Rebel Without a Cause Page #7

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JUDY comes to them quickly, smiling.

JUDY:

Steady Marlon!

BUZZ:

Wanna make the colored lights go

around and around?

JUDY and BUZZ kiss ardently and without love. JIM goes for

his car.

BUZZ:

(looks after JIM then

at JUDY)

What's that?

JUDY:

A new disease.

BUZZ:

(a little suspicious)

Friend of yours?

JUDY:

I'm glad they let you out.

BUZZ:

Nobody chickened.

JUDY:

I heard about it. You're lucky he

lived.

BUZZ:

They always live.

During this JIM has gotten his car and has driven up.

JIM:

Where's University and 10th?

JUDY:

(pointing right)

That way!

CHICK:

(pointing left)

That way!

BUZZ:

(pointing up)

That way!

Simultaneously, the kids laugh wildly. The radio blares.

JUDy lays her head on BUZZ's shoulder and his arm goes

around her as the car zooms away. JIM looks after them a

moment, then follows.

DISSOLVE TO:

Close shot. Bicycle rack. Wheels spin in, one after

another and drive straight into their slots. As the nearest

bike moves in:

Med. shot. PLATO just getting off his motor scooter. He

comes forward, passes camera which pans with him then

stops--as the school is suddenly revealed. Music starts

with a crash and keeps mounting through the following.

PLATO sighs and moves away from us to join the parade of

students filling the Main approach.

Parking lot as cars scream into their places noisily. JIM

gets out of one and comes forward. A motorcycle roars by,

just missing him. JIM stares off and starts to move as

camera pans with him to:

Another angle. School. Another crash of music. JIM moves

toward the parade.

Full shot. Mid-way down main approach. A number of kids

pass, gossiping happily as they greet each other for the

first time since vacation. Camera searches over them and

stops upon our special group moving toward us--BUZZ, JUDY

and the rest, all abreast. Others must park at their

passage or be elbowed out of the way, staring resentfully,

but not daring to challenge the group's priority. PLATO

runs forward, past them.

Door from within bouncing from hand to hand as students

enter. PLATO moves through the door and disappears in a

milling of kids. JUDY enters with her group and moves on

with them.

Med. shot. Monitor (inside corridor). The Monitor is an

athletic letter-sweater boy with an arm brassard that bears

the letters "HC". Kids pour past him. JIM enters.

JIM:

Hi--can you tell we where I go?

I'm just starting here.

MONITOR:

(pointing at brassard)

Mr. Bassett's office--203. He'll

tell you where your home room is--

JIM:

Thanks a lot.

JIM moves out.

Angle shot. Corridor. Shooting past a row of steel lockers.

The clash and slam of doors as kids throw in coats, pull out

books and primp for the day ahead. PLATO comes to his

locker, which is the nearest, and opens it.

Full shot. Corridor. JIM moves toward us from the distance.

Crowded at the entrance to a classroom in f.g. are JUDY and

her pals. They are sneaking a smoke, passing the cigarette

from one cupped hand to another. As JIM comes near, JUDY

sees him. So do the others. They fold their arms across

their chests and whistle "We are the girls of the

institute"--all but JUDY. JIM glances at her and continues

on past camera. A bell starts ringing crazily over the music.

Close shot. PLATO. He is straightening his tie in the

mirror. Above it, pasted to the locker door, is a still of

Alan Ladd. In the mirror we can see JIM moving past. PLATO

sees him too. He wheels around and stares.

PLATO:

(to himself)

Hi.

The strident music of the students diminishes. The ringing

of the bell stops. There remain only JIM's footsteps.

Long shot. JIM moving off down the corridor. PLATO is in

f.g. looking after him. He slams his locker and starts

after JIM, moving at the same speed and hovering near the

wall. The footsteps of the two boys echo stonily. They are

alone. JIM stops at a bulletin board near a bend in the

corridor. PLATO stops too.

Bulletin board. JIM looking at the notices. PLATO drifts

in several yards away and hangs near the wall watching JIM

who doesn't see him. JIM reads:

Insert:
Bulletin board, "Attention All Juniors and Seniors"--

Planetarium field trip--2 pm--Sharp!"

Another angle. JIM and PLATO as JIM turns from bulletin

board and starts away.

PLATO:

(clearing his throat)

Hi.

JIM:

Hi there.

PLATO:

You remember me?

JIM:

No. I don't think so--

PLATO:

I'm sorry--I made a mistake.

JIM starts toward camera as PLATO after another look, turns

in the opposite direction and walks away from us, smashing

his fist against the wall as he goes. JIM stops, full in

camera. His face clouds, trying to remember. He turns full

around to look after PLATO, then turns back and continues on

his way. The footsteps fade.

DISSOLVE TO:

Full shot. Planetarium seen from the parking lot--a great

dome crowns it--the city lies below. Camera picks up JIM's

car maneuvering through the crowded lot. In b.g. a few

other late-comers are dashing up steps to Planetarium. JIM

drives into a small lot behind observator, parks, then runs

to observatory entrance.

Full shot. Lobby as JIM runs through, opens door of theater

and passes inside.

Long shot. Sky full of stars seen past JIM's head.

Darkness. This is not our sky. It is a replica of it

projected onto the dome of the Planetarium. The stars slide

their tentative ways in an ever-changing pattern. One of

them is much larger than the rest and increases in size as

we watch. Music of the spheres is heard--a high threatening

tremolo.

LECTURER (O.S.)

For many days before the end of our

earth people will look into the

night sky and notice a star,

increasingly bright and increasingly

near.

JIM looks around for a seat and passes down aisle. Seen

beyond him is the projector, moving slowly, its great dumb-

bell head sparkling with pin-points of light. JIM takes a

seat in front row. PLATO, in the row behind him, moves over

a seat to be nearer. They exchange looks.

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