London After Midnight Page #11

265

INT. HAMLIN LIBRARY (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Sir James, sitting just as we left him staring at the desk

clock.

INSERT:

DESK CLOCK Time 8:25

BACK TO SCENE:
Sir James starts to rise.

266

INT. HAMLIN LIBRARY (NIGHT) FULL SHOT

Sir James, rising, goes directly out the door.

267

INT. LOWER HALL HAMLIN HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

The butler is waiting with Sir James' hat and stick, very

evidently by arrangement with Burke. Sir James, coming out

from the library, takes his hat and stick from the butler,

saying:

TITLE:

"I am going over to call

upon my old friend Roger

Balfour."

BACK TO SCENE:
The butler bows solemnly to this, holding

the door open while Sir James goes out.

268

EXT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Burke slipping in a back door of the house.

269

EXT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Hibbs, coming cautiously around a corner of the house,

looking up toward the windows.

270

INT. UPPER ROOM OF HOUSE (NIGHT) MED.SHOT

Man with Beaver Hat, back to camera, Burke comes in. The

Man with the Beaver Hat turns and is now seen to be a

different person from the man that rented the house.

Without a word he whips off the Inverness coat and hat and

hands them to Burke. Burke starts to make himself up as the

other character -- The Man in the Beaver Hat, as we first

saw him face to face, when he rented the house.

271

EXT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Hibbs, climbing up a side of the house to look in through a

window. He sees:

272

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Lucy and the Bat Girl alone in the great room. The Bat Girl

is starting to undo Lucy's dress at the neck.

273

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

Hibbs, looking in through the broken window. To him, this

can mean only one thing -- the girl in black is a vampyr

-- she is going to put those sharp teeth in Lucy's

throat -- ! With the stake, he smashes at the window.

274

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Lucy and the Bat Girl, as they wheel, staring off toward

the window.

275

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED.SHOT

Hibbs plunging in through the window.

276 INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) SEMI FULL SHOT

The Great Room, as the Bat Girl quickly rushes Lucy off

behind some portieres. As Hibbs rushes in that direction,

the three men of the Balfour House entourage leap out from

places of hiding and seize him. They have ropes and a gag.

277

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Hibbs, struggling in the grip of the three men. Hibbs is a

maniac and the struggle is brief but fierce. They wrench

the stake and ax from him, hurling them to one side. They

start to bind him.

278

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Lucy and the Bat Girl behind portieres. The Bat Girl is

holding her, telling her not to interfere. But Lucy must

see. She pulls the portiere aside a little, looking out.

279

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

The three men and Hibbs. They have him on the floor,

binding him tight, putting a gag in his mouth.

280

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Lucy and the Bat Girl, behind the portieres. Lucy turns

back, hiding her face with her hands. The Bat Girl, her

manner business-like, starts again to undo Lucy's dress

from the shoulder.

281

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) FULL SHOT

Of the Great Room, as the three men carry Hibbs out of the

room. As they exit, at the top of the stairs appears the

Man in the Beaver Hat. He starts slowly down the stairs.

282

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

With traveling camera, of the Man in the Beaver Hat as he

comes slowly, with awful purpose in his eyes, down the

steps. He stops at the landing, his eyes searching the

room.

283

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Door or portiered exit through which Hibbs was taken by

the three men. The three now reappear. They stop, looking

off toward the stairs.

284

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

The Man in the Beaver Hat, staring out of scene at them

with piercing eyes. He gives an order.

285

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) SEMI FULL SHOT

There is sudden activity on the part of the three men. The

Stranger moves over to the table, fixing the chairs there

in exactly the right position, then sitting down. (The

bullet wound does not appear on his temple now, though we

make no point of its not being there.) Another of the three

men slips on a butler's coat and takes up a position by the

side door. The third man withdraws. The Man in the Beaver

Hat, who has been watching this from the landing of the

stairs, now comes down and views the setting, suggesting a

change or two, perhaps here and there.

286

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

Behind portieres, as the Bat Girl finishes hooking up a

simple little dress (the sort that would be worn by a girl

of thirteen or so) on Lucy. Lucy's hair is now down, as a

child would wear it.

287

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) SEMI FULL SHOT

Everything appears to be to the satisfaction of the Man in

the Beaver Hat now. He steps over to the portiere.

288

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

At portieres, as the Man in the Beaver Hat speaks softly.

Lucy appears through the portieres, looking now like a girl

of thirteen, in her child's dress with her hair down. She

looks at the Man in the Beaver Hat, unafraid. Gravely he

nods. That is the way he wants her to appear. They start

out from scene.

289

EXT. BALFOUR GATE (NIGHT) MEDIUM SHOT

Sir James, coming in, turns at the gate, and without even

looking up at the house or without faltering in the

slightest, starts toward the veranda and side door.

290

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) SEMI FULL SHOT

The Man in the Beaver Hat is coming down from the portieres

with Lucy. He places her at an end of the table and gives

her a book to look at.

291 EXT BALFOUR VERANDA (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Sir James coming with unhesitating steps along the veranda,

works the knocker on the door.

292 INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) SEMI FULL SHOT

All inside hear the knocker and turn. With a gesture, The

Man in the Beaver Hat waves all out of the room except the

Stranger and Lucy at the table and the man in the butler's

coat. Then he (the Man in the Beaver Hat) ducks quickly

behind the portieres. The butler goes to the door.

293

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE SHOT

At door, as the butler opens it and Sir James steps in, he

hands his hat and stick to the butler with a grave nod and

exits into the room.

294

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MEDIUM SHOT

The Stranger and Lucy at the table. The Stranger says:

"Good evening, James" Lucy gets up and comes to Sir James

in f.g. He turns and puts his arm around her saying:

TITLE:

"My! My! What a big girl

you're getting to be, Lucy."

CUT FROM TITLE TO:

295

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

Sir James and Lucy, as he finishes title, stroking her

hair, looking down at her fondly.

296

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

At portieres, as they part slightly and the Man in the

Beaver Hat peers out with piercing eyes.

297

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED. SHOT

Sir James, the Stranger and Lucy, as Sir James holds Lucy

off at arm's length, looking at her, at the sweet girlhood

of her. The Stranger watches them morosely. Sir James turns

to him says:

TITLE:

"You seem despondent, Roger."

BACK TO SCENE:
The Stranger nods. Lucy steps quickly,

impetuously over to him, putting an arm around him.

298

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

Lucy and the Stranger, as she puts her arm over him,

lovingly, kissing him on the forehead. He pats her hand,

tells her it's nothing.

299

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

Sir James, watching them, his eyes narrowing as he looks,

a little.

300

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

Lucy and the Stranger, as he tells her, gently:

TITLE:

"It's getting late, Lucy --

say good night to Sir James."

CUT FROM TITLE TO:

301

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) MED.SHOT

The three of them as the Stranger finishes title. Lucy

gives him a good night kiss, then steps over to Sir James,

holding up her lips to him. Sir James kisses her and she

runs out of scene. Sir James stands looking off after her.

The Stranger watches him sullenly. Sir James turns back now

to the Stranger, drawing up the chair, and sitting down at

the table, facing him.

302

INT. BALFOUR HOUSE (NIGHT) CLOSE UP

The Man in the Beaver Hat peering through the portieres. He

parts them a little more, bringing his whole face into view

-- the face with the pallor of death, as expressionless as a

mask.

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