The Day the Earth Stood Still Page #24

HELEN:

Mr. Carpenter, I--

(it's too complicated;

she can't do it)

Goodnight.

KLAATU:

(with a warm smile of

complete understanding

and appreciation)

Goodnight, my dear.

He turns and goes out, closing the door. A little distracted,

Helen turns to Bobby.

HELEN:

Go to bed, darling. You can finish

that in the morning.

BOBBY:

Okay.

Helen watches as he starts to put away his work. She wants

to tell him something, but finds it difficult to say.

HELEN:

(hesitantly, almost

guiltily)

Bobby -- I think it would be better

if we didn't see quite so much of

Mr. Carpenter

BOBBY:

(shocked, and

bewildered)

Gee, why, Mom? He's my best friend...

And he's awful good in arithmetic.

He even helps Professor Barnhardt.

HELEN:

Did you and Mr. Carpenter really go

to see Professor Barnhardt?

BOBBY:

Sure we did! He wasn't there but we

went to see him. And Mr. Carpenter

showed him how to do his arithmetic.

Helen is surprised to get this corroboration for Klaatu's

story. Sensing his mother's uneasiness, the boy looks for

something intriguing -- some deep, dark secret.

BOBBY:

(shrewdly)

Mom -- is there something wrong with

Mr. Carpenter?

HELEN:

What do you mean, dear?

BOBBY:

I mean -- on account of that policeman

last night.

(his eyes light up

hopefully)

You think he's a bank robber, maybe?

Or a gangster?

HELEN:

No, dear, of course not. He's a very

nice man. I Just think he might prefer

to be left alone. Now you get to bed

and forget about it.

(she kisses him)

'Night, darling.

With a reassuring smile, she starts for the door.

BOBBY:

Goodnight.

(stopping her in the

doorway, his

imaginative suspicions

mounting)

Hey Mom -- why would he want to be

alone?

Not wanting to go into this any further, Helen blows him a

kiss and backs out, closing the door. Bobby stands thinking

for a moment, his mind still speculating on all sorts of

wonderful possibilities. Still preoccupied, he drifts over

to his bed and sits down to take of his shoes. He drops the

first one to the floor and is starting on the other, when

there is a light rap on his door. The door opens and Klaatu

appears.

KLAATU:

Bobby -- have you a flashlight?

BOBBY:

(surprised by his

appearance and his

request)

Yeah -- sure.

(he goes to a drawer

and gets a large

hand flashlight)

It's a real Boy Scout flashlight.

Bobby hands him the light, studying his face with eager

curiosity.

BOBBY:

What do you want it for, Mr.

Carpenter?

KLAATU:

(evasively)

Why -- the light in my room went

out.

(cutting off further

questions)

Thank you, Bobby. Goodnight.

Klaatu goes out, closing the door behind him. Bobby hesitates

a moment, puzzled and curious. Then he goes over to the door,

flips off the lights, and slowly, noiselessly opens the door

a crack so he can peer out into the hall.

MED. SHOT

shooting down the hall through the crack in Bobby's door.

Klaatu's door is ajar and through it the lights in his room

can be seen burning brightly. Klaatu goes to his door, reaches

in and flips off the lights and closes the door. He then

scans the hall in both directions. Satisfied he isn't seen,

he moves surreptitiously down the hall toward the stairs,

still carrying the flashlight.

MED CLOSE SHOT - BOBBY

as he closes his door carefully, an expression of intense

excitement on his face. What he has seem is certainly,

unmistakably suspicious. Why did Mr. Carpenter lie to him?

What does he want the flashlight for and where is he going?

Bobby decides he's got to find out. Hurriedly he laces on

the shoe he had taken off, and peers out the door to find

the hall clear. He slips out the door, closing it behind

him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREET - MED. CLOSE SHOT - NIGHT

Klaatu is walking down the dark, semi-deserted street with

the determined stride of a man with a definite objective.

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