Hope and Glory Page #2

INT. ROHAN HOUSE - DAY

The rigid family once more jerks into movement at the sound

of the siren, looking forcefully out of the french windows,

hiding under the table, clutching each other. The siren

stops. They wait, anxiously. Silence. Even the birds

stopped singing at the wailing of the first siren. This was

perhaps the worst moment of the war, the first moment, when

war was still an unknown dread thing. The siren again, but

this time, a long sustained note.

CLIVE:

That's the all-clear. Testing.

They were just testing.

EXT. ROHAN HOUSE - GARDEN - DAY

CLIVE walks tentatively into the garden, looking up,

shielding his eyes against the sun. The others join Him,

one by one.

GRACE:

Such a beautiful day too.

All search the clear blue sky. The sound of the lawn-mower

starts up again where it left off before the war.

SUE:

(singing)

Flat Foot Floogie with a Floy

Floy.

INT. CINEMA - DAY

BLACK AND WHITE:

A Ministry of Information film advises and demonstrates how

to glue strips of paper to windows to avoid flying glass,

and how to construct an air-raid shelter. On the

soundtrack, in addition to the patronizing commentary

voice, is the sound of hundreds of screaming children.

BILL and SUE sit among the children's matinee audience. The

children pay no attention to the screen, but fight and

shout, throw things at each other, jump over seats, cry,

wander up and down the aisles.

The soundtrack changes to dramatic music and a

transformation takes place. All movement and talking

ceases. Hundreds of rapt faces stare at the screen where

Hopalong Cassidy rides into action.

EXT. ROHAN HOUSE - GARDEN - DAY

COLOUR:

CLIVE has put an Anderson shelter at the end of the small

garden, He is shovelling earth on to its humped corrugated

metal roof. His friend, MAC, is watching him.

CLIVE:

Going to put a rockery garden

over it, Mac.

BILL's voice echoes from inside the shelter.

BILL (O.S.)

Dad. It's full of water again.

CLIVE and MAC peer in to see the boy splashing up and down,

water over his ankles. He clutches his submerged foot in

mock agony.

BILL:

Crocodiles! Aah!

CLIVE:

The sodding water table.

MAC:

Could you seal it over with hot

pitch, Clive? Caulk it like the

hull of a ship.

CLIVE:

(caustic)

Thanks. I hope you can come for

the launching.

INT/EXT. ROHAN HOUSE - KITCHEN/GARDEN - DAY

The windows are criss-crossed with brown paper. Beyond, in

the garden, MAC has taken off his jacket and is shovelling

earth onto the shelter. BILL walks barefoot towards the

house, carrying his wet socks and shoes in his hands.

MOLLY:

It's not fair on them. It's

selfish to keep them with you.

GRACE:

My aunt in Australia has

offered..

BILL sits on the steps at the half-open kitchen door and

wrings the water from his socks. SUE comes in and GRACE

signals MOLLY to be circumspect, but she blunders on.

MOLLY:

Snap it up. Great chance for

them. Lot more future out there.

BILL listens, talking it all in. GRACE Watches little SUE

waddle out carrying planes.

GRACE:

It's so far way. I couldn't bear

it.

MOLLY:

Kids don't care. You're thinking

of yourself.

GRACE turns away. Fighting back tears. MOLLY impulsively

takes GRACE in her arms.

MOLLY:

I didn't mean it like that,

Grace. Why does it always come

out wrong?

GRACE:

I know you mean well.

MOLLY laughs and holds her at arms length.

MOLLY:

There you go again. You're so

bloody nice. I want to shake you.

She does, mock serious.

GRACE:

Nothing will ever be the same

again, Molly. And the funny thing

is, I'm glad.

MOLLY looks at her, surprised.

MOLLY:

Now you're talking.

SUE listening to this, sees BILL on the steps and gives him

a questioning look. He shrugs, trying to conceal his

anxiety from his sister.

INT. ROHAN HOUSE - DAWN'S BEDROOM - DAY

DAWN lies in bed, head buried in pillows in that deepest of

all sleep, the Sunday morning adolescent lie-in. BILL

shakes her, jumps on top of her, imitates an air-raid

warning, tries to pull off the bedclothes but she holds

them tight.

BILL:

There's a soldier at he door,

looking for you.

She whips back the sheet, wide awake. One look at his face

is enough to see that he is lying.

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