Double Indemnity Page #14

owe us a dinner, don't they?

PHYLLIS:

Maybe they do but I've already asked

them for Monday.

DIETRICHSON:

Well, I don't want to feed the Hobeys.

B-46 CLOSEUP - PHYLLIS' FACE ONLY

There is a look of tension in her eyes now. She glances around

quickly. The car has reached the dark street Neff and she

picked out.

DIETRICHSON'S VOICE

And I don't want to eat at their

house either. The food you get there,

and that rope he hands out for cigars.

Call it off, can't you?

Phyllis does not answer. She doesn't even breathe. Her hand

goes down on the horn button. She honks three times.

DIETRICHSON'S VOICE

What are you doing that for? What

the --

This is as far as his voice will ever get. It breaks off and

dies down in a muffled groan. There are struggling noises

and a dull sound of something breaking. Phyllis drives on

and never turns her head. She stares straight in front of

her. Her teeth are clenched.

DISSOLVE TO:

B-47 PARKING SPACE ADJOINING GLENDALE STATION - NIGHT

The station is visible about sixty yards away. There is no

parking attendant. Ten or twelve cars are parked diagonally,

not crowded. The train is not in yet, but there is activity

around the station. Passengers and their friends, redcaps

and baggage men, news vendors, etc.

The Dietrichson sedan drives into the shot past CAMERA and

parks in the foreground at the outer end of the line, several

spaces from the next car, facing away from the CAMERA. Both

front doors are open. Phyllis gets out and from the other

side crutches emerge, and a man (seen entirely from behind,

and apparently Dietrichson) climbs out awkwardly. While he

is steadying himself on the ground with the crutches, Phyllis

has taken out Dietrichson's suitcase and overcoat. She walks

around the car and rolls up the right front window. She closes

and locks the car door. She tries the right rear door and

takes a last look into the dim interior of the car. Then she

and the man walk slowly away from the car to the end of the

station platform and along it toward the station building,

Phyllis walks several steps ahead of the man.

B-48 PHYLLIS & THE MAN - WALKING

CAMERA FOLLOWING THEM, a little to one side, so that Phyllis

is clearly seen but the man's face is not.

MAN:

(In a subdued voice)

You handle the redcap and the

conductor.

PHYLLIS:

Don't worry.

MAN:

Keep them away from me as much as

you can. I don't want to be helped.

PHYLLIS:

I said don't worry, Walter.

B-49 PHYLLIS & THE MAN, WALKING DOWN PLATFORM, CAMERA NOW

PRECEDING THEM:

Only at this point is it quite clear that THE MAN IS NEFF.

NEFF:

You start just as soon as the train

leaves. At the dairy sign you turn

off the highway onto the dirt road.

From there it's exactly eight-tenths

of a mile to the dump beside the

tracks. Remember?

PHYLLIS:

I remember everything.

NEFF:

You'll be there a little ahead of

the train. No speeding. You don't

want any cops stopping you -- with

him in the back.

PHYLLIS:

Walter, we've been through all that

so many times.

NEFF:

When you turn off the highway, cut

all your lights. I'm going to be

back on the observation platform.

I'll drop off as close to the spot

as I can. Wait for the train to pass,

then blink your lights twice.

Phyllis nods. They go on. Over them is heard the noise of

the train coming into the station and its lights are seen.

B-50 GLENDALE STATION PLATFORM

The train is just coming to a stop. The passengers move

forward to the tracks. Phyllis, carrying the suitcase and

overcoat, and Neff, still a little behind her, come TOWARDS

THE CAMERA. A redcap sees them and runs up. He takes the

suitcase out of Phyllis' hand.

REDCAP:

San Francisco train, lady?

Phyllis takes an envelope containing Dietrichson's ticket

from the pocket of the overcoat. She reads from the envelope.

PHYLLIS:

Car nine, section eleven. Just my

husband going.

REDCAP:

Car nine, section eleven. Yessum,

this way please.

Phyllis hands the overcoat to the redcap, who leads her and

Neff towards car number nine. Neff still hangs back and keeps

his head down, the way a man using crutches might naturally

do.

B-51 EXT. CAR #9: B-52: B-53

The pullman conductor and porter stand at the steps. The

conductor is checking the tickets of passengers getting on.

The redcap leads Phyllis and Neff into the SHOT. The conductor

and porter see Neff on his crutches and move to help him.

PHYLLIS:

It's all right, thanks. My husband

doesn't like to be helped.

The redcap goes up the steps into the car. Neff laboriously

swings himself up onto the box and from there up on the steps,

keeping his head down. Meantime, Phyllis is holding the

attention of the conductor and porter by showing them the

ticket.

CONDUCTOR:

Car nine, section eleven. The

gentleman only. Thank you.

Phyllis nods and takes the ticket back. Neff has reached the

top of the steps. She goes up after him and gives him the

ticket. They are now close together.

PHYLLIS:

Goodbye, honey. Take awful good care

of yourself with that leg.

NEFF:

Sure, I will. Just you take it easy

going home.

PHYLLIS:

I'll miss you, honey.

She kisses him. There are shouts of "ALL ABOARD". The redcap

comes from inside the car.

REDCAP:

Section eleven, suh.

Phyllis takes a quarter from her bag and gives it to the

redcap.

PORTER:

(Shouting)

All aboard!

Redcap descends. Phyllis kisses Neff again quickly.

PHYLLIS:

Good luck, honey.

She runs down the steps. The porter picks up the box. He and

the conductor get on board the train. Phyllis stands there

waving goodbye as the train starts moving, and the porter

begins to close the car door. Phyllis turns and walks out of

the shot in the direction of the parked car.

B-54 INT. PLATFORM CAR NUMBER NINE - MOVING TRAIN - (NIGHT) -

DIM LIGHT:

Neff and the Porter. The conductor is going on into the car.

Neff is half turned away from the porter.

NEFF:

Can you make up my berth right away?

PORTER:

Yes, sir.

NEFF:

I'm going back to the observation

car for a smoke.

PORTER:

This way, sir. Three cars back.

He holds the vestibule door open. Neff hobbles through.

DISSOLVE TO:

B-55 INT. PULLMAN CAR - DIM

Most of the berths are made up. As Neff hobbles along, another

porter and some passengers make way for the crippled man

solicitously.

DISSOLVE TO:

B-56 PLATFORM BETWEEN TWO CARS - VERY DIM

The train conductor meets Neff and opens the door for him.

Neff hobbles on through.

DISSOLVE TO:

B-57 INT. PARLOR CAR - MOVING TRAIN

Four or five passengers are reading or writing. As Neff comes

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