Scripts: Rear Window (final draft, 01/Dec/1953) - part 5
FADE IN:
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAWN - CLOSEUP
A big head of Jeff. He is still in his wheelchair, sound
asleep. The CAMERA PANS off his face, out through the window.
The rain has stopped, and the general light of dawn is coming
up. The CAMERA COMES TO REST on the salesman's apartment and
corridor, which is still dimly lit by the electric lights.
We see the salesman emerge into the corridor, pause a moment
to allow a woman to proceed him. Her back is to the CAMERA
and we do not see her face. They move away, down the corridor.
The CAMERA PANS BACK into Jeff's sleeping face.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - LONG SHOT
It is now mid-morning. The sun is shining. Miss Torso is
practicing her dance to the sound of ballet music.
We can hear the song-writer at work, but the thing that
attracts our attention mostly, is some action that emanates
from the fire escape where the couple sleep at night. On a
long rope, the woman is lowering an open wicker basket in
which sits a small dog. When is reaches the yard below, the
CAMERA PANNING DOWN, the dog steps out and runs off to explore
the yard. The woman pulls up the basket, and leaves it on
the fire escape. The CAMERA PULL BACK into Jeff's apartment
where Stella is busy massaging Jeff's back at he lies face
down on the divan.
STELLA
You'd think the rain would have cooled
things off. All it did was make the
heat wet.
Stella hits a sore muscle in Jeff's back. He jumps.
JEFF
That's a stiff one.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - MEDIUM SHOT
A low camera has Jeff's head on the foreground, with Stella
just behind him, at work on his back. She attacks the sore
muscle vigorously.
STELLA
The insurance Company would be a lot
happier if you slept in your bed,
not the wheelchair.
JEFF
(Between clenched
teeth)
How did you know!
STELLA
Eyes bloodshot. Must have been staring
out the window for hours.
JEFF
I was.
STELLA
(Massaging harder)
What'll you do if one of them catches
you?
JEFF
Depends one which one.
She stops massaging, reaches for the oil.
JEFF
Now Miss Torso, for example --
Stella hits his back with a palmful of cold oil. It takes
his breath.
STELLA
Keep your mind off her.
JEFF
She's real eat, drink and be merry
girl.
STELLA
And she'll end up fat, alcoholic and
miserable.
JEFF
Speaking of misery, Miss Lonely Hearts
drank herself to sleep again. Alone.
STELLA
Poor girl. Someday she'll find her
happiness.
JEFF
And some man will lose his.
STELLA
Isn't there anyone in the neighborhood
who might cast an eye in her
direction?
JEFF
Well, the salesman could be available
soon.
STELLA
(Interested in the
scandal)
He and his wife splitting up?
JEFF
It's hard to figure. He went out
several time last night, in the rain
carrying his sample case.
STELLA
(So?)
Isn't he a salesman?
JEFF
Now what could he sell at three in
the morning?
STELLA
(Shrugs)
Flashlights. Luminous dials for
watches. House numbers that light
up.
JEFF
He was taking something out of the
apartment. I'm certain.
She helps him to a sitting position.
STELLA
His personal effects. He's probably
running away -- the coward.
JEFF
Sometimes it's worse to stay than it
is to run.
STELLA
(Looks at him)
But it takes a particularly low type
of man to do it.
Jeff turns his head away for a moment. She helps him into
the chair. Hands him his shirt, which he proceeds to put on.
The back of his chair is to the window.
STELLA
(Putting oil and power
away)
What about this morning? Any
developments?
JEFF
No. The shades are still drawn in
their apartment.
STELLA
(stops)
In this heat?
(Turns, looks over
his shoulder)
They're up now.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - SEMI-CLOSEUP
He quickly turns his wheelchair around to the window until
he is in profile.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman, having just raised the shades in the living
room, is now looking out the window. It is not a casual look,
but a long, careful, searching appraisal of all the apartment
house windows in his neighborhood, starting from his left to
his right. His eyes move closer toward Jeff's apartment.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - MEDIUM SHOT
Jeff in his chair, facing the window, Stella beside him.
Jeff nearly knocks the startled Stella off her feet with his
arm.
JEFF
Get back! Out of sight! Quick!
He propels his chair backward quickly, and Stella moves to
the side with surprising agility. They are both in shadow.
STELLA
(A startled whisper)
What is it? What's the matter?
Jeff keeps his eyes trained on the window.
JEFF
(Quietly)
The salesman's looking out his window.
Stella relaxes, gives Jeff a disgusted look, and starts to
move out of the shadows.
STELLA
A Federal offense.
JEFF
(Sharply)
Get back there! He'll see you!
She moves back into the shadows.
STELLA
I'm not shy. I've been looked at
before.
JEFF
(Still peering toward
window)
It's not an ordinary look. It's the
kind of look a man gives when he's
afraid somebody might be watching
him.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman completes his searching glance at the
neighborhood. Then something directly below his window catches
his attention. He looks sharply downward, his body visibly
tensing.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - MEDIUM SHOT
Jeff, with a restraining hand to Stella, begins to edge his
chair cautiously forward so that he can see what the salesman
is looking at.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
THE CAMERA MOVES FORWARD, and as it reaches the edge of the
window, PANS DOWN and shows us what the salesman is looking
at. The little dog that was lowered in the basket is sniffing
at the salesman's personal flower bed.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - CLOSEUP
Jeff's eyes move up quickly to look at the salesman.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman leans forward and grips the window sill as he
watches the dog. The CAMERA PANS DOWN and we now see that
the old lady with the hearing aid is leaning over the fence
admonishing the dog. We can faintly hear her voice saying
something to the effect that he'll get into trouble. The dog
turns to glance at her and apparently taking heed, moves
away. The old lady is wearing a faded house-robe.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - CLOSEUP
Jeff is amused at the dog incident. Behind him, Stella moves
to the center of the room, saying:
STELLA
Goodbye, Mr. Jefferies. I'll see you
tomorrow.
JEFF
(Grunts)
Uh-huh.
She begins putting her equipment back into her black bag.
Jeff's eyes lift to the salesman's apartment, and the
amusement drains from his face. He leans forward a little,
tensely.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman has his aluminum case on the table near the
center of the room. He is carefully wiping out the interior
with dust cloth.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - SEMI-CLOSEUP
Jeff watching intently. Stella putting the last of her things
into her bag.
STELLA
And don't sleep in the chair again.
Jeff continues to what the salesman, his face showing a great
concentration of thought.
JEFF
Uh-huh.
Stella picks up her bag, stares at Jeff's back a moment,
then starts for the door.
STELLA
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Great
conversationalist.
Jeff swings half-way around in his chair just as Stella
reaches the top of the steps.
JEFF
Stella.
She turns around. Jeff points to a coat-stand near the door.
JEFF
(Goes on quickly)
Will you take those binoculars out
of the case and bring them to me.
She puts down her bag, reaches for the binoculars, takes
them out the case. She comes down the stairs, brings them to
him. He immediately swings to the window, and lifts them to
his eyes. Stella sniffs, then goes to the door, as she says:
STELLA
Trouble. I cam smell it. I'll be
glad when they crack that cast, and
I get out of here.
As Stella goes out the door, the CAMERA MOVES IN until Jeff's
head, and the binoculars, are filling the screen.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman has completed his cleaning of the case. He is
in the act of placing it on the floor. He turns and again
glances out of the window.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - CLOSEUP
Jeff quickly lowers the binoculars and edges back a few
inches. He watches a moment, then cautiously lifts the
binoculars again.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - SEMI-LONG SHOT - (DAY)
The man is now moving out of the living room, and the
binoculars PAN him though to the small kitchen which is seen
through a side window.
The man starts to busy himself in this kitchen with his back
to us, but the image is very unsatisfactory.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - SEMI-CLOSEUP
Jeff lowers the binoculars and there is an expression of
exasperation on his face. He throws the binoculars down, and
then looks about him. He backs his chair up quickly toward
the main cabinet on his left. He leans down, opens a cupboard
door and takes out a long-focus lens. Then from a shelf above
he takes a small Exacta camera. He quickly takes off the
existing lens and puts on the telephoto lens in its place.
He wheels himself back to the window and raises the camera
to his eye.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - CLOSE SHOT
Through the view-finder of the camera, we are now brought
into close proximity with the salesman in his little kitchen.
His back is still to us. He half-turns and takes a used
newspaper. He spreads it open, along the drainboard. From
the sink he takes out a large butcher's knife, and a long,
narrow saw. They disappear from sight as he lays them on the
newspaper and proceeds to wrap them up. Having completed his
job, he emerges from the kitchen carrying the newspaper-
wrapped parcel.
For a moment he is lost behind the wall that separates the
kitchen recess from the living room. He does not reappear
for a moment.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - CLOSEUP
Jeff lowers the camera for a moment, and watches tensely.
Suddenly he puts it up to his eye again.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - CLOSE SHOT
Half of a man's body is now seen in the living room.
Then the salesman turns and moves to the center of the room.
He is not carrying anything. He sits down on a couch, with a
display of fatigue. He yawns and stretches out of sight at
full length on the couch.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - DAY - CLOSEUP
Jeff lowers the camera. He watches the living room for a
moment. Then his eye travels briefly back to the kitchen;
then return to the living room. His brow knits a little as
we:
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - CLOSEUP
The thermometer outside of Jeff's window, registering 83
degrees. The CAMERA PANS OFF to the left until it comes to
rest on the song-writer's studio. He is dressed only in
bathing trunks, and is vigorously cleaning his rug with a
carpet sweeper. In the middle of his sweeping, he stops,
hurries a step or two to the piano. He plays a couple of
notes with one hand, while he stands.
Listens, plays them again. Decides they are no good, and
returns to his carpet sweeping.
THE CAMERA PANS FARTHER LEFT to the salesman's apartment.
There are no lights burning behind the drawn shade of the
bedroom, but the living room and the kitchen are lighted.
There is no sign of the salesman.
THE CAMERA CONTINUES ITS PAN to the left, to include the
couple who sleep on the fire escape in the hot weather.
We now get an opportunity to examine these people more
closely. The man is balding, and middle-aged. He is wearing
striped pajamas. He is in the act of laying out the mattress.
His wife is slightly younger, peroxided, faded show girl
type. Also wearing pajamas, with a fluffy handkerchief in
the left pocket, the wife is leaning over the railing holding
onto the rope which leads to the dog's basket now on the
floor of the courtyard. Having been a one-time siffleuse,
her call to the dog is clarion and melodic.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The little dog emerges reluctantly from the shadows, and
steps into the basket. It begins to move upward, and THE
CAMERA FOLLOWS it. When the basket reaches the fire escape,
THE CAMERA PANS ON to the apartment of Miss Torso. She is in
the bathroom brushing her long hair, while her thoughts seem
to be far away.
THE CAMERA DROPS DOWN to the apartment below, occupied by
the elderly lady with the hearing aid. For the first time we
see something of her activities inside the apartment. She
wears a short smock, although her legs are still bare. She
is hard at work on a piece of abstract sculpture. It takes
the form of a piece of mahogany through which a simple hole
has been carved.
THE CAMERA MOVES ON much farther to the left, and eventually
comes to rest on the newly-weds' apartment with the shade
still drawn.
It MOVES ON and at last passes though Jeff's window, and
comes to rest on the two bid heads of Jeff and Lisa.
Her lips are brushing lightly against his cheek as she speaks:
LISA
How far does a girl have to go --
before you notice her?
Jeff moves his eyes slightly to something outside the window.
JEFF
If she's pretty enough, she doesn't
have to go anywhere. She just has to
"be".
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT
The salesman's apartment, just as we saw it a moment ago.
The shades drawn and lights out in the bedroom, the shade up
and lights on in the living room and kitchen. Still no one
in sight.
LISA
Well, "ain't I?" -- Pay attention to
me.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - TWO SHOT
We are now able to see that Jeff's apartment is in darkness,
only faintly lit from the distant light of the neighbors'
window. By her position, Lisa is seated on Jeff's sound knee,
her arms around his neck.
JEFF
I'm not exactly on the other side of
the room.
LISA
Your mind is. And when I want a man,
I want all of him.
She starts kissing him.
JEFF
Don't you ever have any problems?
LISA
(Murmurs, kissing him)
I have one now.
JEFF
So do I.
LISA
(Kissing)
Tell me about it.
JEFF
(Slight pause)
Why would a man leave his apartment
three times, on a rainy night, with
a suitcase? And come back three times?
LISA
He likes the way his wife welcomes
him home.
JEFF
Not that salesman's wife. And why
didn't he go to work today?
LISA
Homework. It's more interesting.
JEFF
What's interesting about a butcher's
knife and a small saw wrapped up in
a newspaper?
LISA
Nothing, thank heaven.
JEFF
(Looking again)
Why hasn't he gone into his wife's
bedroom all day?
LISA
I wouldn't dare answer that.
JEFF
(After pause)
Lisa -- there's something terribly
wrong.
She gives up trying to interest him in romance, and moves
back from the embrace. THE CAMERA PULL BACK.
LISA
And I'm afraid it's with me.
Lisa stands, straightens out her dress, stretches a little
then she turns to the divan, apparently not too interested
in his observation about the salesman's life.
JEFF
(Looks at Lisa)
What do you think?
LISA
(Without returning
his look)
Something too frightful to utter.
Jeff is thoughtful for a moment, then he relaxes and smiles
a little. He turns to the window to look out again. Lisa
exits the picture.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT
Lisa stretches herself out on the divan. Her head rest on
the cushion at the far end, and she instinctively falls into
an attractive pose. However, her expression is disturbed as
she watches Jeff.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP
He stares intently out the window.
JEFF
He went out a few minutes ago -- in
his undershirt -- and he hasn't come
back yet.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP
Lisa weighs this information, trying to make some sense out
of it.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP
Jeff turns his eyes from the salesman's apartment, and looks
down reflectively. He looks up again, and then his eyes
catches sight of something. He leans forward slightly.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT
Miss Torso is lying, face down, on her divan bed. The only
light in the apartment is from a reading lamp. She is reading
a book held in one hand, while eating a sandwich in another.
Her back is bare, and all she wears is a pair of brief dark
blue shorts. At one point, she lifts her torso up slightly
to brush crumbs out from beneath her.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP
He looks away from Miss Torso, thoughtfully.
JEFF
You know -- that would be terrible
job to tackle.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP
Lisa leans forward and looks out the window to see what Jeff
is referring to. She turns back to him with a blank stare.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - CLOSEUP
Jeff turns and looks at her, quite unaware of her surprise
at his comment.
JEFF
How would you begin to cut up a human
body?
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - MEDIUM SHOT
Lisa sits bolt upright on the divan. She reaches back quickly
and pulls on the overhead light. At that moment the songwriter
returns to his composing. We can see him over Lisa's shoulder.
He is beginning his song again, and it has taken on new
fullness and melody.
Although it is not complete, it is farther along then before,
and he plays his theme a number of different ways, trying to
move it note by note to its completion.
Lisa just stares at Jeff for a moment.
LISA
Jeff -- I'll be honest with you --
you're beginning to scare me a little.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP
Jeff is staring out of the window again. Over this we hear
Lisa's voice:
LISA
(Quietly insistent)
Jeff -- did you hear what I said?
You're beginning to --
Jeff puts out a restraining hand.
JEFF
(Interrupting)
Be quiet! Shhh!
(Pause)
He's coming back!
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT
At last the salesman is seen coming along the corridor.
He does not wear shirt, but only an undershirt. Slung over
one shoulder, with his arm through is, is a large coil of
sturdy rope. He goes through the living room into the bedroom.
He does not put on the bedroom lights.
INT. JEFF'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - SEMI-CLOSEUP
Jeff reaches quickly for his binoculars, and trains them on
the salesman's apartment.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT - SEMI-LONG SHOT
As seen though the binoculars, the salesman comes out of the
bedroom, to the kitchen, where he gets a carving knife. He
turns around and goes back to the bedroom.
The lights go on behind the draw shades, after a short moment.
The dim shadow of the salesman is seen moving around the
room.
...continue to part 6
