The Nightmare Before Christmas Page #3

SALLY:

stumbles into view, still hurrying. She sings with everyone

else...

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES,

WITCHES, SALLY

-- out of your SKIN!

This is Halloween, --

SALLY:

excitedly spots someone coming -- though he's still out of view

for us:

SALLY:

-- Everyone scream, won't ya

Please make way for a special guy...

THE OTHERS:

turn to look.

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES,

WITCHES, SALLY

Our man Jack is --

SALLY:

-- King of the Pumpkin Patch.

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES,

WITCHES, SALLY

Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now.

They part to make way for

JACK SKELLINGTON, THE PUMPKIN KING,

astride his SKELTON HORSE, boots set backwards in the stirrups as

is done for the honored dead. Jack is tall, long-limbed and

bone-thin. He is formally attired, and wears an elegant bat bow-

tie.

Sally gapes tragically at Jack. But he rides right past without

noticing her.

Accompanying Jack are most of the CREATURES AND MONSTERS we've

met, the various inhabitants of Halloweenland. Everyone else

falls in behind Jack -- including a stumbling, almost-left-

behind-gawking Sally.

EVERYONE:

This is Halloween, THIS IS HALLOWEEN (etc.)

THE HANGING TREE

hurries to join the parade. He brings up the rear. The HANGED

MEN bobble on their ever-tightening nooses, their tongues and

eyes popping out.

The tighter nooses make the Hanged Men's voices reed-thin and

high -- contrasting to the enormous Hanging Tree's lone basso

profundo:

HANGING TREE AND HANGED MEN

In this place we call home

Everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song

LATER:

Jack Skellington is demonstrative and very excitable with highs

that are extraordinarily high and lows that are unusually low.

Right now he is surrounded by his ADMIRERS -- the witches in

particular fawn over him. Jack seems eager to please everyone,

but, at the same time, a bit anxious to get on with it.

JACK:

Thank you!

Sally watches htm longingly from the edge of the circle.

MAYOR:

Oh, Jack, you are such a

scream!

(turns to the assembly)

Isn't he?

The assembly agrees.

ASSEMBLY:

Yes, he is!

VAMPIRE:

You make sparks fly, Jack.

WITCH #1

You make oil boil.

WITCH #2

You make rats shriek.

JACK:

I love that.

WITCH #3

You make flesh crawl...

The three witches try to outdo one another.

WITCH #3

(quickly adds)

...And wounds suppurate.

JACK:

Thank you, thank you, thank you

very much!

The last witch glares triumphantly at her cronies.

THIRD GHOUL:

What an inspiration to

everybody!

SALLY:

(echoes)

An inspiration...

CORPSE:

It was our most horrific

Halloween ever!

Sally sighs and starts to drift irresistibly toward Jack.

Throughout, rag doll Sally gains substance as she gains

conviction -- this is her first baby step toward that, not even

perceptible, but in any case RUDELY INTERRUPTED BY --

THE EVIL SCIENTIST

who created her. He takes ahold of her by one of her stitched-

together arms.

EVIL SCIENTIST:

The deadly nightshade you

slipped me wore off, Sally...

I thought I'd find you here....

SALLY:

No!

Sally pulls back, trying to wriggle free of the scientist's

grasp.

SALLY:

Let go!

But he doesn't.

SALLY:

Have it then if you must!

With her other hand, she quickly and deftly rips out the stitches

that attach her arm to the rest of her ... THEN RIPS THE ARM

CLEAR OUT OF ITS SOCKET.

SHE LEAVES THE DOCTOR HOLDING IT WHILE SHE RUNS OFF into the the

crowd, determined to elude the Evil Scientist. She disappears

into the gloom in the direction of the cemetery.

Shaking her torn-off arm, the Evil Scientist calls after her:

EVIL SCIENTIST:

You'll be back. Sooner or

later you'll need this.

JACK:

continues to congratulate and be congratulated by the various

citizens of Halloweenland. The Mayor interjects, looking for

attention--

MAYOR:

Next year'll even be better,

you'll see.

HORRIFIC-LOOKING CREATURE

Do you really think so, Jack?

JACK:

Of course I do. It always is,

isn't it?

VARIOUS MONSTERS

Always.

MAYOR:

We'll have to get on it

immediately. No time for

sitting around smugly.

ASSORTED MONSTERS

That's so true... We've got a

lot of work ahead of us.

MORE MONSTERS:

Goodnight, everybody!

Goodnight, Jack!

The assembly breaks up. Jack turns to leave but his path is

blocked by A COUPLE OF ADORABLY HIDEOUS KID MONSTERS.

COUPLE OF KID MONSTERS

(plead)

Just one more time, Jack!

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote