invalid.  He starts down the rustling coal-heap, helping PEARL down.

                    JOHN
          Careful.

The following dialogue as they climb down, making as little noise as
possible.  We PULL slowly away.

                    PEARL
          Where's Mom?

                    JOHN
          She's gone to Moundsville.

                    PEARL
          To see Dad?

                    JOHN
          Yes, I reckon that's it.

They have achieved the cellar floor.

                    PREACHER'S VOICE
               (more peremptorily outside)
          Children!

During the following dialogue we hear, o.s., the opening of a door, and
PREACHER's footsteps indoors as he crosses floor, climbs stairs, and opens
another door.

                    JOHN
          Someone is after us, Pearl.

                    PEARL
          I want to go upstairs.  It's cold and spidery
          down here.  I'm hungry.

                    JOHN
          Now, listen to me, Pearl.  You and me is
          runnin' off tonight.

                    PEARL
          Why?

                    JOHN
          If we stay here, somethin' awful will happen to
          us.

                    PEARL
          Won't Daddy Powell take care of us?

                    JOHN
          No, that's just it.  No.

FULL SHOT -- A ROOM UPSTAIRS
PREACHER looks under a bed.

RESUME CELLAR -- TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN

                    PEARL
          Where are we goin', John?

                    JOHN
          Somewheres.  I don't know yet.

O.s., PREACHER's footsteps come down stairs; JOHN leads PEARL carefully past
a rake, a hoe, and a shelf-prop and they crouch down into --

CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- JOHN AND PEARL
... beside an apple barrel.  PREACHER's footsteps cross kitchen, o.s.

                    PEARL
          I'm hungry, John.

                    JOHN
          We'll steal somethin' to eat.

                    PEARL
          It'll spoil our supper.

                    PREACHER'S VOICE (o.s.)
          Pearl?

Both look sharp towards cellar door o.s.

THE CELLAR DOOR -- THE CHILDREN'S VIEWPOINT
The door opens; PREACHER'S head, carrying a candle in holder, a white-washed
wall and stairs are lighted.

                    PREACHER'S VOICE
          I hear you whisperin', children, so I know
          you're down there. I can feel myself gettin'
          awful mad, children.

CLOSE TWO-SHOT -- THE CHILDREN

                    PEARL
               (whispering)
          John...

JOHN claps his hand over her mouth.

CELLAR DOOR

                    PREACHER'S VOICE
          My patience has run out, children. I'm comin'
          to find you now.

He clop-clops nearly to the bottom of the stairs.  ICEY's voice cuts
cheerfully across his descent.

                    ICEY
               (calling o.s.)
          Yoo-Hooooo!  Mis-ter Paow-welll!

He goes up the stairs and vanishes.  Light on wall through open door to
kitchen.

                    ICEY'S VOICE
          Just a little hot supper I fixed for you and
          the children.

                    PREACHER'S VOICE
          Bless you, bless you!

                    ICEY'S VOICE
          And how are the children?

                    PREACHER'S VOICE
          They're down there playin' games in the cellar
          and they won't mind me when I call 'em.  I'm at
          my wit's end, Miz Spoon.

ICEY clucks her tongue o.s.

                    ICEY'S VOICE
               (yelling)
          John:  Pearl:

She appears at head of stairs.  Her voice crackles with authority.

                    ICEY
          John!  Pearl!  Shake a leg!

She claps her hands smartly.

FULL SHOT -- THE KITCHEN -- OVER ICEY

                    ICEY
               (continuing)
          I won't have you worrying poor Mister Powell
          another minute.

A short pause; then the children, covered with coal-dust, emerge into the
light and climb the stairs.  JOHN's head is hung in defeat.  As they enter
the kitchen, we PULL BACK.

                    ICEY
          Just look at you!  Dust and filth from top to
          toe!

GROUP SHOT -- THE CHILDREN, OVER PREACHER AND ICEY

                    ICEY
          Want me to take 'em up and wash 'em good?

                    PREACHER
          Thank you, no.  Thank you, dear Icey.  I'll tend
          to them.  Thank you.

ICEY pats JOHN's head.

CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN

                    ICEY'S VOICE
          Don't be too hard on 'em, Reverend.  Poor
          motherless children.

JOHN looks to PEARL and we PAN HER IN as PREACHER's hand named LOVE moves
through her locks.  We PAN with PREACHER and ICEY as they move towards the
door.

                    ICEY
          Remember now, Mister Powell, don't be afraid to
          call on us. Good night.

CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN
He watches ICEY leave, o.s.

                    PREACHER (o.s.)
          Good night, Miz Spoon, and thank you again.

FULL SHOT -- PREACHER AND ICEY
ICEY goes away along path outside. PREACHER, his back to us, watches her a
moment, then turns.

                    PREACHER
          Weren't you afraid, my little lambs, down there
          in all that dark?

HEAD CLOSE-UP -- JOHN
Wondering what to do next.

                                        LAP DISSOLVE TO

CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE, OVER BESS'S PICTURE
We begin with HEAD CLOSE-UP of BIRDIE as he rocks, and PULL BACK.  He is
rocking; and drunk.  A bottle stands beside the picture.  He turns and speaks
to the picture.

                    BIRDIE
          They'll think it was me!  They'll think it was
          old Uncle Birdie.

CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE -- NEW ANGLE
His hands grip the edge of the chest on either side of the picture, which we
now see.

                    BIRDIE
          If you'd o' seen it, Bess!  I'm drunk as a lord
          and I know it, but...

INSERT -- BESS'S PICTURE

                    BIRDIE'S VOICE
               (o.s., continuing)
          Sweet Heaven, if you'd o' seen it!

RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT
BIRDIE picks up the bottle.  His hand and the liquor tremble.

                    BIRDIE
               (continuing)
          Down there in the deep place... her hair wavin'
          lazy and soft like meadow grass under flood
          waters, and that slit in her throat, just
          like she had an extry mouth.

INSERT -- BESS'S PICTURE

                    BIRDIE'S VOICE (o.s.)
          And there ain't a mortal human I can tell but
          you...

RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT

                    BIRDIE
               (continuing)
          ... Bess, for if I go to the Law, they'll hang
          it on to me.

The bottle falls from his hand onto its side on the edge of the chest.

CLOSE SHOT -- BIRDIE -- NEW ANGLE
The reverse angle of the opening shot.  BIRDIE rocks heavily; liquor gurgles
from bottle to floor.

                    BIRDIE
          Sweet heavens, save poor old Uncle Birdie.

                                        LAP DISSOLVE TO

MEDIUM THREE-SHOT -- PREACHER, JOHN, PEARL
PREACHER sits at head of table. JOHN stands to PREACHER's right, around
corner of table.  He remains expressionless and immobile until he speaks.
PEARL stands to JOHN's right, hugging the DOLL.  The table is loaded with
good food.  PREACHER, well-fed and at leisure, dabs his mouth delicately with
his napkin, folds it, puts it in a ring, and folds his hands.  He waits.

                    PEARL
               (at last)
          I'm hungry.

                    PREACHER
          Why, sure.  And there's fried chicken and
          candied sweets and cornsticks and apple
          cobbler!

                    PEARL
          Can I have my supper, please?

                    PREACHER
          Naturally.

                    PEARL
          Can I have milk too?

                    PREACHER
          Yes.  But, first of all, we'll have a little
          talk.

PEARL frowns and puts her finger in her mouth; she remembers he twisted her
arm.

                    PREACHER
               (softly)
          About our secrets.

                    PEARL
          No.

                    PREACHER
          Why, pray tell?

                    PEARL
          Because John said I mustn't.

THREE SHOT REVERSE -- PREACHER, OVER NECKS OF CHILDREN
He slaps the table; his eyes crackle.

                    PREACHER
          NEVER--MIND--WHAT--JOHN--SAID!

PEARL starts to snivel.

                    PREACHER
          John is a meddler.  Stop sniveling.  Looky here
          a minute!

He brings out the knife.

                    PREACHER
          Know what this is?

PEARL shakes her head for no.

                    PREACHER
          Want to see something cute?  Looky now!

He touches the spring; the blade flicks open.