The Birds

FADE IN:

FULL SHOT - GRANT STREET - SAN FRANCISCO - DAY

It is mid-afternoon, and there is a tempo and pace to the

people walking, the doorman HOOTING for taxicabs, the

policemen directing traffic.

PAN SHOT - PEDESTRIANS

waiting at street corner for light to change.

CLOSE SHOT - MAN

at the end of line of pedestrians. He is looking up at the

sky.

TWO SHOT - MAN AND WOMAN NEXT TO HIM

as she follows his gaze upward.

LONG SHOT - THE SKY

with hundreds of gulls in it, wheeling.

MED. SHOT - THE STREET CORNER

as the light changes and people begin to cross. In the crowd

walking the other way, a man turns to look up at the wheeling

gulls in the sky overhead. The CAMERA LOCATES:

MED. SHOT - MELANIE DANIELS

in the crowd of pedestrians, approaching Davidson's Pet Shop.

She is a young woman in her mid-twenties, sleekly groomed,

exquisitely dressed, though hatless. She walks with the quick

sureness of the city dweller, a purposefulness in her stride,

a mischievous grin on her face. She continues toward the

front door of a pet shop and enters.

INT. BIRD SHOP - MED. SHOT

Melanie opens the door and comes through, still looking back

toward the street and skywards. The proprietor, a MRS.

MacGRUDER, comes toward her.

MELANIE:

Hello, Mrs. MacGruder, have you ever

seen so many gulls?

MRS. MACGRUDER

Hello, Miss Daniels.

MELANIE:

What do you suppose it is?

MED. SHOT

Mrs. MacGruder takes a look out at the sky. A puppy is

BARKING, o.s.

MRS. MACGRUDER

(shaking her head)

There must be a storm at sea. That

can drive them inland, you know.

They are climbing the short flight of steps into the bird

department now. The BARKING of the dog SEGUES into the clamor

of innumerable birds, TWEETING, TWITTERING, CAWING as Melanie

and Mrs. MacGruder go to the counter at the far end. There

is a circular cage in the center of the room, and the walls

are lined with wire-mesh cages and smaller wooden cages so

that the effect is one of being surrounded by birds, contained

birds to be sure. The birds are quite beautiful, mostly exotic

birds, small splashes of color behind the wire-mesh cages,

larger bursts of brilliant hue on the parrots and parakeets

in the bigger cages. As they walk:

MRS. MACGRUDER

I was hoping you'd be a little late,

Miss Daniels.

(apologetically)

You see, he hasn't arrived yet.

MELANIE:

You said three o'clock.

MRS. MACGRUDER

I know. Oh, I know.

(she is more distressed

now)

I've been calling all morning. Oh,

you have no idea. Miss Daniels,

they're so difficult to get, really

they are. We get them from India,

you know, when they're just little

chicks, and then we have to...

MELANIE:

Well, this one won't be a chick,

will he?

MRS. MACGRUDER

Certainly not. Oh, no. Certainly

not. This will be a full grown myna

bird. Full grown.

MELANIE:

And he'll talk?

MRS. MACGRUDER

Well, yes, he'll talk. Well, no, no.

You'll have to teach him to talk.

MELANIE:

Yes.

MRS. MACGRUDER

Yes.

(pause)

Oh my, I suppose I should call them

again. They said three o'clock.

(pause)

Maybe it's the traffic. I'll call.

Would you mind waiting?

MELANIE:

(judiciously)

I think maybe you'd better deliver

him. Let me give you my address.

(she begins taking

off her gloves)

MRS. MACGRUDER

(producing pencil and

pad)

Oh. Oh, well, all right.

As Melanie starts writing:

MRS. MACGRUDER

I'm sure they're on the way, though.

Could I just call?

MELANIE:

(with a resigned sigh)

Well, all right, but...

She scurries out behind the counter and out of sight. Melanie

finishes writing her address and stands impatiently by the

counter. She taps her teeth with the pencil.

MRS. MACGRUDER (O.S.)

Hello, this is Betty MacGruder at

Davidson's.

(pause; accusingly)

It's past three, you know.

(pause)

Well, how long do you think...? All

right, would you check it please?

Yes, I'll wait.

Melanie sighs. Leaving her gloves and purse on the counter,

she begins wandering around the shop, still tapping her lips

with the pencil. There is no menace in the birds surrounding

her. They are active and beautiful as they dart behind the

bars and mesh of their cages. Off screen, the puppy begins

BARKING again as the front door opens. Melanie looks up.

MED. SHOT - MITCH BRENNER

as he closes the entrance door behind him and starts up the

steps to the bird department. He is a handsome man, about

twenty-nine or thirty, well-dressed, and carrying a felt

hat.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE

seeing him, and then turning away to bend before the cage of

strawberry finches. She pokes the pencil through the mesh.

The birds are startled into scarlet flight.

TWO SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH

as they pass each other in the aisle. He gives a polite little

nod, and she gives a polite little smile. But as he passes

her, and unknown to her, he turns for a second look -- and

then vanishes behind the circular cage as he turns he corner.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

looking at her watch as she wanders around the other side of

the cage and then comes face to face with Mitch again.

MITCH:

I wonder if you could help me.

MELANIE:

What?

MITCH:

(deliberately, and

with a touch of

hauteur)

I said I wonder if you could help

me.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE

a trifle annoyed by his manner at first. She is about to

inform him, if you please, that she is not a shopgirl. But

then something rebellious flashes in her eyes and an idea

comes to her.

MELANIE:

(solicitously)

Yes, what was it you were looking

for, sir?

TWO SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH

MITCH:

(deadpan)

Lovebirds.

MELANIE:

Lovebirds, sir?

MITCH:

Yes. I understand there are different

varieties, it that true?

MELANIE:

Well... yes, sir, there are.

MITCH:

These are for my sister... her

birthday you see. As she'll be eleven

and... well, frankly, I wouldn't

want a pair of birds that were too

demonstrative.

MELANIE:

I understand completely, sir.

MITCH:

As the same time, I wouldn't want

birds that were aloof, either.

MELANIE:

(leading him around

shop)

No, of course not.

MITCH:

Do you have a pair that are just

friendly?

MELANIE:

I think so, sir.

(she looks around)

Now then, let me see.

MITCH:

(at the finches)

Aren't these lovebirds?

MELANIE:

No, sir, those are... redbirds.

MITCH:

The sign says strawberry finches.

MELANIE:

(airily)

Yes, we call them that too.

(she moves away)

Ahhh, here we are, Lovebirds...

(and stops before a

cage of canaries)

MITCH:

Those are canaries, Miss.

(pause)

Doesn't this make you feel awful?

MELANIE:

(baffled)

Doesn't what make me...?

MITCH:

All these innocent little creatures

caged up like this?

MELANIE:

Well, we can't just let them fly

around the shop, you know.

MITCH:

I suppose not. Is there an

ornithological reason for keeping

them in separate cages?

MELANIE:

Oh, certainly. It's to protect the

species.

MITCH:

I imagine that's very important.

Especially during the moulting season.

MELANIE:

Yes, that's a particularly dangerous

time.

MITCH:

Are they moulting now?

MELANIE:

Some of them are.

MITCH:

How can you tell?

MELANIE:

Well... they get a sort of hangdog

expression.

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