The Time Machine Page #10

EXT. STREET - FULL SHOT - (NIGHT) - (STOP MOTION) 101

With the speed of wind, pedestrians streak across

the pavement. The bright lights of the night pop

out one after another leaving a sparingly

illuminated street. The HUMMING SUBSIDES. The

mannequin previously seen in the show window now

wears the clothing of the "Roaring Twenties". A

distant CLOCK STRIKES ELEVEN.

BACK TO TIME TRAVELLER 102

Speaks surprised.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Good heavens, that's a dress?

MANNEQUIN - MED. SHOT 103

From her pretty face with the funny hat, the

CAMERA PANS DOWN to the hem line of her skirt,

twelve inches from the floor.

BACK TO TIME TRAVELLER 104

A smile appears on his face.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

This was intriguing. I wondered

just how far women would permit

this to go.

He pushes the lever ahead. Flashes and HUMMING

INCREASE and we:

BLUR TO:

THE MANNEQUIN - FULL SHOT - (DAYS & NIGHTS) - 105

(ANIMATION)

As the years speed by INTERRUPTED BY SHORT BLURS,

the dresses of the mannequin change. The skirts

get shorter and shorter, then drop inch by inch

while the hair styles vary. The bosom appears to

swell with the sinking neckline and flattens as

the neckline rises. During this:

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

I began to grow fond of that

mannequin. Maybe because, like me,

she didn't age.

THE TIME TRAVELLER - MED. SHOT 106

Suddenly he hears the SOUNDS OF AIRPLANES and

EXPLOSIONS in a strangely ACCELERATED manner.

He looks down at the instruments.

INSERT OF DIALS 107

Showing the passage of time. October, November,

December of 1939 and January, February, March,

April, May of the year 1940 are peeling off.

The instruments vibrate erratically.

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 108

He stares at the dials with much concern as he

is PITCHED back and forth in his Machine.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

Suddenly, in nineteen forty I began

to be buffeted from side to side.

My first thought was that the Machine

had a mechanical defect or a part

had worn out.

The Time Traveller HEARS the SCREAMS of DIVING

PLANES. He stops the Machine and looks up at:

SKYLIGHT - MED. SHOT - (NIGHT) - (STOCK) 109

Through the panes of broken glass we see a clear

but limited glimpse of the night sky that is

swept by beams of searching lights.

ANTI-AIRCRAFT batteries are FIRING as a squadron

of Nazi fighter planes are caught in the criss-

cross beams of light. The sky is pierced with

ack ack. Then, following the sound OF APPROACHING RAF.

FIGHTER PLANES, a dog fight ensues. Several of the

planes are hit and plummet earthward, balls of

streaking flame and fire.

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 110

Gazing up at the grim spectacle.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

The last time I had stopped was in

nineteen seventeen, twenty three years

ago. And the war with Germany was

still waging - now in the air with

flying machines. It didn't seem

possible they could go on fighting

all these years and still have the

means of fighting. Then I realized

the truth of the matter. This was a

new war. There must have been an

interval of peace in between these

wars. Yet they had learned nothing

but to prepare even more effective

means of destroying one another. I

decided to push on into time and see

the outcome.

He looks down at:

INSERT OF DIALS 111

Denoting the movement of the Machine through time.

The dials spin from 1940 to 1959 where the HUMMING

NOISE SUBSIDES and the dials again come to a stop.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

The fighting in the sky lasted only

a few moments. By nineteen forty five

it was over, but I continued on a

few more years before pausing for

another glimpse of my silent, never

aging friend.

THE MANNEQUIN - FULL SHOT - (DAY) 112

In bikini bathing suit. A car, a 1959 model, passes

by.

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 113

Smiling.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

It vas reassuring to find that she

hadn't changed. Only her costume.

Provocative to say the least. I

wondered what she would look like

ten years hence.

With a grin he throws the lever forward.

INSERT OF DIALS 114

HUMMING INCREASES and the years spin; 1960, 1961

and so on until it finally STOPS on 1966.

BACK AT THE MANNEQUIN 115

Dressed in the sleek dress of the future. First

a distant, then a close AIR RAID SIREN HOWLS,

menacingly.

BACK ON TIME TRAVELLER 116

His smile becomes a puzzled stare at what he sees.

EXT. STREET IN 1966 - LONG SHOT - (DAY) 117

People are racing along the sidewalk. The SOUND

OF MORE DEEP-THROATED SIRENS from all directions

comes over. Drivers leave their cars of the period

in disorder.

The running is purposive, however. All are entering

particular buildings or, like those closest to the

Time Traveller, are descending a stairway from the

sidewalk down below street level. Some glance sky-

ward.

A LITTLE GIRL picks up the doll she has dropped

as her FATHER returns from the shelter. He gathers

her up in his arms and rushes back to safety.

In a few seconds the streets are deserted.

TIME MACHINE AT EDGE OF PARK - FULL SHOT 118

The Time Traveller gets out and looks around,

confused.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

At first I wondered if my Machine and

I were the cause of the panic. I was

to soon find out we weren't.

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