The Grifters

FADE IN:

EXT. RUIDOSO DOWNS - DAY

AN ANGLE establishing the race track, Ruidoso Downs

(pronounced Ree-oh-do-so), set among the beautiful mountains

of New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest, as a white Chrysler

turns in with a stream of cars moving toward the parking

area.

AN ANGLE through the open driver-side window of the Chrysler

at LILLY DILLON, 39 but looking younger, beautiful but cold

and watchful.

WIDE SHOT, track in b.g. as Lilly parks the Chrysler, gets

out, locks the car. As she walks toward the track, WIPE

RIGHT, as SCENE TWO WIPES IN from the left. SCENE ONE CAMERA

FOLLOWS Lilly as she walks across the large parking area.

SPLIT SCREEN.

SCENE TWO:

EXT. SIDE STREET - DAY

Downtown Los Angeles, near the courts and the business

section. ROY DILLON, 25, handsome and charming but self

indulgent, parks his orange Honda convertible, gets out,

picks up a large ledger book from the back seat, goes around

to open the trunk.

AN ANGLE on the trunk, establishing the tools of the

salesman's trade: catalogs, samples, ledgers full of manuals

and product sheets. Roy adds the ledger from the back seat,

shuts the trunk, walks away.

EXT. 6TH STREET - DAY

Roy walks around the corner near a bar/restaurant. As he

approaches it, WIPE LEFT, the two half-width scenes

contracting to one-third each as SCENE THREE WIPES IN from

the right.

SCENE ONE:
Lilly approaches the track's entrance doors.

SCENE TWO:
Roy approaches the bar.

SCENE THREE:

EXT. SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD - DAY

A baby blue Cadillac parks in front of a jeweler.

AN ANGLE on the driver's door as MYRA LANGTRY, 36, beautiful

in an impersonal calculating way, gets out, carrying a small

jewelry care, and locks the car. At first glance, Myra looks

rather like Lilly. (Myra always wears large dangly earrings,

and usually wears big-lensed dark sunglasses.)

SIMULTANEOUSLY:

SCENE ONE:
Lilly enters the track.

SCENE TWO:
Roy enters the bar.

SCENE THREE:
Myra enters the jeweler's.

WIPE RIGHT AND LEFT, as SCENE TWO takes FULL SCREEN.

INT. BAR - DAY

AN ANGLE on a hurried bartender in a full bar, crowded with a

NOISY lunchtime crowd. In b.g., Roy slithers his way to the

bar, waving a bill in the air to attract the bartender's

attention.

AN ANGLE on Roy as the bartender comes to him. Roy puts the

bill on the bar, holding it down with one finger, as he

SHOUTS his order. The bartender looks down.

BARTENDER'S POV:
Roy's finger holds down a twenty dollar

bill.

AN ANGLE steep over Roy's shoulder, the twenty visible, as

the bartender hurries away to get the drink. Roy's hand makes

a fist, swallowing the twenty, opens, pushing a ten out onto

the bar, holding it there with one finger.

AN ANGLE on the bartender returning with a draft beer,

nodding to other ORDERS shouted to him along the way, putting

the beer down, grabbing the bill without looking at it,

hurrying away.

AN ANGLE on Roy, content, smiling, sipping his beer.

AN ANGLE on the bartender, hurrying by, slapping Roy's change

down, moving on, Roy nodding acknowledgement, reaching out.

CU, the change, a ten dollar bill on top. Roy's hand closes

over it.

EXT. TOTE BOARD - DAY

WIDE SHOT, the tote board at the track, showing the shifting

odds on the horses for the next race, the amounts bet.

CLOSE SHOT, number 3. Not much bet, odds 70-1.

EXT. RUIDOSO DOWNS - DAY

AN ANGLE on Lilly, frowning at the tote board. She carries a

large heavy shoulder-bag, which she opens, looking in it as

though it were a file drawer.

AN ANGLE on Lilly studying the contents of her bag, the track

beyond her, the mountains visible out beyond the track wall.

Lilly moves.

AN ANGLE on a high-dollar betting window, as Lilly

approaches, taking bank-banded wads of bills from her bag.

EXT. TOTE BOARD - DAY

A change of numbers sweeps across the board.

EXT. RUIDOSO DOWNS - DAY

Lilly moves away from the betting window, tucking betting

tickets into her bag.

ECU, Lilly's bag, compartmented, with stacks of money, small

envelopes and notes on notepaper in each compartment. Lilly

carefully files the betting slips.

AN ANGLE on Lilly looking out at the tote board.

EXT. TOTE BOARD - DAY

CU, number 3. Odds 32-1.

EXT. RUIDOSO DOWNS - DAY

AN ANGLE on Lilly, not satisfied. She turns and goes back.

AN ANGLE at the betting window as Lilly arrives and makes

more bets.

EXT. TOTE BOARD - DAY

CU, number 3. Odds 32-1. CROWD NOISE INCREASES. The numbers

shift:
odds 26-1.

CALLER (O.S.)

And they're off!

INT. JEWELER'S OFFICE - DAY

Very quiet, stately; abrupt contrast with the track. A slow

ticking clock.

Myra sits in the client's chair, while at the desk sits the

JEWELER, a pleasant but overweight man of 40, who studies a

jeweled bracelet through a loupe. He sighs, drops the loupe,

shakes his head regretfully.

JEWELER:

Mrs. Langtry, I'm sorry.

MYRA:

Why? What's wrong?

JEWELER:

(personal emotion mixed

in)

You are a valued customer, as you

know.

MYRA:

But what's wrong?

JEWELER:

I can't understand a thing like

this. It's something you almost

never see.

MYRA:

What is?

JEWELER:

(holding up bracelet)

This is some of the finest

filigreed platinum I've ever seen.

But the stones, no. They're not

diamonds, Mrs. Langtry.

MYRA:

But they must be! They cut glass!

JEWELER:

(wry)

Glass will cut glass, Mrs. Langtry.

Do you know where it was purchased?

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

An expensive hotel room, with a sunstruck day beyond the

windows. Myra, naked, a few years younger, sits cross-legged

on the bed and laughs at COLE "FARMER" LANGLEY, 55, stringy

bodied, who stands naked, his back to us, hands on hips,

presenting himself to Myra. She reaches forward, hand hidden

by his body as she lifts something that was hanging on

something at the front of him. She brings back the bracelet,

looks at it, is delighted, puts it on, and then leans forward

again toward the unmoving Cole, her head hidden by his body.

INT. JEWELER'S OFFICE - DAY

MYRA:

It was a gift. It isn't worth

anything at all?

JEWELER:

(warm, encouraging)

Why, of course it is. I can offer

you -- well, five hundred dollars.

Myra expected -- and needed -- a lot more. She's worried,

tense, but stuck. She nods.

MYRA:

All right.

JEWELER:

(rising)

I'll get you a check.

He leaves the room. Myra grimaces, in almost physical pain.

INT. SECOND BAR - DAY

Another crowded lunchtime bar. A big beefy BARTENDER moves

quickly, carrying a draft beer.

AN ANGLE on Roy, in position, finger holding bill down, as

the bartender arrives, puts down the beer, reaches for the

bill, stops, stares at the bill.

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