Sherlock Holmes Page #3

HOLMES:

Look.

(CONTINUED)

8.

9A CONTINUED:
(2) 9A

Holmes seems to be pointing at Blackwood. Watson looks,

sees nothing.

HOLMES:

Look.

Watson looks, and sees it and his eyes flare wide.

INCHES FROM WATSON'S RIGHT EYE is the needle-pointed end

of a QUIVERING PIECE OF HIGH-TENSILE WIRE, almost

invisible --

-- the other end held between Blackwood's hands. A

really nasty concealed weapon.

One more step and Watson gets impaled in the eye.

BLACKWOOD:

What a shame. That would've been

fun.

We hear heavy boots on the balcony, as Lestrade and his

men finally appear.

POLICEMEN flood the area.

HOLMES:

Impeccable timing, Lestrade.

LESTRADE:

(vis Blackwood)

Is that -- ?

WATSON:

It is.

HOLMES:

(re:
girl)

We've gone for the doctor...

(re:
Blackwood)

And one for the rope.

LESTRADE:

You should've waited for my help.

HOLMES:

If I had, you'd be cleaning up a

corpse and chasing a rumor.

Besides, the girl's parents hired

me, not the Yard.

(a wry smile)

I can't imagine why they thought

you'd need any assistance.

(CONTINUED)

9.

9A CONTINUED:
(3) 9A

Lestrade turns, frustrated. He watches his men yank

Blackwood out of his double circle, put chains on him,

while others carry the girl away on a stretcher. She's

still mouthing the incantation.

Lestrade eyes the double circle, the pentacle, shakes his

head, not understanding them.

Grudgingly, reluctantly, hating himself for needing to,

he turns to Holmes.

LESTRADE:

What do you make of that?

HOLMES:

Some kind of ceremony. Five girls

killed beneath cathedrals at the

height of the full moon.

(indicating)

The double circle's for his own

protection.

LESTRADE:

London will breathe a sigh of

relief --

WATSON:

-- at the excellent work of

Scotland Yard. As usual.

HOLMES:

Bravo, Lestrade. Have a cigar.

Holmes sticks the villain's cigar in Lestrade's pocket

and --

-- A POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER lifts his massive camera.

FLASH! An explosion of light and sparks as a 19th

century flashbulb pops. The SCENE is FROZEN bright for a

split-second and then it FADES.

CREDIT SEQUENCE BEGINS, MUSIC AND TITLES OVER --

10 10

OMITTED:

10A INT. LAB 10A

Dim light from a burner heats fluid in a jar, a bench

strewn with scientific equipment. Gloved hands mix

chemicals in a tray, a piece of photo paper on top.

10.

10B INT. NEWSPAPER LIBRARY 10B

Another pair of hands search urgently through a row of

alphabetized files, coming to rest on the letter "H." A

bunch of "H" clippings hit the desk. The top one reads:

STUDENT AND ARMY DOCTOR SOLVE LONDON MYSTERY! A photo of

Holmes and Watson in their 20s at a crime scene. Their

eyes are shut for the photo, unaccustomed to flashes.

10C INT. LAB 10C

Chemicals are poured over the paper and spread across it.

10D INT. NEWSPAPER LIBRARY 10D

Hands flip through more papers, more headlines: STUDENT

AND DOCTOR BEAT COPS TO THE PUNCH AGAIN! ROOMMATES SOLVE

BRIXTON MURDERS! Another picture of Holmes and Watson.

This time, they look more confident, the article bigger.

Another headline: HOLMES AND WATSON OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Holmes and Watson stand in front of 221 Baker Street.

10E 10E

INT. LAB

A negative is clipped over the paper. A sudden flash of

light as it is exposed.

10F INT. NEWSPAPER LIBRARY 10F

Another headline: DOCTOR AND DETECTIVE FOIL JEWELRY

SCAM! A picture of Holmes and Watson, holding a goose by

its feet and smiling. The men are front page news now.

More headlines and photos come fast: LONDON DUO DO IT

AGAIN! A shot of Holmes and Watson, older, shaking hands

with a royal. HOLMES AND WATSON SOLVE SEVERED EAR

MYSTERY... CELEBRATED DETECTIVE PROVES GUILTY MAN

INNOCENT... More and more headlines, Holmes and Watson

getting older, solving crimes, and...

The files are moved to another desk where hands punch

text on a vintage typewriter: "CATACOMB KILLER IS

INDUSTRIAL TYCOON LORD BLACKWOOD..."

10G INT. LAB 10G

A faint image is forming on the paper.

11.

10H INT. NEWSPAPER LIBRARY 10H

A hand yanks the paper from the typewriter and onto a

desk where a typesetter begins to assemble the story in

blocks of lead type. Upside down and back to front we

see the words "SHERLOCK HOLMES," one metal letter at a

time.

10J INT. PRINTING PRESS 10J

A roller dripping with ink rolls over the story we have

seen assembled along with an engraving of the image. The

whole thing is fed into a printing press, a whirring mass

of wheels and gears. Papers are bundled and tied, then

distributed until one lands face-up outside the door of:

221 BAKER STREET, where we see the headline "CATACOMB

KILLER CAUGHT!" The photo of Holmes and Watson sits

above the fold, dominating the front page.

TITLE SEQUENCE ENDS.

11 11

EXT. 221 BAKER ST. - AFTERNOON

Autumn has turned to winter.

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