Strangers on a Train Page #15

Over this we HEAR cries of:

VOICES:

Stop him!

Help, somebody!

Pull him off!

Mr. Antony! Mr. Antony!

CLOSEUP BRUNO:

His body is swaying slightly at the various efforts to drag

him away from Mrs. Cunningham. His eyes begin to close, and

slowly he falls away from the picture in a dead faint on the

floor.

MEDIUM SHOT:

There is a rush of people around Mrs. Cunningham, who is

breathing frantically, her eyes opening and closing. A couple

of women are feebly slapping her hands, someone else is

fanning her face.

MEDIUM SHOT:

The Senator and Guy rush into the picture. They look at the

fallen Bruno. They search around for an explanation. Other

man come in ad they start to pick Bruno up.

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GUY:

Bring him this way.

Guy gives a quick look in direction of Mrs. Cunningham, sees

that she is being attended to.

MEDIUM SHOT:

Anne rushes into the picture. She sees Bruno being helped

to his feet; then turns her attention to Mrs. Cunningham,

who has now somewhat recovered. Mrs. Cunningham is helped

to the settee. There is a babble of women's voices trying

to explain what has happened.

ANNE:

(thru the babble)

Bring her upstairs.

As the two groups pass off in different directions, the few

people who ran into the scene late are asking the others

what the disturbance is. "What's wrong?" "Did she faint?"

"I didn't see anything." "What happened to him?" "Somebody

hurt?" But one small figure stands in the clear. It is

Barbara, She is still transfixed by what she has seen. Her

hands are trembling. CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY IN ON HER. We see

that her lips are trembling, too, and in her eyes frightened

tears are welling. Her breath is heavy.

INT. STUDY

Bruno is stretched out on a settee. He is completely out.

His collar and tie are open. Two or three of the male guests

are just leaving the room. The Senator remains behind for a

moment with Guy.

SENATOR:

I thought he was a bit weird when he

arrived. Who is he?

GUY:

I hardly know him, sir.

SENATOR:

Get him out of here as soon as you

decently can -- will you. This is a

nice item for the gossips. First

thing you know, they'll be talking

about orgies. I'd better get back...

GUY:

Yes, sir.

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The Senator leaves. Guy stands over Bruno's outstretched

figure.

MEDIUM SHOT:

Bruno is now half awake. Almost without seeing Guy, he

staggers to his feet and begins to make his way to the door.

Guy advances, and with a sharp thrust, pushes Bruno back on

the settee.

Bruno looks and sees Guy clearly for the first time.

BRUNO:

What happened? I was on a merry-goround

somewhere. It made me dizzy.

Guy moves forward, and thrusting his hand in Bruno's open

shirt, pulls him to his feet. Bruno ignores Guy's violence

and remain puzzled.

GUY:

(disgusted)

You're a mad, crazy maniac, and you

ought to be locked-up! Now will you

get out of here and let me alone?

BRUNO:

But, Guy -

Guy smashes Bruno in the jaw, in utter disgust, and knocks

him back onto the settee. Bruno looks up from his sprawled

position, a dull look in his eye.

BRUNO:

You shouldn't have done that, Guy.

GUY:

(subsiding)

Come on -- pull yourself together.

Do your tie up.

Bruno staggers to his feet. He fumbles at his collar. As

he crosses to him, CAMERA MOVES IN to a CLOSER SHOT.

GUY:

Here -- let me.

He fixes Bruno's shirt and collar together and quickly ties

his white bow. Bruno stands swaying like a small boy as Guy

does this.

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CAMERA PANS WITH THEM as Guy starts to escort Bruno from the

room.

GUY:

Have you got a car here?

BRUNO:

(mumbling)

Driver's outside.

They pass trough door into the hallway.

INT. HALL MEDIUM SHOT

One or two of the guests turn their heads as Guy takes Bruno

across to the front door.

CLOSE SHOT:

Barbara appears in the hallway, coming from the crowded

sitting room. She watches the two men go out the front door.

MEDIUM SHOT:

Bruno and Guy going out the front door. The man-servant

does not close it immediately, so we are able to HEAR the

call for Mr. Antony's car.

CLOSEUP BARBARA:

She turns her head and looks up the stairs. Barbara has not

quite recovered from her ordeal. She hurries forward to

greet Anne who is hurrying down the stairs.

TWO SHOT:

CAMERA PANS DOWN with Anne as she descends the last few steps.

Barbara enters the picture and the two girls meet at the

foot of the stairs.

ANNE:

What's the matter, Barbara? Did you

see it happen? Did you see it -all?

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CLOSEUP BARBARA:

BARBARA:

(still shaken)

He looked at me! His hands were on

her throat, but, he was strangling

me!

CLOSEUP ANNE:

ANNE:

(aghast)

How do you mean?

TWO SHOT:

BARBARA:

He was looking at her first. Then

he looked over at me. He went into

a sort of trance

(shudders)

He looked horrible!

(reflectively)

He thought he was murdering me.

CLOSEUP ANNE:

She looks away, with growing consciousness of the situation

TWO SHOT:

BARBARA:

Anne, why me? Why me? What did I

have to do with it?

Anne is extremely concerned and thoughtful. Suddenly she

gets an idea and with a pat on Barbara's arm, asks hurriedly:

ANNE:

Do you know where Guy is?

BARBARA:

He went out with that man!

Anne hurries to the front door and passes through.

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EXT. HOUSE

Anne comes out onto the steps and looks around. She stops

short as she sees:

LONG SHOT EXT. STREET FROM ANNE'S VIEWPOINT

There are cars lined up outside on the street. One limousine

is pulling up in the center, two figures at the passenger

door. One is climbing in. The other is Guy.

CLOSEUP ANNE:

She calls out urgently:

ANNE:

Guy!

CLOSE SHOT:

Guy turns and closes the door.

MEDIUM SHOT FROM ANNE'S VIEWPOINT

The limousine moves off and Guy comes toward her.

MEDIUM SHOT:

Anne comes down the steps and intercepts Guy on the sidewalk.

She leads him along a few paces and then stops and faces

him.

CLOSE TWO SHOT:

Anne nods off in the direction of the departed Bruno and

speaks in a desperate, low voice.

ANNE:

You didn't meet him for the first

time the other day, did you, Guy?

Guy stares at her for a moment.

GUY:

You mean when you introduced us at

the club?

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ANNE:

Yes. Did you notice how he stared

at Barbara that day?

GUY:

(awkwardly)

Well, I didn't -- particularly -

ANNE:

(breaks in)

He stared at her again tonight -while

his hands were around Mrs.

Cunningham's throat.

Guy looks at Anne with an expression of growing fear and

alarm. She goes on inexorably:

ANNE:

What did Miriam look like, Guy.

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