The Elephant Man Page #2

During the above, The Incredible Wind-Man removes his cape,

revealing his great barrel chest and pot-belly supported by

spindly, white, hairless legs.

As the Barker sets the "Volunteers," the Wind-Man walks about

the small platform, huffing and puffing and blowing on the

conch shell.

The "Volunteers" set, the Wind-Man steps up to the end of

the bellows, takes an enormous breath, and twirls his black

handlebar moustache as a signal to the Barker.

BARKER:

Gentlemen... Are you ready?

THE LADS:

Yes we are... Right... etc.

BARKER:

Ladies and Gentlemen!... Let the

demonstration begin!!

The Wind-Man clamps his mouth to the bellows, and with great

show begins to exhale, savagely stamping his feet. The Two

Lads struggle obviously, and then pretend to be forced apart.

The Barker triumphantly lifts the Wind-Man's hand. The Wind-

Man ceases to blow, removes his lips from the bellows and

the Two Lads instantly collapse together on the floor.

BARKER:

Ladies and Gentlemen!... "THE

INCREDIBLE WIND-MAN!!!

The crowd cheers, while the Wind-Man puts the conch shell to

his lips and proudly stamps his feet, circling about the Two

Lads.

Amidst this applause, Treves smiles indulgently. He moves

on, looking for something genuine.

TWO BOBBIES move through the crowd, intent upon a certain

destination. Treves conveys a casual interest in them.

Treves moves on to A BEARDED LADY who combs her beard, busily

chewing tobacco and spitting into a spittoon.

Treves continues to work his way through the crowd. Up ahead

he sees the Bobbies.

BOBBIES:

Make way! Make way!

They round a corner.

WOMAN (V.O.)

Oh yes they are, they're yours

alright.

We hear the laughter of a crowd.

Treves moves closer to see a FAT LADY seated in a chair on

the next platform.

On each knee she holds a DWARF. They are dressed as babies.

A SKELETON MAN stands beside her.

SKELETON MAN:

I refuse to believe it! I will not

accept it! Those babies are simply

too ugly, they cannot be mine!

The crowd laughs uproariously.

SKELETON MAN:

I don't want them! Get rid of them!

I don't want to see them!

FAT LADY:

Darling, don't be difficult! Let's

take our sweet lovely children on an

outing.

SKELETON MAN:

We'll take these miserable whelps on

an outing, alright! We'll take them

to the zoo... WHERE THEY WILL STAY!

From the direction the Bobbies have gone, we hear several

screams.

FAT LADY:

(pausing at the screams)

Children save yourselves! Prevail

upon your Pappa!

The two Dwarves get down from her knees and approach the

Skeleton Man. They kneel and tug at his thin legs.

DWARVES:

Poppa! Poppa! Poppa, please!

At this point, a FATHER holding his YOUNG SON in his arms

passes by Treves.

The Young Boy clutches his Father's neck in fear, hiding his

face.

FATHER:

(out loud, to no one

in particular)

This is too much! They should not

allow it! They should not allow it!

Treves, very curious now, along with several others, make

their way around the corner.

Before him, Treves sees an agitated crowd staring at something

that from his point of view he cannot see. Brushing past him

is a WOMAN pulling a small, confused and frightened LITTLE

GIRL. Getting closer to the commotion, he sees four BOBBIES

standing with a well-dressed alderman, arguing with the OWNER

of this particular exhibit.

A distraught, almost hysterical WOMAN is ineffectually

striking the Owner with her fists about his head and

shoulders, crying weakly and incoherently.

WOMAN:

Beast, Beast...

Treves is just about to see whatever it is that is causing

the alarm, when one of the Bobbies says:

BOBBY:

No! That's right out! Drop the

curtain!

As the curtain drops, Treves just glimpses baggy trouser

cuffs and two horribly deformed, root-like feet. The

distraught Woman has been pulled away from the Owner and is

sobbing on a Bobby's shoulder.

OWNER:

You can't do that! I've got my rights!

ALDERMAN:

I have the authority to close you

down, and I'm doing just that!

In the crowd, Treves notices a YOUNG BOY staring open-mouthed,

blankly at the curtain. Treves pushes through the glut of

people to join the Boy and get a better view. The curtain is

actually a large canvas.

On it is a life-sized portrait, crudely painted, of a creature

that could only be possible in a nightmare. It is the figure

of a man turning into an elephant. The transformation,

however, is not complete; there is still more of the man

than beast. Palm trees in the background suggest the jungle

habitat in which this Perverted object might have once roamed.

Rate this script:3.0 / 4 votes