King Kong Page #7

PEEK:

Oh God! I didn't see him!

JACK'S EYES FLUTTER OPEN - he looks up to see ...

PEEK suddenly club ANN! She topples over and PEEK snatches the map, an

"it's my lucky night" look on his face. JACK tries to get up, but he's

too stunned and can only watch as PEEK jumps back in the car and speeds

away.

CUT TO:

EXT. PALEMBANG HARBOR - DAWN

The "Venture' is STEAMING AWAY from the DOCKS - SMOKE shoots out of

it's FUNNEL as the boiler pressure rises ... The ORANGE LIGHT of DAWN

fills the sky.

CUT TO:

EXT. PALEMBANG DOCKS - DAWN

JACK and ANN run onto the DOCK ... They look filthy, bruised and very

tired. ANN watches in despair as the "VENTURE" leaves the HARBOR MOUTH.

ANN:

(urgent)

Where do I charter a boat?

JACK:

There's nothing fast enough to catch that. Forget it. It's over.

ANN:

(angry)

I not doing this for me, Jack! It's for my father. This is possibly the

greatest anthropological discovery of the last two hundred years! It

belongs to him! I'm going to that island ... nothing's going to stop

me!

JACK glances at a NATIVE DUG-OUT.

JACK:

You might have some luck with that ... if you paddle as fast as you

talk.

JACK turns and walks away, DUCKING INTO THE SHADOWS as a MILITARY

VEHICLE cruises past in the distance.

ANN (O.S.)

Jack.

JACK turns ... ANN is looking at the OLD 2-SEAT FLOAT-PLANE, beached on

the muddy bank. It is a TOTAL WRECK - broken wings, rudder hanging by

one hinge, control wires snapped and tangled.

ANN (CONT'D)

(hopeful)

Can you fly?

JACK:

Are you kidding?! That heap of junk will never leave the ground!

He turns and carries on walking ...

JACK (CONT'D)

Besides, I've given it away. I ain't flown since the war. I ain't ever

flying again.

CUT TO:

EXT. SUMATRAN COAST - MORNING

The "VENTURE" is a couple of miles off the Sumatran coast, and heading

out to sea.

INT. VENTURE BRIDGE -- MORNING

CAPTAIN ENGLEHORN is steering the ship. DENHAM is pacing anxiously

while KURT studies ANN'S PENCIL RUBBING. He is marking a course on a

MODERN MAP.

KURT:

Here!

DENHAM watches with excitement as KIURT makes a CROSS in the middle of

a vast empty ocean.

KURT (CONT'D)

It says the island is surrounded by salak-pur ... a fog bank.

DENHAM:

How many days?

ENGLEHORN:

(adement)

There's no island there. We're wasting our time!

DENHAM:

(angry)

I'm chartering this vessel,Engelhorn - how many days?

ENGLEHORN:

(sullen)

Two... maybe three.

The SOUND of an approaching PLANE!!!

EXT. VENTURE DECK - MORNING

DENHAM and KIURT come out onto the deck, scanning the sky for the plane

...

KURT:

Mr Denham!

KURT is pointing at the SEA.

DENHAM:

(confused)

What the -

CRASH CUT TO:

EXT.

SUMATRAN COAST - MORNING

The OLD FLOAT-PLANE, is speeding along the SURFACE OF THE WATER! The

engine is belching BLACK SMOKE, but is still propelling the wreck at a

far rate of knots. The floats slow signs of HASTY REPAIR to keep them

watertight.

CLOSE ON JACK in the FRONT COCKPIT, with ANN behind him ... SEA SPRAY

is showering them. JACK is keeping an eye on the GAUGES.

CRASH CUT TO:

JACK:

(yelling above noise)

I'm gonna pull along side. I can't cut the engine - she'll never start

again.

EXT. VENTURE/OCEAN - MORNING

Most of the CREW are lining the DECKS, watching with AMUSEMENT as the

FLOAT-PLANE pulls up along side. ENGLEHORN has cut the engines.

DENHAM groans when he recognizes ANN.

ANN:

(yelling)

I'm coming onboard! Throw down a ladder!

DENHAM:

(yelling)

You're outta your depth here, Miss Darrow!

ANN:

(yelling)

There's no hard feelings, Mr Denham! I just want to come to the island

with you!

DENHAM:

(yelling)

Does this look like the "Queen Mary"?? We don't take passengers! Full

steam ahead, Captain Engelhorn!

DENHAM walks away.

JACK:

(sarcastic)

Well, that was certainly worth the effort! Whaddya do for an encore?

ANN suddenly reaches forward, SNATCHING THE PISTOL out of JACK'S belt!

DENHAM and ENGELHORN head toward the BRIDGE ... BANG! BANG! ...

GUNSHOTS! They race back to the side ...

BANG! BANG! ANN is PUMPING BULLETS into the plane's FLOATS! It

immediately starts SINKING!

ANN:

(yelling)

Are you going to stand there and watch us drown, Gentlemen?

ENGLEHORN (O.S.)

(orders)

Throw down a ladder ... Quick now!

CLOSE ON ... DENHAM.

DENHAM:

(muttering)

Sh*t!

CUT TO:

EXT. OCEAN - DAY

WIDE SHOT ... The "VENTURE" steaming towards the horizon.

INT. ANN'S CABIN - DAY

ANN is shown into a SMALL, FUNCTIONAL CABIN by KURT.

ANN:

Thank you.

EXT. VENTURE DECK - DAY

KURT closes ANN'S door ... JACK is holding a BUNDLE OF DRY CLOTHES.

Standing outside,

KURT:

'Fraid Miss Darrow' s taken the last cabin. I could put you -

JACK:

(interrupts)

I'll take care of myself. Thanks.

JACK heads towards the FRONT OF THE SHIP. He approaches an OPEN DOOR

... A PAIR OF FEET protrude from beneath the door.

JACK suddenly kicks the door! With a SCREAM, RANDELL PEEK drops to the

deck, clutching his BLEEDING MOUTH!

JACK (CONT'D)

Sorry! I didn't see you there.

JACK walks on.

EXT. STERN DECK/VENTURE - DAY

CLOSE ON A GOLF BALL sitting on a TEE.

WHACK! DENHAM hits the ball OUT TO SEA ... He is aiming at a small raft

with a GOLF HOLE & FLAG that is being towed a 100 yards behind the

ship! He wears a CAP and PLUS FOURS.

ANN (O.S.)

Mr Denham ...

DENHAM glances at ANN as he tees up again. She is wearing a borrowed

set of MEN'S CLOTHES.

ANN (CONT'D)

Can I see the map? My father spoke of references to a Beast God ...

DENHAM:

(interrupts briskly)

Kong is a myth, nothing but a native superstition, Miss Darrow. All

we're going to find on that island are some primitive people in grass

skirts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to reduce my handicap.

DENHAM swings at the ball ...

ANN:

Have you considered a personality transplant?

DENHAM misses the ball.

EXT. FORE-DECK - DAY

HERB is CLEANING HIS CAMERA in the sunshine - it lies on a blanket IN

PIECES. His SHOULDER is still BANDAGED from the TIGER ATTACK. ANN is

relaxing beside him.

HERB:

I know he can be a little crass, but Mr Denham's basically a good guy

... put both my kids through school.

HERB lifts the CAMERA BODY and WINCES.

ANN:

ANN How's your shoulder?

HERB:

Shoulder's fine ... It's this -

HERB pulls up his sleeve - ANN flinches at the sight of an UGLY SCAR on

his arm.

HERB (CONT'D)

(matter-of-fact)

Sea Lion up in Nova Scotia. No hospitals ... it was stitched up by an

Eskimo housewife using penguin gut. The sinew never really mended.

ANN:

That's terrible!

HERB:

(misunderstanding)

No, no - we got the shot. Mr Denham won an award for that picture.

Personally I'm more proud of "Animal Love in the Rockies" -I got some

wonderful footage of a pair of Grizzlies - er, you know ... mating.

Excuse my language!

HERB pulls up his TROUSER LEG, revealing AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB!

HERB (CONT'D)

Cost me my leg - but as Mr Denham says ... "Pain is temporary, Film is

forever"

ANN looks appalled.

EXT. DECK - NIGHT

ANN emerges from the door, walks past a COVERED LIFE BOAT and leans on

the RAIL. KURT is hunched on a box, playing a VIOLIN.

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