The Leopard Man Page #8

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KIKI:

(she rises)

Well, I'm next. You won't hear

anything like that, Mr. Galbraith.

(gesturing toward

applause)

I'm not a popular favorite since I

let the leopard loose.

GALBRAITH:

(with heavy gallantry)

I'm sure if you are as talented as

you are charming, Miss Walker, you

have nothing to worry about.

KIKI:

(moving off)

Thanks.

Galbraith starts to knock out his pipe on the heel of his

hand.

GALBRAITH:

Well, I'd best be off.

JERRY:

(putting a restraining

hand on his forearm)

I want to ask you something.

Galbraith looks at him questioningly.

JERRY:

It's about the leopard.

GALBRAITH:

You're worrying about its killing

someone else?

JERRY:

Yes. I want to go out and patrol

the town - be everywhere at once -

be sure nothing happens to anybody.

GALBRAITH:

Of course. It's the way any decent

man would feel in your position.

JERRY:

You know about animals -- their

habits -- will it come back?

GALBRAITH:

No. I'm quite sure.

Jerry gives a little sigh of relief.

GALBRAITH:

There is no danger at all. It's a

wild animal. Do you think a wild

animal prefers walls, streets and

people when it can get into open

country?

JERRY:

(terribly anxious to be

convinced)

That's right, of course.

GALBRAITH:

(starting toward the

steps)

Don't feel so concerned, Jerry.

As they descend the stops together, the CAMERA HAVING PANNED

LEFT to stay with them, now DOLLIES BEFORE them as they go

down the path, toward the fountain. They come abreast of the

fountain and Galbraith pauses a moment.

GALBRAITH:

I've seen a bit of life, and I have

learned one thing. We are like that

ball dancing on the fountain. We

know as little about the forces

that move us and move the world

around us as that empty ball, which

lives only because the water pushes

it into the air, lets it fall and

catches it again. You shouldn't

feel too badly about Teresa

Delgado.

CLOSE SHOT - the fountain. We see the ball rising and falling

� oscillating in its movement.

Clo-Clo is dancing, and although we can not see her, we can

hear the click of her castanets, the quick, hard tread of her

feet. We catch an occasional glimpse of her shadow, as she

passes in dancing on the other side of the fountain.

DISSOLVE:

INT EL PUEBLO CAFE - EARLY MORNING

CLOSE SHOT of the fountain. The jet of water has been turned

off and the ball floats quietly on the surface of the

innermost basin.

MED. LONG SHOT of Clo-Clo, as she makes her way to the gate.

She is dressed in street clothes. Bus boys are busy piling

chairs onto the tables while two young maids are hosing down

the tiles. Cigarette butts, bits of paper and ether odds and

ends of the night's trade litter the cafe and go swishing

ahead of the streams of water.

Clo-Clo smiles to one of the young maids as she passes.

CLO-CLO

A long night, Chiquita.

MAID:

(straightening up and

shutting down the hose

with her thumb)

How long can a night be, Clo-Clo,

when you spend it dancing?

CLO-CLO

(passing by)

Twice as long as a day with your

mop and pail.

The girl laughs and lets the water of the hose spray out

again. Clo-Clo goes on, out of the gate.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. THE STREET - EARLY MORNING

TRUCKING SHOT of Clo-Clo as she walks wearily down the

deserted street. She is smoking a cigarette.

Swinging from one hand is the little ornamented chamois bag

in which she keeps her castanets. She comes to the flower

store, sees that it is open and, throwing her cigarette away,

starts in.

INT FLOWER STORE - EARLY MORNING

MED. SHOT - Rosita, Senora Contreras' maid, has selected a

bouquet of long stemmed roses from a large tin bucket. As she

holds them aloft the flower vender, a chubby good-natured

little Mexican in his late fifties, gently wraps a piece of

newspaper around the wet stems.

FLOWER VENDOR:

(indicating the stems)

Roses are like children -� some

have short legs and some long.

The flower vendor laughs loudly, his body vibrating. Rosita

sees no humor in this remark and taking a coin from her

pocket, hands it to him. Still chuckling, the vendor moves to

his cash drawer, to make change. In the b.g., Clo-Clo can be

seen entering the store. She tiptoes forward directly behind

the flower vendor and ignoring Rosita completely, snatches a

wilted gardenia from a tin. The flower vendor has caught this

action in the mirror and whirling, pulls the gardenia out of

her hand,and at the same time turns back to the cash drawer.

Clo�Clo isn't at all abashed by the vendor's action.

CLO-CLO

You can't sell it - it's a day old.

VENDOR:

But my stomach isn't a day old. If

I don't sell flowers -- I don't eat

-� and I love to eat.

Clo-Clo tries a new approach. Coyly she winks at him.

CLO-CLO

I'll tell everybody you gave it to

me, -- that will be good for your

business.

VENDOR:

Yes, -- but bad for my wife.

The vendor drops the change into Rosita's hand, then turning

on Clo-Clo, shoes her off with a motion.

ANOTHER ANGLE � taking in Rosita at edge of stall. She looks

off at Clo-Clo and with a grand gesture, pulls a long stemmed

rose from the bouquet.

ROSITA:

My mistress, Consuelo Contreras,

does not have to beg for flowers.

She won't miss one.

Rosita flings a rose to Clo-Clo. Clo-Clo catches it. With a

snap she breaks the stem and thrusts the rose into her hair.

CLO-CLO

(impudently)

Thank the Senorita for me.

EXT STREET - EARLY MORNING

MED. LONG SHOT. The CAMERA PANS WITH Rosita as she hurriedly

crosses the street and mounting the opposite sidewalk, enters

the Contreras' home.

INT. ENTRANCE HALL CONTRERAS' HOME - EARLY MORNING

It is a cool, shadowy square room. At the back is a stairway.

The floor is tiled. Through an arched grilled doorway, we can

see the living room beyond. The front door opens and Rosita

steps in hurriedly, her heels clicking on the tile floor.

Three people are standing waiting. They are Senora Contreras,

Cousin Felipe and Marta, an old servant who is more companion

than maid in the household by this time. Marta is dressed all

in black -� dress, shoes and apron. Her grey hair is dragged

back to a knot. She wears tiny gold loops in her pierced ears

and a gold cross at the fastening of her high collar. Senora

Contreras, a dignified, imposing woman with the remnants of

great beauty still apparent in her expressive eyes and lovely

hair, is dressed in a flowing lacy negligee. In her arms she

carries a little Chihuahua dog. Cousin Felipe is a dapper

little cat of a man, meticulously dressed in the proper

apparel of thirty years ago. The Senora and Cousin Felipe are

waiting on the stairs. Marta is in the hail.

MARTA:

(crossly)

Shhh!

SENORA CONTRERAS

(softening the rebuke,

whispering)

It will spoil the birthday song,

Rosita, if we wake her too soon.

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