Appaloosa

1 INT. BOSTON HOUSE SALOON, APPALOOSA - LATE AFTERNOON 1

Particles of dust float in rays of sunlight slicing throughlouvered saloon doors.

The doors push open silhouetting the holstered guns of two

men.

The bartender, FAT WALLIS, looks up as he lights an oil lamp

chandelier.

Close on CHALK and BRONC, dangerous looking cowhands.

Whiskey.

BRONC:

Fat Wallis maneuvers around the bar, pours two shots.

CHALK:

Leave the bottle.

Wallis sets the NEAR FULL WHISKEY BOTTLE on the bar.

2 INT. TOWN HALL, APPALOOSA - SUNSET 2

ABNER RAINES, tall with white hair, one of three CITY

ALDERMEN, addresses a packed house.

RAINES:

Today is a special day. Seven

years ago a death knell rang out inthis town. The Indian Wars had

forced the closure of our coppermines, the life-blood of our

community. Many of our friends andtheir families left us. Appaloosawas on the verge of becoming aghost town...empty buildings,

silent streets, memories of lives

being erased by the dust and thewind.

The townspeople pay solemn attention.

RAINES (CONT’D)

But those of us who stayed refusedto let that happen. With our faith

in God and one another we foughtand struggled through the mostdifficult of times and have

persevered. And now our moment is

here...our moment to look forward -

into the glow of the future.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 2.

2 CONTINUED:
2

RAINES (CONT’D)

So without further ado, on behalf

of my fellow Aldermen, Mr. Earl May

and Mr. Phil Olson, I would like to

welcome...all the way from

Chicago...the man who will be the

Chief Engineer of the newly founded

Appaloosa Copper Company, Mr.

Clayton Poston, and his beautiful

bride Vera!

Applause.

CLAYTON, big and handsome and VERA, his beautiful wife; rise

from their seats and acknowledge the cheering townsfolk.

Clayton strides up to a small table near the podium.

CLAYTON:

Thank you. Vera and I have been

warmed by your hospitality. And

believe me, coming from Chicago,

that feels awfully nice.

The audience laughs politely.

CLAYTON (CONT’D)

So thank you. Now on to the

business at hand...Electricity is

the future, and electric wire is

copper wire!

He whips the velvet cover off a contraption with a light bulb

on top. He cranks the handle and the bulb LIGHTS UP.

The audience cheers and claps, in awe.

More cheering. Vera beams with pride.

3 INT. BOSTON HOUSE SALOON - NIGHT 3

Close on the WHISKEY BOTTLE, NEAR EMPTY.

A rough hand grabs the bottle... two drinks are poured.

Chalk and Bronc down their last shots. They turn to go.

FAT WALLIS (O.S.)

That’ll be three dollars.

Both men turn and stare dead-eyed at Wallis.

Wallis doesn’t want to die for three dollars. He turns away

and goes back to work.

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 3.

3 CONTINUED:
3

Chalk and Bronc head out into the night.

4 EXT. TOWN HALL - NIGHT 4

Buggies and wagons are leaving.

one another.

Folks calling good-night to

Vera and Clayton stroll across the street into the darkness.

5 EXT. 2ND STREET, APPALOOSA - A SHORT TIME LATER - NIGHT 5

Vera and Clayton stroll the dimly lit street, arm and arm,

obviously in love.

IN THE SHADOWS - Chalk and Bronc.

CHALK:

Here he comes.

BRONC:

You sure that’s him?

Gotta be.

CHALK:

Bronc and Chalk step out of the shadows.

Vera stops when she sees them.

VERA:

(pulling Clayton’s arm)

Let’s cross.

CLAYTON:

It’ll be fine, dear.

A moment’s walk and THEY MEET on the boardwalk.

BRONC:

Where you goin’?

CLAYTON:

We’re going to our hotel. If

you’ll kindly step out of the way.

CHALK:

Good looking lady you got.

CLAYTON:

My wife.

BRONC:

She f*** as good as she looks?

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 4.

5 CONTINUED:
5

Clayton hits Bronc so hard he’s staggered backward.

Chalk drives his hunting knife up into Clayton’s heart.

Vera begins to scream as Clayton falls but Bronc clamps his

strong hand over her mouth and drags her into the blackness

of the alley. Chalk follows...

BLACK OUT:

6 EXT. CIRCLE R~B RANCH - DAY 6

MARSHAL JACK BELL, 60ish, heroic looking, on a large black

horse, and TWO DEPUTIES ride under arched timbers.

An iron CIRCLE R~B swings from the cross beam.

From the ranch house some distance away, RANDALL BRAGG, 50’s,

an imposing charismatic presence, steps off the porch. He

cradles a WINCHESTER .73.

From the corral, bunkhouse and barn, BRAGG’S MEN... join him.

Bell and his Deputies ride to a halt.

They meet in an open area of trampled dirt between the ranch

house and the barn.

MARSHAL BELL:

Randall, I’m afraid I’m going to

have to bring two of your boys back

into town with me.

Most of Bragg’s dozen or so hands hang back behind him -

including Chalk and Bronc.

BRAGG:

You’re out of your jurisdiction,

Marshal, beyond city limits. And

you’re trespassing on my land.

MARSHAL BELL:

They murdered that Chicago fella

and raped and killed his wife. I’m

taking them in.

BRAGG:

No.

Bell studies the FACES of Bragg’s men.

One of them is a YOUNG MAN, barely 18.

Bell’s eyes rest on Chalk and Bronc (who sports a black eye).

(CONTINUED)

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07 5.

6 CONTINUED:
6

Bell looks to one of his Deputies, nods to Chalk and Bronc.

MARSHAL BELL:

Those two on the end, cut ‘em out.

The Deputy looks uncertain.

MARSHAL BELL:

Do as I tell you.

The Deputy nudges forward.

BOOM! Bragg blows the Deputy out of his saddle.

Bell’s horse rears - he goes for his gun -

BOOM! Bragg shoots Bell through the neck.

BOOM! Bragg shoots the second Deputy through the heart.

Bragg’s men are stunned... it was fast, ruthless and deadly.

SLOW FADE TO BLACK.

Silence... then the sound of whistling wind.

FADE IN:

7 EXT. OPEN RANGE - WEEKS LATER - DAY 7

In the distance TWO RIDERS and their PACK MULE cross the vast

terrain of southern New Mexico...

HITCH (V.O.)

Like my Father, I’d been West

Point, and I was good at

soldiering. But soldiering didn’t

allow for too much expansion of the

soul. So after the War Between the

States and a year of fighting

Indians, I turned in my commission

and rode away to see how much I

could expand it.

The Two Riders ride on...

HITCH (V.O.)

I shot buffalo for the railways and

rode for Wells Fargo with an eight-

gauge shotgun. I sat lookout for a

while in a gambling parlor in

Durango and did a short turn as a

bouncer in a whorehouse in Canon

City.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

7

Tried my hand at gold mining thencame down out of the San Juan

Mountains looking for somethingelse to do.

"APPALOOSA" GREEN REVISIONS 10/30/07

CONTINUED:

HITCH (V.O.) (cont'd)

6.

7

8 EXT. OUTSKIRTS APPALOOSA - SAME DAY - LATE AFTERNOON 8

EVERETT HITCH, 40’s, lean, good looking, eight-gauge shotgunin his scabbard and VIRGIL COLE, 50’s, black suit, bone

handled Colt at his side, ride side by side.

HITCH (V.O.)

First time I met Virgil Cole waswhen me and my eight-gauge backedhim up in a showdown he was havingwith some drunken mountain men.

Cole rides slightly ahead of Hitch as they walk their horsesup a sage covered slope.

HITCH (V.O.)

Virgil asked me right there on thespot if I’d care to partner up withhim and his peace keeping business.

Hitch comes up along side Cole as they arrive at the edge ofa cliff.

HITCH (V.O.)

Which was why I was with him nowand why I still carry the eight-

gauge... we’d been keeping thepeace together for the last dozen

years or so.

Close on Cole and Hitch looking out.

HITCH (V.O.)

And as we looked down on a town

called Appaloosa, I’d no reason todoubt that we’d be doing just thatfor the foreseeable future.

9 EXT. ESTABLISHING SHOT, APPALOOSA - DAY 9

Nestled in a rocky river valley - well kept buildings spreadout over two full blocks. A brick train station sits at the

end of one of the cross streets. The tracks ribbon their wayinto the hills beyond.

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