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Scripts: Strangers on a Train (18/Oct/1950) - part 6

 LONG SHOT EXT. STREET FROM ANNE'S VIEWPOINT
 
 There are cars lined up outside on the street. One limousine
 is pulling up in the center, two figures at the passenger
 door. One is climbing in. The other is Guy.
 
 CLOSEUP ANNE
 She calls out urgently:
 
                          ANNE
              Guy!
 
 CLOSE SHOT
 
 Guy turns and closes the door.
 
 MEDIUM SHOT FROM ANNE'S VIEWPOINT
 
 The limousine moves off and Guy comes toward her.
 
 MEDIUM SHOT
 
 Anne comes down the steps and intercepts Guy on the sidewalk.
 She leads him along a few paces and then stops and faces
 him.
 
 CLOSE TWO SHOT
 
 Anne nods off in the direction of the departed Bruno and
 speaks in a desperate, low voice.
 
                          ANNE
              You didn't meet him for the first
              time the other day, did you, Guy?
 
 Guy stares at her for a moment.
 
                          GUY
              You mean when you introduced us at
              the club?
 
                       ANNE
           Yes. Did you notice how he stared
           at Barbara that day?
 
                       GUY
               (awkwardly)
           Well, I didn't -- particularly --
 
                       ANNE
               (breaks in)
           He stared at her again tonight --
           while his hands were around Mrs.
           Cunningham's throat.
 
 Guy looks at Anne with an expression of growing fear and
 alarm. She goes on inexorably:
 
                       ANNE
           What did Miriam look like, Guy.
 
                       GUY
               (awkwardly)
           Well, why do you ask me? You've
           seen her pictures in the paper.
 
                       ANNE
           Go on, I want you to tell me.
 
                       GUY
               (haltingly)
           Well, she was dark, not too tall,
           rather pretty --
 
                        ANNE
           What else?
 
                       GUY
           What else is there?
 
                       ANNE
           She wore glasses, didn't she?
 
                        GUY
           Yes.
 
                       ANNE
           She looked a lot like Barbara, didn't
           she?
 
 Guy suddenly begins to realize what Anne is getting at.
 
 Anne lowers her head, deliberately avoids looking at Guy, as
 she asks:
 
                 ANNE
     How did you get him to do it, Guy.
 
                 GUY
     I get him to do it?
 
                 ANNE
     He killed Miriam, didn't he?   Tell
     me, Guy!
 
                 GUY
     Yes.
         (suddenly bursting
          out)
     He's a maniac. I met him on the
     train going to Metcalf. He had a
     crazy scheme about exchanging murders.
     I do his murder and he do mine.
 
                  ANNE
          (quietly)
     What do you mean -- your murder,
     Guy?
 
                 GUY
     Well, he'd read about me in the paper.
     He knew about Miriam -- and about
     you. He suggested that  if he got
     rid of Miriam for me, I should kill
     his father.
 
                 ANNE
     You must have realized he was talking
     a lot of nonsense!
 
                 GUY
     Of course! I didn't give it another
     thought. And now a lunatic wants me
     to kill his father.
 
                 ANNE
         (beginning to believe)
     It's too fantastic!
 
                  GUY
         (grimly)
     Yes, isn't it?
 
                 ANNE
     You mean you've known about Miriam
     all this time?
 
                        GUY
           Since the first night. He gave me
           her glasses.
 
                       ANNE
           Why didn't you call the police?
 
                       GUY
               (bitterly)
           And have them say what you did --
           "Mr. Haines, how did you get him to
           do it?" And Bruno would say we'd
           planed it together.
 
                       ANNE
           Oh, Guy -- what can we do?
 
                       GUY
           I don't know, Anne...I don't know.
 
                       ANNE
               (With an anxious look
                across the street)
           Guy, hadn't we better go inside?
           Your friend Hennessy's watching us.
               (she Shudders)
 
                       GUY
               (sadly)
           You see, Anne, that's why I didn't
           want you to know anything about this.
           I wanted to protect all of you --
           your father, Barbara. And now that
           you know, you're acting guilty, too.
 
                       ANNE
               (desperately)
           Oh, if we could only talk to father
           or someone about it.
 
                       GUY
           No, that's no good, Anne. I mustn't
           drag anyone else into this mess.
           Come on. Let's go in.
 
 They go toward the house.
 
                                                   CUT TO:
 
 TWO SHOT ACROSS THE STREET
 
 As Hennessy watches Anne and Guy go toward the house, his
 relief, HAMMOND, comes up. Hammond's a zealous, hard-eyed
 sleuth.
 
                       HENNESSY
               (a little glum)
           Hello, Hammond.
 
                       HAMMOND
           You look worried. What's the matter?
 
                       HENNESSY
           You'd better keep on your toes.
           Something funny's going on.
 
                                                  DISSOLVE TO:
 
 INT. GUY'S APARTMENT LATER THAT NIGHT
 
 Still in his dinner clothes, Guy is seated in deep thought
 near the telephone, wrestling with his problem. There is an
 open telephone directory in front of him. He comes to a
 decision, picks up the telephone and dials a number. He
 waits for the answer, then:
 
                       GUY
           Bruno? Yes, yes, it's Guy...I've
           decided to do what you want. I'll
           make that little visit to father....
               (listens a moment)
           Tonight.
               (listens another moment)
           Yes, I want to get this thing over
           with, can you leave the house again,
           Bruno?
               (pause)
           You'd better stay out till daylight.
 
 Guy hangs up, rises and starts to move with purpose for his
 night's activities.
 
                                                  DISSOLVE TO:
 
 INT. GUY'S APARTMENT NIGHT
 
 Guy is sitting at the table. He is dressed differently,
 having changed from his dinner clothes to a sack suit. There
 is only one lamp lighted in the room. Guy presents a grim
 picture.
 
 He is studying the plan of Bruno's house, and he picks up
 the key Bruno sent along with it. Finally he looks at his
 watch, then folds the plan and puts it in his pocket with
 the key. He rises, crosses to the  chest of drawers, opens
 the top drawer.
 
 INSERT: THE OPEN DRAWER
 
 Guy's hands take out the Luger. His hand then picks up
 Miriam's glasses from the drawer, holds them a moment. He
 is about to put them back, then decides to take them along,
 puts them into his pocket.
 
 MED. SHOT
 
 CAMERA PANS GUY across to the window. He parts the curtains
 slightly and looks out.
 
 MED. SHOT ON STREET (FROM GUY'S VIEWPOINT)
 
 Hammond is lighting a cigarette as he strolls in front of
 the house.
 
 INT. GUY'S APARTMENT
 
 Guy crosses to his door, which he opens surreptitiously.
 
 MED. SHOT CORRIDOR
 
 Guy glances down the stairs, then closes the door behind him
 quietly and moves away to a window at the turn of the stairs.
 
 EXT. FIRE ESCAPE
 
 Guy comes out of the window onto the second floor fire escape.
 He creeps stealthily down and emerges into a narrow alleyway.
 He steps back into the shadows for a moment when he sees:
 
 LONG SHOT FROM GUY'S VIEWPOINT (PROCESS)
 
 The strolling figure of Hammond on the far side of the street.
 
 MED. SHOT
 
 Guy turns away and is soon lost in the darkness of the street.
 
                                               LAP DISSOLVE TO:
 
 EXT. A TALL PAIR OF ELABORATE IRON GATES NIGHT
 
 We are on the inside of the gates. We see them swing open
 slightly and the figure of Guy edges through them.
 
 CLOSE SHOT
 Guy leaves the gates ajar and then, taking the plan of Bruno's
 house from his pocket, and the key, he looks toward the house.
 
 EXT. STEPS LONG SHOT NIGHT
 
 This is a long flight of steps. Moonlit. They are lined
 with tall black cypress trees which throw their shadows across
 the steps. Guy moves out of one shadow, into another and
 carefully starts up the stairs.
 
 AT THE DOOR
 
 He pauses, looks about for a moment and listens. Then he
 puts the key into the lock, finding it with his flashlight.
 The door opens a few inches. He turns off the flash, and
 enters.
 
 INT. ANTONY HOME ENTRANCE HALL
 
 As Guy moves in soundlessly and closes the door. He looks
 toward the stairs which are in shadow.
 
 MED. SHOT
 
 Guy starts up the stairs slowly. He carries his flashlight
 and the plan.
 
 AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS THE DOG
 
 A huge shadow lies it the head of the stairs. As Guy comes
 slowly up the stairs, the Great Dane looks down at him.
 
 GUY ON THE STAIRS
 
 He reacts to the sight of the dog, stops an instant, and
 turn on his flashlight. The heavy massive face of the dog
 looks straight down at him. Guy turns off the flashlight
 and after a moment of indecision starts slowly up the stairs
 once more, the dog watching every step he takes.
 
 UPPER HALLWAY
 
 Guy comes up the last few stairs and still the dog hasn't
 moved. Guy slowly edges past him and the Great Dane's head
 turns to watch him.
 
 GUY
 
 moving quietly along the hallway, approaches two doors. He
 takes out his flash and identifies the door with his plan.
 
 INSERT:
 
 The plan shows two doors in relation to the stairway. The
 first one is clearly marked: "MY room." The adjoining door
 is marked: "My FATHER'S room."
 
 CLOSE SHOT GUY
 
 He pauses at the first door, then passes it quietly, walking
 on to the next one. He turns the knob soundlessly and passes
 through into the room.
 
 INT. ANTONY BEDROOM LONG SHOT
 
 The room is in darkness except for the dim outline of the
 recumbent figure in the bed. We hear Guy's voice, in a loud
 whisper:
 
                         GUY
           Mr. Antony!
 
 The figure stirs.
 
 ANOTHER ANGLE
 
 Guy takes a stop closer to the bed.
 
                         GUY
                 (urgently)
             Mr. Antony! Don't be alarmed -- but
             I must talk to you about your son.
             About Bruno. Mr. Antony!
 
 The figure on the bed turns and a hand stretches out toward
 a bedside light. The light goes on with a sudden glare.
 
 CLOSEUP FACE OF BRUNO IN THE LIGHT (LOW CAMERA)
 
 The low CAMERA throws a vast shadow up on the wall behind
 him, creating a grimace of his smile.
                         BRUNO
             Yes, Mr. Haines?
 
 CLOSEUP GUY
 
 His face is dead.
 
 MED. SHOT
 
 Bruno rises from the bed and sits on the and of it. He is
 fully dressed, just as he was at the party, in white tie and
 tails.
 
                         BRUNO
                 (politely)
             My father isn't home tonight, Mr.
             Haines.
                 (smiles grimly at
                  Guy's surprise)
             I was about to tell you that over
             the phone. But you came to such a
             sudden decision. I wondered why.
 
                         GUY
                 (recovering quickly)
             Since you sent me a key to your house,
             I decided to use it -- to make a
             little social call on your father.
             I thought he'd be Interested to know
             he his a lunatic son.
 
 The faintest flicker of Bruno's eyes indicates the intensity
 of his reaction. He stares hard at Guy.
 
                        BRUNO
            Then a I correct, Mr. Haines, in
            assuming that you have no intention
            of going ahead with our arrangement?
 
                        GUY
            No intention whatsoever. I never
            had.
 
                        BRUNO
            I see. You won't have any further
            use for the key, then, Mr. Haines.
                (he holds out his
                 hand and Guy gives
                 him the key)
            Thank you very such.
 
 As Bruno continues to stare at him, Guy takes out the Luger.
 For a moment a look of fear comes into Bruno's face as he
 thinks Guy will probably shoot him. After a pause, Guy tosses
 the gun on the bed.
 
                        GUY
            Or this.
 
 Bruno's relief turns again to menace. He picks up the gun
 and fingers it nervously.
 
                         GUY
                (kindly)
            Look, Bruno. You're terribly sick.
                (haltingly)
            I don't know whether it's possible
            for you to realize it or not. I
            don't know much about these things,
            Bruno. But why don't you go someplace
            where you can get some treatment?
            Not only for your own sake, Bruno,
            but you can't go on causing more and
            more destruction to anyone you happen
            to meet.
 
 Bruno pays no attention. He rises.
 
 TWO SHOT
 
 Guy's arguments have made no impression on Bruno whatsoever.
 He fingers the gun.
 
                        BRUNO
            I don't like to be doublecrossed.
                        (MORE)
 
                         BRUNO (CONT'D)
             I have a murder on my conscience,
             but it's not my murder, Mr. Haines --
             it's yours. And as you're the one
             to profit, I think you should be the
             one to pay for it.
 
 For an instant his nervous hands seem to be struggling with
 the urge to kill Guy.
 
                         GUY
                 (gives up)
             Well, I guess it's no use, Bruno.
             We sees to have nothing further to
             discuss.
 Bruno goes to the door in silent acquiescence and opens it
 for Guy to pass through.
 
 INT. HALLWAY MED. SHOT
 
 Guy walks toward the stairs, tense and apprehensive. Bruno
 is following him, still holding the gun. When the Great
 Dane sees Bruno it gets to its feet, as if waiting for a
 command.
 
 Guy starts down the stairs but Bruno stays where he is, the
 dog beside him. Gay turns and looks back it this tableaux
 of menace.
 
                         BRUNO
             Don't worry. I'm not going to shoot
             you, Mr. Haines. It might disturb
             mother.
                 (with a feeling of
                  power)
             I'm a very clever follow. I'll think
             of something better than that. Much
             better.
 
 LONG SHOT
 
 Bruno remains in the foreground of the scene as Guy proceeds
 on down the stairs. We see him open the front door and pass
 through.
 
                                                  LAP DISSOLVE TO:
 
 EXT. STREET ACROSS GUY'S APARTMENT EARLY
 CLOSE SHOT HENNESSY AND HAMMOND MORNING
 
 Hennessy is relieving Hammond who has kept watch on Guy's
 apartment night.
 
                       HAMMOND
               (in the middle of his
                story)
           He came back at three twenty-five.
           I didn't even know he'd given me the
           slip until his 'phone kept ringing
           for about half an hour. Nobody sleeps
           that sound. So I got the janitor to
           let me in. No Haines.
                       HENNESSY
               (to himself)
           Wonder where he went?
 
                       HAMMOND
           We'll probably hear of another dame
           murdered.
 
                       HENNESSY
               (puzzled)
           Shut up. I'd better contact Metcalf.
           I should think this calls for more
           questioning of Mr. Haines.
 
                          HAMMOND
           Questioning?     Nuts!   Let's take him
           in.
 
                       HENNESSY
           My dear Mr. Hamond, how many times
           do I have to tell you that we have
           nothing conclusive on Haines? There's
           no evidence that he was ever at the
           scene of the crime. Can't you get
           that into your thick head?
               (quietly)
           Now stay put till I get back.
 
 As he starts away --
 
                                                     FADE OUT.
 
 FADE IN
 INT. ANTONY LIVING ROOM LATE MORNING
 
 Anne and Mrs. Antony are in the middle of a conversation.
 Anne's manner is tense and purposeful, Mrs. Antony's much
 less serious.
 
                        MRS. ANTONY
           Oh, now, Miss Burton, really! I
           know Bruno's been in some very awkward
           scrapes, but nothing so ridiculous
           as a murder.
               (she gives a short
                little laugh)
                       ANNE
               (desperately)
           But, Mrs. Antony, you've got to make
           him do something about this. Don't
           you see that just one word from him
           would extricate Guy from this dreadful
           situation?
 
                        MRS. ANTONY
                (lightly)
           Oh, but Miss Burton, I'm sure this
           thing must be some practical joke.
           You know, Bruno sometimes goes too
           far.
                (girl to girl)
           Of course I shouldn't be saying this
           to an outsider, but sometimes he's
           terribly irresponsible and gets into
           all kinds of escapades.
 
                       ANNE
           But don't you understand, Mrs. Antony --
           your son is responsible for a woman's
           death.
 
                       MRS. ANTONY
               (drawing herself up
                with some hauteur)
           Did Bruno tell you this?
 
                       ANNE
           Of course not, Mrs. Antony.
 
                       MRS. ANTONY
               (that settles it)
           Well, there you are.
                       (MORE)
 
                       MRS. ANTONY (CONT'D)
               (she sighs and rises,
                winding it up)
           Well, Miss Burton, it was very nice
           of you to call. You must excuse me
           now. I must get back to my painting.
           Do you care for painting, Miss Burton?
           I find it so soothing.
               (shakes Anne's hand)
           You must come again sometime.
 
 She goes out. Anne is left helpless, standing in the middle
 of the room. She picks up her purse and is about to go when
 she hears a voice:
                       BRUNO'S VOICE
           Oh, Miss Burton!
 
 Anne turns back in direction of the voice. CAMERA   PULLS
 BACK until we can see the feet of Bruno protruding  from behind
 a chair in which he is sitting. He has obviously   heard the
 entire conversation between Anne and his mother. Bruno rises.
 He is in dressing gown and pajamas.
 
                        BRUNO
           I'm afraid mother wasn't very helpful,
           was she?
               (he strolls toward
                Anne)
           You know she hasn't been well for a
           long time. She's a little -- how
           shall I say -- confused.
               (shakes his head
                commiseratingly)
           Poor mother.
 
 Anne is too stunned to speak.
 
                       BRUNO
           You know, I'm very upset with Guy.
           He shouldn't have sent you on an
           errand like this.
 
                       ANNE
           Guy doesn't know I'm here, Mr. Antony.
 
                       BRUNO
           He's been leading you up the garden
           path, I'm afraid. He must be very
           desperate to try to involve me.
           I've been protecting him ever since
           we had that conversation on the train
           and he told me how he hated his wife.
 
 Bruno is now standing near the   window a little apart from
 Anne, with his back to him. He    takes something out of the
 pocket of his dressing gown and   looks down at it in his hand.
 It is Guy's lighter. Suddenly   he stuffs it back his pocket
 and turn back to Anne.
 
                       BRUNO
           Why, do you know, Miss Burton, he
           tried to get me to go back to the
           island one night after dark and pick
           up his lighter so the police wouldn't
           find it? He dropped it there, you
           know, when -- well, that night.
 
 Anne's horror is growing.
                       BRUNO
           The whole thing's been worrying me
           so much. But of course I couldn't
           do it, Miss Burton. It would have
           been too risky. And besides, it
           would have made me an accessory.
 
 Anne stares at this insane man and sinks on the settee. She
 starts to cry in sheer frustration. Bruno goes to her
 sympathetically.
 
                       BRUNO
           Miss Burton, I know how you feel.
 
 He puts his hand on her shoulder. Anne flings it off. There
 is an awkward pause as Bruno looks down at her. Then he
 begins to look around restlessly.
 
                       BRUNO
           Miss Burton, you must excuse me. I
           have an urgent appointment.
               (looks it his watch)
           I must go up and change. Now, I
           really must go...if you'll excuse
           me...
 
 He turns, starts out of the room and up the stairs in the
 hall. Anne watches him.
 
 STAIRWAY FROM ANNE'S VIEWPOINT
 
 Bruno turns and waves to Anne from the landing, then goes on
 up the stairs.
 
 INT. LIVING ROOM MED. SHOT
 
 Anne slowly rises, a lonely figure in the large room, and
 makes her way out.


...continue to part 7