The Day the Earth Stood Still Page #7

He turns and goes out.

CLOSE SHOT - KLAATU

He stares after Harley for a moment, puzzled by this strange

and apparently unreasoning world he has come to. He shakes

his head in thoughtful, tolerant bewilderment.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SPACE SHIP - LONG SHOT - NIGHT

Searchlights have lighted up up the eerie shapes of the space

ship and Gort. A circle of soldiers guard the area, while a

crew of men can be seen working around the ship.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - AT SHIP

A Master Sergeant of Engineers, dressed in fatigues, is

inspecting the side of the ship carefully. He has an acetylene

torch in his had and a welding helmet over his face. The

Major General, previously seen in the hospital sitting room,

enters and speaks to the Sergeant.

GENERAL:

Getting any place, Sergeant?

SERGEANT:

(raising his helmet)

No, sir.

(shaking his head in

annoyance)

Beats me, General. I saw that ramp

come out of the side of the ship --

right here. Now I can't even find a

crack!

A man named Carlson, a civilian metallurgical expert, comes

into scene. The General nods to him.

GENERAL:

What's the report, Carlson?

CARLSON:

(discouraged)

We've tried everything from a

blowtorch to a diamond drill.

GENERAL:

(nodding toward Gort)

What about him?

CARLSON:

He's made out of the same stuff.

THREE SHOT – GENERAL, CARLSON AND SERGEANT

GENERAL:

Has he moved?

SERGEANT:

No sir. Not an inch

CARLSON:

This is the toughest material I ever

saw, General. For hardness and

strength, it's out of this world.

GENERAL:

(with a wry half-smile)

I can tell you officially -– that's

where it came from.

The two men exchange an uneasy glance, then turn to look at

the ship.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SITTING ROOM – WALTER REED HOSPITAL

Two Medical Corps officers, a Captain and a Major are

interestedly studying a series of X-ray films.

MAJOR:

The skeletal structure is completely

normal.

(pointing)

Same for the major organs -– heart,

liver, spleen, kidneys.

CAPTAIN:

And the lungs are the same as ours.

Must mean a similar atmosphere --

similar pressure.

(nodding, toward

Klaatu's room)

How old do you think he is?

MAJOR:

Oh, I'd say forty-five.

CAPTAIN:

(smiling)

He told me this morning when I

examined him. He's seventy-eight.

MAJOR:

I don't believe it.

CAPTAIN:

Their life expectancy is a hundred

and thirty.

MAJOR:

How does he explain that?

CAPTAIN:

He says their medicine is that much

more advanced.

(the major stares at

him blankly)

He was very nice about it. But he

made me feel like a third-class witch

doctor.

The door to Klaatu's rooms opens and Major White appears.

He's the man who attended Klaatu the day before. He closes

the door behind him and stands motionless facing the other

two, his face wearing a blank expression.

MAJOR WHITE:

I took a bullet out of that man's

arm yesterday.

FIRST MAJOR:

What about it?

MAJOR WHITE:

(utterly bewildered)

I just examined the wound and it's

all healed.

FIRST MAJOR:

What does he say about it?

MAJOR WHITE:

Said he put some salve on it -- some

stuff he had with him.

(shows them a small,

odd-looking tube in

his hand)

CAPTAIN:

What are you going to do with it?

MAJOR WHITE:

Take it downstairs and have it

analyzed.

(on his way to the

door, shaking his

head)

Then I don't know whether I'll just

get drunk or give up the practice of

medicine.

As he starts out the door to the corridor, he passes Mr.

Harley, who is on his way in, carrying his ever-present brief

case. Harley is accompanied by an enlisted M.P.

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