Strangers on a Train Page #7

CLOSE UP:

Miriam's head drops into the picture by the glasses.

Bruno's hand comes into the picture and picks up the glasses.

One of the lenses has been broken by Miriam's fall.

As we see Bruno's sport shoes move away, the CAMERA MOVES

PAST MIRIAM'S HEAD until it comes to Guy's lighter pressed

into the earth.

CLOSE UP BRUNO:

Bruno glances back over his shoulder. He looks down and

goes back one or two steps.

CLOSE UP BRUNO'S HAND

Bruno's hands retrieve the lighter from the ground.

LONG SHOT ISLAND

We see a full view of the island again, with the amusement

park beyond. The faint noise of the calliope continues in

the distance. Bruno has been lost to view.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 36.

Miriam's companions are still searching for her. We hear

their faint voices in the distance.

VOICES:

Miriam! Miriam! Where are you?

MEDIUM SHOT:

Bruno comes to the shore where his boat is moored. He gets

in and is quickly chugging away. He moves calmly, matter-offact

and not furtively.

LONG SHOT LAKE:

Bruno's boat throbbing its way across toward the landing

stage.

MEDIUM SHOT LANDING STAGE

There are two boats unloading. Bruno's boat is approaching.

We hear a loud call from the island. Someone has found

Miriam.

VOICES:

Hey, here she is! What's the matter

with her? Has she fainted?

More shouts from the island cause the people at the landing

stage to look back. The boatman's attention is also

attracted. Suddenly, as Bruno is getting out of boat, there

is a loud scream from the island.

VOICE:

(crying out)

She is dead!

OTHER VOICE:

(from island)

Help! Help!

Bruno by this time has stopped onto the landing stage, and

in company with the other people, is looking back as if to

see what's wrong on the island. Then he moves away, starting

off of the landing stage. The boatman turns and glances at

Bruno, but quickly returns his attention to the disturbance

across on the island. He hurries forward and with a couple

of men passengers jumps into one of the boats. He calls to

his assistant as he gets into the boat.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 37.

BOATMAN:

Got a cop!

The assistant runs off out of the pictures

MEDIUM SHOT BRUNO

As Bruno calmly threads his way along the midway, we hear

above the noise of the various concessions, a shrill police

whistle in the distance. Presently a couple of policemen

comes running from direction of the main entrance and past

Bruno. He glances at them over his shoulder, then strolls

on toward the main entrance to the park.

ENTRANCE TO AMUSEMENT PARK EXTERIOR

As Bruno comes out through the turnstile, he stands for a

moment on the street. At this moment a man hesitates at the

curbstone. He is blind and tapping the sidewalk with his

white cane. He takes one step into the roadway, then

hesitates. Bruno steps forward and takes the blind man's

arm. CAMERA PULLS BACK as Bruno escorts the blind man across

the road. With a sweeping gesture he holds back a couple of

cars to lot them pass.

Once on the other side of the road, the blind man utters his

thanks.

BLIND MAN:

Thanks.

He goes off.

Bruno looks back toward the park, then glances down at his

wristwatch.

INSERT BRUNO'S WRISTWATCH

The time is 9.30.

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

INT. OBSERVATION CAR OF A TRAIN NIGHT

Through the rear window we see the tracks rushing away from

us. Seated in the foreground are Guy Haines and a rather

professorial type opposite him, a bespectacled man around

forty-five or fifty who is extremely drunk.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 38.

MEDIUM SHOT GUY:

He is reading an evening newspaper.

CLOSE SHOT:

The feet opposite Guy stretch out and touch Guy's feet.

CLOSEUP GUY:

He lowers his paper and looks across.

MED. SHOT

The drunk opposite Guy looks down at his feet and then up to

Guy resentfully as though Guy had kicked him. He eyes Guy

up and down, then suddenly, without warning, bursts into

song, to the tune of the Barber Shop Chord.

COLLINS:

There was a man, now please take

note. There was a man who had a

goat. He loved that goat, Indeed he

did. He loved that goat, just like

a kid.

(He stops singing

abruptly and addresses

Guy)

What is your opinion?

GUY:

(amused)

You'll never make the Metropolitan.

COLLINS:

(fuzzily -- pumping

Guy's hand)

Name's Collins. On sabbatical Delaware

Tech. Glad to meet you. I

jus' gave a speech in New York. On

integration. In the differential

calculus a function is given and its

differential is obtained. Understand?

GUY:

(solemnly)

Sure, I understand.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 39.

COLLINS:

(resentfully)

Y'do?

Again he bursts into loud song.

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

LONG SHOT WASHINGTON EXTERIOR ABOUT 1 A.M. MOONLIGHT

A solitary taxi is seen driving past the Capitol Building.

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

The taxi comes to a side street and stops outside a small

apartment house.

MED. SHOT

Guy gets out of the taxi with his rackets and bag, pays the

driver and goes up the steps to the front door of his

apartment.

CLOSE SHOT:

As Guy is about to enter the front door and we see his name

posted on a small card as one of the several tenants, he

hears a soft call from across the street.

VOICE:

(softly)

Guy!

Guy turns his head and looks across the street.

MED. LONG SHOT (FROM GUY'S VIEWPOINT)

We see a small space between two houses across the street.

Out of the darkness the voice repeats.

VOICE:

Over here, Guy.

MED. SHOT GUY

He turns, and with a slightly bewildered and wary expression,

goes out of the picture to cross the street.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 40.

MED. SHOT

Guy reaches the other side of the street and still puzzled

and cautious, approaches the dark alleyway.

MED. SHOT

After a moment a figure steps out of the darkness. It is

Bruno. He steps back into the darkness again as Guy comes

up to him.

TWO SHOT:

Guy frowning in puzzlement as he looks at Bruno.

BRUNO:

(cheerfully)

Hello, Guy.

GUY:

(recognizes Bruno -

not pleased)

What are you doing here? At this

time of night?

BRUNO:

(a little sadly)

You don't seem very pleased to see

me, Guy.

Guy stands without answering.

BRUNO:

(pleased again)

I brought you a little present.

GUY:

What do you mean?

Bruno's hand comes out of his pocket and he hands Miriam's

glasses to Guy.

INSERT:

Guy's hands taking Miriam's glasses from Bruno. One of the

lenses is broken.

Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 41.

TWO SHOT:

As Guy takes the glasses he looks at Bruno in bewilderment.

GUY:

What's this all about?

BRUNO:

Recognize them?

CLOSEUP GUY:

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes