Rebel Without a Cause Page #17

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Low angle. CRUNCH, MOOSE and their parents. JIM's back in

f.g. The boys stare down at him.

High angle. JIM (from the boys' point of view) as he stares

up at them. MOOSE's father takes his arm and starts him

down the stairs, the others moving too.

MOOSE:

Let go of me--

MOOSE'S FATHER

You want a good crack in the mouth?

JIM starts forward up the steps. CRUNCH grabs him.

CRUNCH:

This place appeal to you or something?

They move down the steps as JIM breaks away and continues up.

He goes through the doors.

Inside doors as JIM comes through and stops. He looks back

through the glass. We see the group reach the curb where

their cars are parked. There is a brief discussion which we

cannot hear, then CRUNCH and MOOSE move off to MOOSE's car.

JIM turns back. He looks worried as he passes camera.

Med. shot. CRUNCH and MOOSE. They stop at MOOSE's car and

look back at the entrance. The parents are seen beyond

them, getting into their cars. CRUNCH is near tears with

anger.

CRUNCH:

What's he going to pull--

MOOSE:

Nothing, Crunch. They picked him

up like the rest of--

CRUNCH:

You see any cops?

MOOSE'S FATHER

(yelling)

You monsters start home. We're

going to--

MOOSE:

Yeah. Yeah.

MOOSE'S FATHER

We're following you so better get

there.

CRUNCH:

You see any cops?

MOOSE:

No--

CRUNCH:

He's going to cheese, I tell you.

Nobody arrested him!

MOOSE:

I think I should go home.

CRUNCH:

No. We're going to bring him down.

MOOSE:

Crunch--my father's--You going to

kill him?

CRUNCH:

(crying)

You clean out of your head? Come on!

CRUNCH gets into the car. MOOSE follows. They gun the

motor and throw the car into a sharp U-turn. MOOSE'S FATHER

jumps into his car. He steps on the starter but nothing

happens--just the empty whirring, over and over. Finally it

starts, but the boys have gone.

Inside Precinct Station. Juvenile division. A desk

sergeant is writing in the record book. Facing him across

the desk and handcuffed to an officer is a young hoodlum,

very different in appearance from the kids we have met--a

typical duck-tail 'cat'.

SERGEANT:

(spelling)

W-O-J-T-what?

HOODLUM:

O-W-I-C-Z. Wojtowicz. What's the

matter, man? That's the craziest

name in town! It swings!

JIM:

Excuse me--but--You know where I

can find--I mean I don't remember

his last name--

SERGEANT:

Look--can't you see I'm writing?

HOODLUM:

(combing his duck-tail)

Man, this cat never stops. He just

keeps going like Big Jay at a session!

OFFICER:

Shut up.

HOODLUM:

He's writing a book about me--

SERGEANT:

What I could write about you they

wouldn't print.

JIM:

I think his first name's Ray--I

have to see him. It's very important.

SERGEANT:

What's the charge?

OFFICER:

Assault with a deadly weapon.

JIM:

Listen--

SERGEANT:

(annoyed)

He's not here. He's not at

Juvenile Hall. I don't know where

he is. He's out on a call and

he'll be out all night. How old

are you?

JIM:

My parents know I'm out. They know

I'm here.

SERGEANT:

Come back tomorrow.

JIM:

I'll wait for him.

SERGEANT:

Why don't you come back tomorrow,

son?

(to hoodlum)

Ever been booked before?

JIM turns away, notices a phone on the wall--puts in a coin,

asks for a number.

Bedroom of JUDY's parents. Through an open door we hear a

radio playing-- a late disc-jockey show for teenagers in

which numbers are dedicated by request. JUDY'S MOTHER and

FATHER are in bed, FATHER has phone in his hand.

JUDY'S FATHER

Who wants her? Who? Jim who?

Never heard of you.

He hangs up phone, looks at his wife. She rolls over in bed.

The FATHER turns off the bed lamp, then sits up, worried in

the dark.

JUDY's bedroom. It is her radio we have heard. She turns

off light, opens the door a crack, and looks out toward her

parent's room.

DISSOLVE TO:

Traveling shot. PLATO. He is coming up the walk to his

house. When PLATO has come a few feet, somebody whistles.

PLATO and camera stop. Short, quiet whistles come from the

boxwood and shrubbery on both sides of the walk. PLATO

turns and starts to run, camera following. He gets to his

door, tries the key, but in his panic it will not go into

the lock. Suddenly a hand reaches in and jerks him around.

CRUNCH stands above him. GOON closes in from the other side.

All very tense and hotted up!

PLATO:

What do you want!

CRUNCH:

You know what we want. We want

your friend.

GOON:

We got eyes for him.

PLATO:

Listen, you guys ought to go home.

The cops are cruising every--

GOON:

Where does he live?

PLATO reaches up swiftly and rings the bell. GOON grabs him.

CRUNCH cracks him.

CRUNCH:

You better tell us and I'm not

kidding.

PLATO:

My old man's got a gun.

GOON:

His old man's got a gun. What do

you think of that!

(drives a hard blow

at PLATO's belly)

Your friend talked--

(belts him again)

Now you talk! Talk!

The door opens and the NEGRO WOMAN is there. CRUNCH sends

PLATO spinning into the house past her. He falls.

NEGRO WOMAN:

(yelling)

What you doing! What you doing to

him! You clear out of here 'fore I

call the police!

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