The Night of the Hunter Page #6

PEARL HARPER:

(chanting)

Hing, hang, hung.

JOHN HARPER:

You better not sing that song.

PEARL HARPER:

Why?

JOHN HARPER:

'Cause you're too little.

A few paces in silence; now they come to the big window of

Spoon's Ice Cream Parlor.

PEARL HARPER:

Can we get some candy?

WILLA'S face is seen within; serving a customer, she sees

them and waves them away.

JOHN HARPER:

No.

He keeps her strolling. WALT SPOON, comes out, proffering

two lollypops.

WALT:

Howdy, youngins.

PEARL drags at JOHN'S hand but JOHN, pretending not to see

or hear, drags her out of the SHOT, shaking his head. We

DOLLY IN on WALT, who looks after them, surprised and touched,

then goes inside.

INT. SPOON'S PARLOR -- GROUP SHOT -- WALT, WILLA, ICEY SPOON

We PAN WALT across a little of his Parlor; he plants the

lollypops back in a jar on the counter and leaves the SHOT

as we TIGHTEN IN on WILLA and ICEY. WILLA slides used dishes

into wash-water; ICEY jaws down her back, from first moment

of shot.

ICEY SPOON:

Willa Harper there is certain plain

facts of life that adds up just like

two plus two makes four and one of

them is this:
No woman is good enough

to raise growin' youngsters alone!

The Lord meant that job for two!

WILLA HARPER:

Icey, I don't want a husband.

CLOSE SHOT -- ICEY

ICEY SPOON:

(fiercely)

Fiddlesticks!

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

FULL SHOT -- EXT. STREET -- NIGHT

The weekly movie audience is letting out, next door to

SPOON'S. Some start cars or wagons, others stroll to SPOON'S.

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SPOON'S PARLOR -- EVENING -- TWO-SHOT -- ICEY AND WILLA

We start with a CLOSE SHOT as ICEY'S hands slap together a

gooey banana split; TILT UP to TWO-SHOT, favoring ICEY; finish

on WILLA, on "it's a man you need," etc.

Murmur of CUSTOMERS o.s.

WALT'S VOICE

(calling o.s.)

One solid brown sody, one Lovers'

Delight.

ICEY SPOON:

'Tain't a matter of wantin' or not

wantin'! You're no spring chicken,

you're a grown woman with two little

youngins; it's a man you need in the

house, Willa Harper!

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

LONG SHOT -- NIGHT -- A TRAIN

A short, lighted, toy-like train departs the town along the

river-bank, whistling. The whistle TIES OVER the previous

DISSOLVE. STARLIT SKY.

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

FRAMING SHOT -- EXT. HARPER HOUSE -- NIGHT

A square, HEAD-ON SHOT, river water below and vibrant

starlight above; featuring a gas-lamp by the road; a tree;

and pretty tree-shadows which work across a window.

INT. HARPER CHILDREN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT -- TWO-SHOT -- JOHN,

PEARL, SHADOWS

PEARL lies in their bed, her doll snug on her shoulder. JOHN

sits on the edge of the bed, in his underwear.

PEARL HARPER:

Tell me a story, John.

JOHN HARPER:

Once upon a time there was a rich

king...

(he sees the shadows

on the wall and gets

up and looks at them)

...and he had him a son and a daughter

and they all lived in a castle over

in Africa. Well, one day this King

got taken away by bad men and before

he got took off he told his son to

kill anyone that tried to steal their

gold, and before long these bad men

come back and --

PEARL HARPER:

The Blue Men?

He moves, and as his shadow moves away we see the shadow of

PREACHER, motionless. PEARL sits up and points at it. JOHN

notices her and sees it. We PAN JOHN to the window. He looks

out.

FULL SHOT -- PREACHER -- THROUGH WINDOW, JOHN'S VIEWPOINT.

He stands motionless.

RESUME PREVIOUS SHOT -- JOHN AT WINDOW

He turns and we PAN him to bed.

JOHN HARPER:

(casually)

Just a man.

(he climbs into bed

and pulls up the

covers)

Goodnight Pearl, sleep tight; and

don't let the bedbugs bite.

PEARL HARPER:

(to doll)

'Night Miss Jenny; don't let the

bedbugs bite.

As they settle down we hear PREACHER'S singing, sweet and

quiet o.s.:
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RIVER AND TOWN -- MORNING -- FULL SHOT -- A GINGERBREAD

SIDE-WHEELER

She steams around a bend towards a toy-like small town.

PREACHER'S song, o.s., ties over. People are waving from

shore and boat.

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