King Kong Page #8

It is a HEAVY SEA, and SPRAY mists over ANN, her BLONDE HAIR blows in

the wind ... it is a LYRICAL MOMENT.

ANN:

(to KURT)

Do you know "Brahm's Lullaby"?

KURT:

(shakes head)

Can't say I do, Miss Darrow.

ANN:

When I was little and away from home, father would sing it to me when I

got scared ...

(singing softly))

"Lullaby and good-night, Go to bed and sleep tight ..."

KURT recognizes the TUNE and JOINS in with his VIOLIN ... ANN continues

singing, withdrawing her father's SILVER FOB-WATCH from her jacket.

ANN (CONT'D)

(singing softly)

"Close your eyes, start to yawn, Pleasant dreams until dawn."

ANN releases her father's WATCH and it disappears into the churning sea

... She wanders away down the deck.

VOMIT SOUNDS ... ANN JUMPS WITH FRIGHT as the LIFEBOAT COVER suddenly

lifts up and JACK leans out, THROWING UPi He glances at ANN with BLEARY

EYES.

JACK:

Haven't found my sea-legs yet. I'm not a good sailor ... bur's who's

complaining? I'm on a wonderful cruise with first class accommodation

... and a beautiful babe has just walked into my bedroom.

JACK rolls back in the LIFEBOAT ...

JACK (CONT'D)

Yeah! Life's looking pretty damn good at the moment.

ANN:

I don't know what happened to you, Jack ... but I can't believe you

were always this much of a bastard.

JACK:

(shrugs)

When this boat finally reaches Jakata, I'll be first off. You'll never

see me again ... and believe me - that day cannot come soon enough.

I've got no problem with you ignoring me for the rest of the voyage.

ANN turns and walks away ... to the SOUND of the SOULFUL VIOLIN.

INT. ANNE'S CABIN - DAWN

ANN wakes to the SOUND of VOICES and RUNNING FEET.

EXT. DECK - DAWN

ANN emerges from her cabin, hurriedly pulling a SWEATER on. KIURT runs

past, heading for the BRIDGE.

KURT:

(excited)

We've arrived!

INT. BRIDGE - DAWN

A SWEEPING PAN of the HORIZON ...

... NOTHING BUT EMPTY SEA.

DENHAM, ENGLEHORN, KURT and ANN are standing BRIDGE, looking in ALL

DIRECTIONS.

ENGLEHORN:

(smug)

I guess that answers your questions. There's no island on these co-

ordinates - not even a lousy fog-bank.

DENHAM:

(angry)

Well, that was a monumental waste of time! I pay good money, only to be

taken on some wild goose chase!

(to KURT)

I made the mistake of trusting my idiot translator!

JACK arrives in the doorway ... He glances at the CHARTS.

ANN:

It has to be here! It was on the map!

ENGLEHORN:

I'm turning this ship around. We're charting a course for Jakata!

ANN:

No! This is my father's discovery! You can't just abandon the search.

DENHAM:

I have to apologize, Miss Darrow. It seems we've all been badly misled.

Kurt! I want you to take this the right way - you're a genuine moron!

ANN BREAKS DOWN INTO SOBS ... JACK looks at her - MAKES A DECISION ...

JACK:

We're further south than this.

He's pointing at the CROSS marking the island. ANN looks at him, a

flicker of HOPE crosses her face. DENHAM raises his eyebrows ...

ENGLEHORN FROWNS.

JACK (CONT'D)

I'd guess we're at least half a degree below the charted course. The

island's a couple of hundred miles north-west.

ENGLEHORN:

Impossible!

JACK:

I know how to navigate, Captain Englehorn. You've made a mistake.

ENGLEHORN:

(flustered)

This is lunacy! He's talking nonsense.

DENHAM:

(darkly)

Steer a course north-west, Captain Englehorn.

EXT. DECK - DAWN

JACK is walking away from the bridge ... ANN runs after him.

ANN:

Jack!

JACK pauses ...he turns. She wipes the LAST OF HER TEARS AWAY

ANN (CONT'D)

I want to thank you.

JACK:

It's ok.I know what you were feeling.

ANN:

I can't imagine you crying.

JACK:

Relax ... it was fifteen years ago. I don't do it now.

JACK turns and walks away.

CUT TO:

INT. DENHAM'S CABIN - NIGHT

DENHAM hosting dinner for JACK and ANN. He is in a relaxed, jovial

mood. He reaches under the TABLE and produces a GIFT-WRAPPED PRESENT

... he hands it to ANN - she is surprised.

DENHAM:

It's time to smoke the peace pipe - as we say back in America.

(gestures at gift)

I bought it in Singapore for the wife, but I'd like you to have it.

ANN holds up a PALE SATIN NIGHTDRESS and QUILTED DRESSING GOWN. JACK

raises his eyebrows.

DENHAM (CONT'D)

I hope it fits ... Mrs Denham's a big lady.

ANN:

(being polite)

It's ... lovely.

DENHAM:

Miss Darrow ... I've been thinking. I would very much like to dedicate

this motion picture to the memory of your father. It's a great shame he

wasn't able to join us on this adventure. Truly a wonderful man.

JACK and ANN exchange a look.

DENHAM (CONT'D)

I thought that with your assistance we could have the premiere at the

Albert Hall. We'll take out a full page ad in Variety - "The Lord

Darrow Benefit screening". We'll invite the King of England - hell,

we'll get the whole Royal Family along! It'd be good for them and good

for us!

ANN:

(pause)

To be quite honest, Mr Denham ... I find the whole idea to be quite

reprehensible.

DENHAM grins and lights a CIGAR ...

DENHAM:

Thank you! I thought it was quite clever myself!

AT THAT MOMENT The SHIP'S ENGINES SUDDENLY STOP.

DENHAM frowns.

EXT. DECK/VENTURE - NIGHT

DENHAM leads the way onto the deck, followed by JACK and ANN ... ALL

THREE STARE IN AWE ...

WIDE SHOT The "VENTURE" sits on a FLAT SEA, DWARFED by nearly vertical

TOWERING WALT. OF FOG ... It rises hundreds of feet into the air, lit

by an EERIE MOONLIGHT.

INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT

CLOSE ON ENGLEHORN knocks back a GLASS OF SCOTCH. He sits alone in the

BRIDGE ... the ship has stopped, the wheel abandoned.

DENHAM, ANN and JACK race into the BRIDGE.

ENGLEHORN:

I can take you no further, Denham.

Is trembling with fear. KURT arrives on the BRIDGE.

DENHAM:

Kurt! Take her into the fog. Nice and slowly.

KIURT pushes the lever to "Slow Ahead" and MANS THE WHEEL as the

"VENTURE" starts to crawl towards the fog.

ENGLEHORN downs ANOTHER SCOTCH.

ENGLEHORN:

Seven years ago I picked up a castaway - the skipper of a Norwegian

barque.

The GROUP listen to ENGLEHORN in SILENCE.

ENGLEHORN (CONT'D)

I have never seen a man so mentally ravaged. He had gone blind, not

through any injury -but because his mind could no longer deal with the

terrible sights he had witnessed. I sat with him during his last night

on earth, listening to his fevered whisperings. He spoke of sailing

into a thick fog and of running aground on an uncharted island. He

spoke of a huge wall, built by a long forgotten civilization and of a

creature - neither man nor beast - that lived behind that wall. Of the

thirty crewmen who made it ashore, he was the only one who looked into

the eyes of the Beast and survived.

ANN instinctively grasps JACK'S HAND.

ENGLEHORN (CONT'D)

If we sail into that fog, it will be the death of us all.

LOW ANGLE DENHAM - the WINDOWS of the bridge behind him.

ENGLEHORN (CONT'D)

I'm not a man who easily succumbs to fear, Captain Englehorn.

As DENHAM talks, the FOG swirls over the WINDOWS, encapsulating the

"VENTURE" in a MILKY SHROUD.

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