Scripts: Psycho (revised draft, 01/Dec/1959) - part 7
QUICK CUT TO: INT. NORMAN'S PARLOR BEHIND OFFICE - (NIGHT) Norman sits in the dim, one-lamp light, the phone next to him, his hand still near it as if he had not been able to move his hand after hanging up. He is staring at the shrike- like bird which is perched on the lamp shade. Decision and resolution are beginning to show in his face. Suddenly he rises, starts quickly out of the room, tries to switch off the lamp as he goes and in so doing succeeds only in knocking the bird off the shade. He watches it fall, does not try to catch it. It hits the floor with a thud and sawdust spills out. He stares sadly at it, for a moment, then tends down, scoops up the sawdust, tries to press it into the split seam, picks up the bird, puts it in a drawer. Then he puts out the lamp, goes out, crosses the darkened office and goes outside. CUT TO: EXT. MOTEL AND HOUSE - (NIGHT) Norman comes off the porch, walks to the path and directly up to the house, opens the door and goes in. CUT TO: INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY AND STAIRWAY - (NIGHT) SHOOTING UP THE STAIRS Norman goes up, pauses one moment outside his mother's door, then opens it and goes in, leaving the door open. For a moment we hear only Norman's low, quiet voice, his words indistinguishable. Then we hear the cold shot of his mother's derisive laughter. MOTHER'S VOICE I am sorry, boy, but you do manage to look ludicrous when you give me orders! NORMAN'S VOICE Please, mother... MOTHER'S VOICE (Sharp, laughter all gone) No! I will not hide in the fruit cellar! (A shrill laugh) Think I'm fruity, huh? (Hard, cold again) I'm staying right here! This is my room and no one will drag me out of it... least of all my big bold son! NORMAN'S VOICE (Rising now, anxiously) They'll come now, Mother. He came after the girl and now someone will come after him! How long do you think you can go on... Mother, please, just for a few days, just so they won't find you! MOTHER'S VOICE (Mimicking) Just for a few days... (Furious) In that dank fruit cellar? No! You hid me there once, boy, and you won't do it again! Not ever again! Now get out! (A pause, quiet) I told you to get out, boy! (A longer pause) Norman! What do you think you're going to do? Don't you touch me! Don't! Norman! (A pause, then cajolingly) All right, son, put me down and I'll go. I'll go on my own two feet. I can go on my own two feet, can't I? During all this the CAMERA has been slowly creeping up the stairs. It does not stop at the top however, but continues on the same high angle that we had in Scene 57. She starts to laugh, a terrible sound like an obscene melody. NORMAN'S VOICE I'll carry you, mother. Norman comes out of the room, his mother held in his arms, her head leaning against his shoulder. He carries her down the stairs, along the lower landing to the cellar stairs, and then down those stairs to the basement. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. FAIRVALE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - (MORNING) An overcast morning, but a sunny-faced crowd. The service is just over, there is contentment, and peace, and just a little I-went-to-church-smugness in the faces of the churchgoers as they come out of the chapel, and spread their separate ways away. Amongst the crowd, waiting and searching the faces, are Sam and Lila. In their expressions there is no peace, no contentment. CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE. They are not speaking. Lila looks as if she has had no sleep. Suddenly, Sam becomes alert, takes Lila's arm, starts toward the church. CAMERA MOVES WITH THEM, stops as they approach Sheriff and Mrs. Chambers. The Sheriff stares rather sympathetically at Lila. Mrs. Chambers smiles nicely. SAM We thought, if you didn't mind, we'd go out to the motel with you. MRS. CHAMBERS He's already been. SHERIFF Went out before service. MRS. CHAMBERS Have you two had breakfast? SAM (To Sheriff, not a question) You didn't find anything. SHERIFF Nothing. Here, let's clear the path. He moves away and the others follow. CAMERA PANS them to the curb. LILA (Interrupting) Did he say anything about my sister? SHERIFF Just what he told your detective. She used a fake name, saw the register myself. Saw the whole place, as a matter of fact. That boy is alone there. SAM No mother. SHERIFF You must've seen an illusion, Sam. Now, I know you're not the seeing- illusion type... But no woman was illusion there and I don't believe in ghosts, so there it is! LILA I still feel... SHERIFF Can see you do. Sorry I couldn't make you feel better. You want to come to my office this afternoon and report a missing person... And the theft, is what you want to do! Sooner you drop this thing in the lap of the law, that's the sooner you'll stand a chance of your sister bein' picked up. How about that? LILA I don't know. MRS. CHAMBERS It's Sunday. Come over and do the reporting at the house, 'round dinner time. Make it nicer. You too, Sam. She smiles brightly, as if having invited them over to discuss this year's charity fandango, takes the Sheriff's arm, starts away. The Sheriff nods as he goes. Sam and Lila are alone now, at the curb, before the deserted chapel. For a long moment they just stand there, their faces as gray and overcast as the sky. SAM Maybe I am the seeing-illusions type. LILA You're not. Sam takes her arm, starts walking her up the street toward the spot where his pick-up truck is parked. CAMERA FOLLOWS them. SAM Want me to drop you at the hotel? Or you want to come over to the store? Lila does not answer. They reach the truck. Lila looks directly at Sam as he helps her into the cab. LILA I won't feel satisfied unless I got out there, Sam. SAM Neither will I. He slams the door, hurries around truck, gets into driver's seat, starts motor. As the truck drives off, DISSOLVE TO: SAM AND LILA IN TRUCK - (PROCESS - HIGHWAY) For a moment, both are silent; Sam watching the road as if there were other cars on it, Lila staring at nothing in particular, except perhaps her own inner fear. LILA I wonder if we'll ever see Mary again. SAM Of course we will. LILA Alive. Sam looks as if he'd like to say something humorous, something to cheer her. He cannot. He remains silent. LILA We lived together all our lives. When we woke up one morning and found ourselves orphans, Mary quit college and got a job, so I could go to college. SAM Where'd you go to college? LILA I didn't. I got a job, too. (A pause) I wonder if that hurt her, my not letting her sacrifice for me? Some people are so willing to suffer for you that they suffer more if you don't let them. SAM (Almost to himself) She was willing to lick the stamps. Lila looks quizzically at him, is too concerned to pursue it. LILA I wonder so many things about her now. Why she never told me about you... Funny, when you think there's an answer to everything, you think you know all the answers. SAM We were going to get married. Are going to get married! LILA Do you know how I found out about you? I found one of your letters... it was a nice letter, Sam. SAM This is the old highway. LILA I suppose... when you were able to marry her she'd have presented you, all shiny and proper... she always tried to be proper. SAM Watch your tenses. LILA Huh? SAM She always tries to be proper. Sam slows the truck to a stop, sighs, starts to light up a cigarette. Lila looks questioningly and impatiently at him. LILA You going to wait here for me? SAM I'm going with you. But we'd better decide what we're going to say and do when we walk in... LILA We're going to register. As man and wife. And get shown to a cabin... and then search every inch of that place, inside and... outside. SAM You won't believe it... (Starts motor) But this will be the first time I've ever pulled one of those man- and-wife-renting-cabin capers! LILA (A tiny smile, first in hours) I believe it. As truck starts to drive on, CUT TO: EXT. THE BATES MOTEL AND HOUSE - (DAY) The place is empty and silent and washed dirty by the deep gray of the cloudy sky. We see Sam's truck turning into the driveway and pulling to a stop. After a moment, Sam and Lila get out of the truck. FRESH ANGLE Close on Sam and Lila as they meet on the porch side of the truck. The motel office and the house beyond can be seen in b.g. of shot. Sam and Lila merely stare for a moment, then turn and gaze up at the house. There is no figure in the window and the shade is drawn. Same goes to the office door, peers in, knocks, opens door, enters. Lila remains on the driveway, beside the truck. CUT TO: INT. THE MOTHER'S ROOM - (DAY) CLOSE ANGLE on Norman standing by the window. He has pulled the curtains very slightly apart, is staring out and down at the motel, his eyes studying the lone figure of Lila, who is standing by the truck and looking up at the house. Norman studies her, and as her eyes look up at this very window he closes the curtains, turns away. We see the suspicion and fear in his face, the surge of panic and his struggle to contain it. Then he goes away. CAMERA remains on window, shooting out and down, and through the frail curtains we can see Sam as he comes out of the motel office and joins Lila. EXT. MOTEL OFFICE - CLOSE ON SAM AND LILA SAM (Unconsciously whispering) I wonder where Norman Bates does his hermiting? LILA Someone was at that window. I saw the curtain move. Sam takes Lila's arm. SAM Come on. He starts with her toward the path which leads to the old house. CAMERA PANS with them, and as they turn around the office corner, they see Norman coming down the path toward them. They pause and Norman pauses. He does not smile, nor speak. His usual grin and soft friendliness are gone; containment and impassivity lie in their place. SAM (Cheerfully) Just coming up to ring for you. NORMAN (Coming forward) I suppose you want a cabin. SAM We'd hoped to make it straight to San Francisco, but we don't like the look of that sky. Looks like a bad day coming... doesn't it. Norman walks past Sam, giving him the sort of quick, disapproving glance one gives a man who is obviously lying, goes onto the porch and into the office. Sam and Lila follow Norman. INT. MOTEL OFFICE - (DAY) Norman crosses to the desk, goes behind it, takes the key to cabin number twelve off the keyboard. Sam and Lila have entered and are almost to the desk-counter by this time. NORMAN I'll take you to... SAM Better sign in first, hasn't we? Sam eyes scan the counter, looking for a registration book. NORMAN It isn't necessary. SAM (Interrupting with a friendly cheerfulness) Uh, uh! My boss is paying for this trip... ninety percent business... and he wants practically notarized receipts. I better sign in and get a receipt. Norman stares at Sam, as if he'd like to yell at him, call him "liar." Instead he reaches under the desk counter, brings out the registration book. Lila moves closer, studies the book as Sam signs in. Sam signs "Joe and Mrs. Johnson." The signature and city of "Marie Samuels" and after it, the notation "Cabin One," can be clearly seen three registrations above Sam's. When Sam has finished he closes book, hands it back to Norman. Norman does not take it, starts out from behind counter. NORMAN I'll get your bags. SAM Haven't any. NORMAN (after a stare) I'll show you the cabin. As he starts for the door, Sam laughs. Norman stops, turns, looks at him. SAM First time I've seen it happen. (to Lila) Check in any place in this country without bags, and you have to pay in advance. Sam smiles as if at a funny remark, takes a bill out of his pocket. NORMAN Ten dollars... Norman returns to Sam, takes the extended bill, is about to start out again. SAM That receipt...? Norman goes reluctantly behind counter, lays down the key to cabin twelve, takes a receipt book out of the drawer under counter, starts to write. Lila steps up to the desk, picks up the key, quickly, starts out. LILA I'll start ahead. Norman looks up, gazes her as she goes out door. EXT. THE MOTEL - (DAY) Lila comes along the porch, pauses before cabin one, tries the door. It opens. She closes it quickly as she hears Sam and Norman coming out of the motel office, continues on down the porch. SAM (To Norman, who is following) Don't bother yourself... we'll find it. He goes on down the porch, doesn't even glance at cabin one, walks quickly and catches up to Lila just as she reaches cabin twelve. CAMERA REMAINS with Norman, who is standing by the office door, looking after Sam and Lila, his face alert and no longer impassive. He waits a moment, after they have closed their cabin door, then crosses to the pickup truck. CAMERA MOVES with him. He studies the truck, then leans in through the driver's window, twists the registration card around, reads it. It gives the correct name and address of Sam Loomis. Norman comes back out of the window, glances once more toward cabin twelve, then at the old house. His suspicions are confirmed, and now there is the relaxation of relief in his face. He takes on a purposeful air, turns, strides up the path, up onto the porch of the house, opens the door, goes in. INT. CABIN TWELVE - (DAY) Lila is at the cabin's rear window, looking out, straining for a glimpse of the old house, which cannot be seen from the window of this cabin. She turns, frustrated, anxious. Sam is standing at the foot of the bed, staring at the smooth coverlet, his brow creased in a sadness. LILA We should have asked for Cabin One... The one Mary was in. SAM I'm glad we didn't. He pulls his eyes from the bed, crosses to the desk, sits wearily, lights a cigarette. Lila watches him for a moment, feels a real compassion, goes to the bed, sits on its edge, turns again and looks at Sam's back. LILA We have to go into that cabin and search it, Sam... no matter what we're afraid of finding and no matter how much it may hurt. SAM I know. (A pause) Do you think if something happened, it happened there? LILA (A pause, then:) Sam, if you owned a useless business like this motel... one you probably couldn't even sell... what would you need to get away, to start a new business, somewhere else? (As Sam studies her) Forty thousand dollars? SAM How could we prove... (An almost hopeless laugh) Well, if he opens a new motel on the new highway... say, a year from now... LILA There must be some proof that exists right now! Something that proves he got that money away from Mary... Some way! SAM What makes you sound so certain? LILA Arbogast! Sam, he liked me... or felt sorry for me... and he was starting to feel the same about you. I heard it when he called... in his voice, a caring. He wouldn't have gone anywhere or done anything without telling us. Unless he was stopped. And he was stopped, so he must have found out something! Sam considers a moment, nods agreement, rises. SAM We'll start with Cabin One. He goes to the door, opens it slightly, looks out, then, back to Lila: SAM If he sees us... we're just taking the air. Lila goes to the door. He holds it open and she goes out. EXT. THE MOTEL - (DAY) Sam closes the door, joins Lila, takes her hand. Together they walk along the porch in the direction of Cabin One. CAMERA FOLLOWS. They pause before the door of Cabin One. Sam motions Lila to wait, to hold still, then goes on to the office, opens the door, calls in: SAM Bates? He waits, there is no response. He goes in and in a moment comes back out, closes the door, goes to Lila. She has already opened the door of Cabin One and has started to enter. INT. CABIN ONE - (DAY) The blinds are closed and the room is almost night-dark. Sam comes in after Lila, closes the door behind him. For a moment they just gaze at the room, as if willing it to tell them some satisfactory story. Neither speaks. Then, in dark silence, they begin to search, going methodically and thoroughly through all drawers, the closet, the desk, searching under the bed and in dark corners, not knowing what they expect to find and yet expecting to find some thing. Lila opens the bathroom door, looks in. The windowless room is very dark. She switches on the light, goes in. Sam moves toward the bathroom, is about to follow her in when he notices which room it is and automatically catches himself up, backs out. SAM Sorry. LILA Hospital clean. SAM What? LILA The bathroom. Look at how clean it is. The one in our cabin is clean... but this is clean! Sam goes in, glances around, nods. Lila goes through the medicine cabinet, finds nothing but a glass and two tiny tabs of soap. Sam leans against the door-jamb, looks at the tub, the shower pipe above it. He continues to stare, more interested suddenly, as if bothered by some off-key evidence he can't put his finger on. Then he looks at the shower curtain rod. And realizes there is no shower curtain. He frowns, is about to say something when Lila, who has been momentarily out of shot, interrupts. Sam turns, CAMERA TURNS, and we see Lila is standing above the toilet bowl, a tiny piece of wet paper stuck to the tip of her right index finger. SAM What is it? LILA It didn't get washed down. It's figuring... the kind you tear up and get rid of. (Extending her finger toward Sam) Some figure has been added to or subtracted from... forty thousand. Sam lifts the piece of paper off her finger, studies it, takes out his wallet, presses the wet scrap to his driver's license shield, puts it back in the wallet and puts the wallet away. LILA That's proof Mary was here! It would be too wild a coincidence for somebody else to... SAM (Reminding) Bates never denied Mary was here. LILA (Reminded) Yes. (A thought) But maybe this proves that Bates found out about the money. SAM Do we simply ask him where he's hidden it? LILA Sam, that old woman, whoever she is. I think she told Arbogast something! And I want her to tell us the same thing! She starts out of the bathroom. Sam takes hold of her arm, stops her. SAM You can't go up there. LILA Why not? SAM Bates. CAMERA STARTS TO PAN AWAY from them, moves slowly over the room, very slowly. LILA'S VOICE (O.S.) Let's find him. One of us can keep him occupied while the other gets to the woman. SAM'S VOICE (O.S.) You won't be able to hold him still if he doesn't want to be held. And I don't like you going into that house alone, Lila. CAMERA HAS PANNED clear across to the opposite wall now, and is moving up closer and closer to the tiny-flowered wall paper, finally closing in on one small rosebud. LILA'S VOICE (O.S.) I can handle a sick old woman. Now we see that the rosebud has been cut out, that this is the reverse side of the hole Norman peeped through to watch Mary. And we see the pupil of Norman's eye now. SAM'S VOICE (O.S.) All right. I'll find Bates and keep him occupied. The eye moves away and there is a brief flash of light before the hole is covered, on the other side, by the wall-hung painting. FRESH ANGLE - LILA AND SAM They are about to start out. Sam stops her again. SAM Wait a minute. If you get anything out of the mother... (A thought) Can you find your way back to town? (As Lila nods yes) If you do get anything, don't stop to tell me. Lila nods quickly, hurries to the door. Sam gets to it first, opens it a slight crack, looks out, then opens it wide enough for Lila and Himself to pass through.
...continue to part 8