Capote Page #7

Give me your hand.

Perry extends his hand through the bars. As Truman shakes

some aspirin into it -

PERRY:

I could kill you if you got too

close.

Perry puts the aspirin in his mouFh, CHEWS THEM, holds out

his hand for more. Truman gives him more, which Perry puts

in his pocket for later.

TRUMAN:

Would you like some water?

Perry shakes his head. Silence.

TRUMAN (cont ' d)

Mrs. Sanderson lent you my book -

PERRY:

He said we'd curry favor with the

Judge if we waived our rights.

TRUMAN:

Who did?

PERRY:

The lawyer.

TRUMAN:

Okay.

Truman nods, not wanting to push this any further. Perry

picks up the book, holds it out through the bars.

PERRY:

Your picture' s undignified. People

recall first impressions.

TRUMAN:

What's been your first impression?

PERRY:

You want something.

TRUMAN:

From you?

Green 11/2/05 37.

Dorothy pokes her head in from the living room.

DOROTHY:

Truman. Walter's gonna be home

soon.

TRUMAN:

(to Perry)

I just want permission to talk.

(then)

Has anyone else visited?

Perry doesn't answer.

DOROTHY:

Truman -

TRUMAN:

Will you tell me if you need

anything? I can have whatever you

want sent from New York.

(no answer)

Will you do that?

On Perry, considering whether to t r u s t t h i s man.

CUT TO:

5 7 INT. NEW YORKER, WILLIAM BHAWN'B OFFICE - LATE AFPERNOON 57 *

Phone RINGS, WILLIAM SHAWN answers (50, New Yorker editor,

conservatively attired) at a desk looking onto 44th Street.

SHAWN:

William Shawn.

TRUMAN (OVER PHONE)

Gorgeous?

SHAWN:

Truman.

INTERCUT to Truman in a PHONE BOOTH outside the COURTHOUSE.

57A INT. COURTHOUBE PHONEBOOTH - DAY 57A *

TRUMAN:

I'm writing a book. It's too much

for a single article - thie town,

the killers most of all - you will

be stunned by Perry Smith -

SHAWN:

Why? What has he -

TRUMAN:

Not much yet, but I know. I can

sense him. He's desperately

lonely, frightened.. .. I have

questions - are you ready?

SHAWN:

Would it matter -

TRUMAN:

How much more money can you send

me? How quickly can you get Dick

Avedon out here to take some

pictures?

INTERCUT to WILLIAM SHAWN'S OFFICE. On Shawn -- he doesn't

know how to begin to respond.

CUT TO:

INT. HICKOCK' S JAIL CELL - DAY 58 *

Perry has been placed in an adjoining cell for the afternoon.

He COMBS his greased hair in a mirror. A camera FLASHES.

Nelle and Truman sit outside the cells. Franklin Weeks dozes

off to the side. RICHARD AVEDON - small, dark, wiry,

flamboyant - is snapping photos of a bare-chested Hickock in

the next cell, particularly his TATTOOS, while Hickock

chatters away.

HICKOCK:

Perry, honey. You look terrific...

Perry is embarrassed, glances over at Truman. FLASH.

HICKOCK (cont'd)

Calm yourself down, sweetheart.

Perry glances at Nelle. She MOTIONS to him that his SHIRT is

buttoned wrong. Perry fixes it, looks back at her.

Hickock notices Truman gazing at his tattoos - the one on his

CHEST:
the word PEACE, with a cross radiating rays of light.

HICKOCK (cont 'd)

Be patient, Capote. Maybe later

they ' 11 send you my skin.

Green

TRUMAN:

I have the perfect place for it,

over the hearth.

Hickock smiles. FLASH. Truman looks over at Perry, sitting

alone. Truman starts to remove his TIE.

PHOTOS, in quick succession: Of Hickock pulling up his

sleeve to reveal his tattoos. Of Perry combing his HAIR.

FLASH. The GRINNING CAT on Hickock's hand. FLASH. Perry

looking directly at the camera. FLASH.

CUT TO:

5 9 INT. COURTHOUSE - MORNING, ONE MONTH LATER 59 *

Series of shots in and around the courthouse:

TITLE UP:
"One month later"

An officer approaches down a long hallway. A janitor cleans

the basin of the water fountain. Spectators are drawn into

the courthouse. The officer opens the courtroom doors. A

crescendo of sounds.

6 0 INT. COURTROOM - DAY 60 *

Spectators take seats. The jury files back into the box.

Perry and Dick chew gum. Perry wears TRUMAN'S TIE, and draws

on a pad with a NEW SET OF COLORED PENCILS - another PARROT,

quite beautiful, now YELLOW. Nelle and Truman sit together.

NELLE:

Where'd Perry get the art set?

Truman shrugs. Nelle raises her eyebrows. Judge Tate GAVELS

loudly, looks to the jury.

JUDGE TATE:

Members of the jury. Have you

reached a verdict?

FOREMAN:

(stands)

Yes sir.

JUDGE TATE:

Defendants rise.

Perry and Dick stand. Judge Tate turns back to the Foreman.

JUDGE TATE (cont'd)

Perry Edward Smith and Richard

Eugene Hickock stand accused of

four counts of the crime of murder

in the first degree. Have you

reached a unanimous verdict?

FOREMAN:

We have, your honor.

JUDGE TATE:

What is your verdict?

FOREMAN:

Guilty. On all counts.

JUDGE TATE:

Have you unanimously reached a

sentence.

FOREMAN:

We have, your honor.

JUDGE TATE:

What is the sentence?

FOREMAN:

Death.

Judge nods, the foreman sits. Judge turns to Perry and Dick.

JUDGE TATE:

Perry Edward Smith and Richard

Eugene Hickock. You've been found

guilty of four counts of murder in

the first degree. You will be

taken to the state penitentiary at

Lansing. No later than midnight,

May 13 of this year, nineteen

hundred and sixty, each of you will

be hanged by the neck until dead.

So ordered.

He GAVELS. Perry and Dick are set upon by Sheriff's Deputies

and led out. Photographers crowd them. Dick turns to Perry.

HI CKO CK:

Alright, partner. Least now we're

not the only killers in Kansas.

Perry looks at him, utterly lost. FLASH.

CUT TO:

Green

6 1 INT. WALKER HOTEL, NELLE ' S ROOM - JUST BEFORE DAWN 6 1

Nelle sits at the window, smoking. Truman in the armchair,

holding a drink. They've been up all night. Their bags are

packed. Also - a few packed boxes of written-in yellow

notepads and many typed pages. Truman glances at his watch.

TRUMAN:

You think he slept at all?

Nelle looks over at him.

TRUMAN (cont'd)

I need to see him before we go.

CUT TO:

6 2 INT. SHERIFF'S RESIDENCE - MORNING

Truman sits next to Perry's cell. Perry lies on the bed,

staring at the ceiling.

TRUMAN:

They're going to transfer you up to

Lansing today. You'll have to make

sure to put me on the visitor's

list. Otherwise I can't see you.

No response.

TRUMAN (cont ' d)

Will you do that? I'm going to

help find you a proper lawyer. You

need a serious lawyer for an

appeal.

(no response)

They took Dick last night. I need

you to get him to do the same thing

- put me on the visitor's list.

Will you do that, Perry?

Perry closes his eyes.

TRUMAN (cont ' d)

Perry.

FADE OUT.

6 3 INT. TRUMAN AND JACK'S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 63 *

FADE UP ON the sounds of a HUGE PARTY in progress. We see a

home-made BANNER reading "Return to Civilization!" The

CAMERA follows NELLE as she walks through the crowd: Gays,

straights, smoke and noise. Society women, slender and

beaut if ul ; BEN BARON pontificating to CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD.

BEN BARON:

Nelle. Kudos on "Kill the Bird."

Is that it?

NELLE:

Close enough. Thanks.

William Shawn talks to a MUCH TALLER WOMAN.

Green

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