Scripts: The Man Who Knew Too Much (final draft, 07/May/1955) - part 3
INT. ARAB RESTAURANT - (NIGHT) - CLOSE SHOT Jo and Ben stare back. There is resentment in Jo's eyes, and conjecture in Ben's. INT. ARAB RESTAURANT - (NIGHT) - MED. SHOT The headwaiter comes up to Louis Bernard, exchanges a few words with him which we cannot hear, and then leads the couple to a set of cushions in the far corner of the room. As he moves away from the entrance, Louis Bernard does not look at the McKennas. INT. ARAB RESTAURANT - (NIGHT) - MED. CLOSE SHOT As the couple traverses the restaurant, our four diners watch them -- the Draytons out of idle curiosity, but the McKennas with growing astonishment as they realize that Bernard has no intention of recognizing them, or speaking to them. Jo turns back to Ben. JO Well just what do you think of that? First he promises to take us to dinner -- BEN Look, we only met him today. We can't expect him to change his whole life -- JO Oh, Ben! What's the matter with you?! BEN Nothing! What's the matter with you?! JO I just don't like to be both privately and publicly insulted. BEN Can you blame him? Turning down an old married couple for a date with a girl like that? JO We're not an old married couple! All right -- He's a heel. I don't understand him -- and I'm beginning not to like what he's doing to our whole night. Drayton, quietly amused, is listening to Ben and Jo. But Mrs. Drayton is embarrassed. She makes conversation at random. MRS. DRAYTON (To Drayton) I must do some shopping in the market tomorrow. I do hope it'll be fine. Fine, but not too fine. Of course, I how our English weather is awful, but I sometimes think we don't know when we're lucky. All this sunshine, day after day. It seems unnatural, somehow. Ben makes as if to rise, but Jo holds him down. BEN I want to get up. JO Ben, I know you -- once you get worked up, you'll start a fight. Now please, sit down and forget him. DRAYTON (To the McKennas) By the way, it'd be pleasant if you'd let us show you round the market place, tomorrow. JO Louis Bernard, the big buyer from Paris, was going to take us through the market tomorrow. BEN (Starts to rise aaain) Good. I'll just go over and cancel out. She pushes him down again. JO Ben, don't. Our dinner's getting cold. (To the Draytons) We'd love to go with you. Ben glares in Bernard's direction, and then picks up a chicken leg. JO I don't know why Ben gets so worked up over unimportant things. Ben looks a her slowly, and with some amazement. Then his eyes lift a little and he sees the headwaiter standing nearby gesturing to him to please use only three fingers. Ben looks down at the chicken leg. He is holding it gripped in his fist. This is too much. He throws the leg down to his plate in disgust. INT. ARAB RESTAURANT - (NIGHT) - MED. CLOSE SHOT Over in the far corner of the restaurant, the lady with Louis Bernard leans forward and murmurs something in French. Her gaze is across the room in the direction of the McKennas. WOMAN C'est les deux que cherchez? (Is that the couple you are looking for?) Louis turns slightly and looks. He glances back at her and nods significantly. LOUIS Oui. (Yes.) FADE OUT. FADE IN: EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - ESTABLISHING SHOT It is around eleven o'clock in the morning in the main market square at Marrakesh. This is usually the busy time of the day. There are coaches arriving from the countryside with the Arab farmers alighting with their baggage, veiled women getting off the coaches and going into the markets. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT A closer view of the shoppers -- veiled women, men on bicycles, carts and donkeys passing. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The water sellers move slowly through the market, their large hats tinkling with gay sounding bells. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The medicine man sitting among his medical wares -- Ben and Jo enter and look down at the collection of claws, lizards, and barnyard scrapings. J0 Looks like he has a cure for everything. BEN Yeah, there's a lot of that going around these days. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT Woman with sewing machine on head. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The bread vendors offering large fresh-baked loaves of bread. Scattered among the native populace are some tourists and perhaps some French residents. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT Mr. Drayton is standing by an Arab who has a small gambling table set up, possibly roulette, There are others gambling. After a moment's hesitation, and a look around to see that he is safe from Mrs. Drayton, he chances a small bet. He loses. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT An old man squatting on his heels and surrounded by a small circle of onlookers is reading from a book. His voice intones monotonously. The CAMERA PANS to the RIGHT and we see Hank McKenna standing watching him. Hank is holding on to Mrs. Drayton's hand. HANK What's he doing, Mrs. Drayton? MRS. DRAYTON He's the teller of tales, Hank. He reads legends and famous old stories from history. HANK Wish he'd say something I could understand. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT A larger group of people who are gathered around some acrobats who are performing rather well. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT Standing on the fringe of the crowd watching the acrobats are the McKennas. J0 Ben, I'm glad we came here. It's different, a little exciting. BEN Wouldn't you rather be in Now York -- rehearsing? She takes his arm affectionately. JO Oh, all that talk last night was just social chit chat, Every woman who ever gave up the stage for marriage is supposed to want to go back. I was just playing a part expected of me. She pauses a second. BEN Well, if you do -- let's talk about it -- seriously. JO No, if at all, let's talk about it humorously. HANK Mummy! Daddy! They turn in time to see Hank run up to them, followed by Mrs. Drayton. HANK Come on with us! We're gonna see the medicine man! Maybe you on learn something, Daddy. BEN (Laughs) You're probably right. J0 (To Mrs. Drayton) Any time he starts wearing you out -- MRS. DRAYTON I've never enjoyed the market place so much. Oh! She dashes off in pursuit of the fast-moving Hank. HANK Come on! EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT Standing on the fringe of the crowd watching the acrobats are the McKennas. JO Ben, this whole market place is very different and exciting. BEN Just like the county fairs when I was a kid. They'd get everything but the balloon ascension. Jo starts giggling. Ben looks it her. BEN That didn't sound too hilarious to me. JO I was just thinking...do you know what's paying for these three days in Marrakesh? Ben chuckles. JO And the purse I bought in Paris... Bill Edwards' tonsils. HANK Mummy! Daddy! They turn in time to see Hank run up to them, followed by Mrs. Drayton. HANK Come on with us! We're gonna see the medicine man! Maybe you can learn something, Daddy. BEN (laughs) You're probably right. JO (to Mrs. Drayton) Any time he starts wearing you out... Mrs. Drayton ad Hank go out of the picture. BEN I don't know whether or not to believe you. JO Ben, glamour is a costume I put on once. It never fit too well. I'd rather live my own life than one written for me. BEN Including sleeping with a man who always smells of ether? J0 I don't have to look seductive at breakfast and worry if the Times reviewer doesn't like my scrambled eggs. Drayton appears behind them. DRAYTON How are the acrobats today? BEN Oh fine, fine. Haven't dropped anybody yet. Ben takes Jo's arm and they saunter off, leaving Mr. Drayton to the acrobats. They do it in such a way as to indicate the group is not hold together by any social formalities. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT The CAMERA DOLLIES along beside them as they pass down a line of Arab barbers all busily engaged with shaving and cutting the hair of their customers. BEN All the way home we'll be riding on Herbie Taylor's ulcors. J0 And Allida Markle's asthma. Her eyes widen a little in surprise, and somewhat hurt, at his statement. BEN Oh, I know it's just a song and a dance here and there... but it's all he thinks about. Show business. JO Ben, you're setting a trap for me. BEN He has a good mind. Give him a chance to develop it. JO You mean give him a change to be a doctor? BEN I didn't say that. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT The CAMERA PANNING through the market place to a line of veiled women all working at Singer sewing machines. Drayton saunters behind them in the distance. Jo holds out her hand for Ben to shake it. JO All right, darling, a deal's a deal. Ben takes her hand. JO For every time step he'll learn a new muscle -- and for every chorus, three bones. Ben can't help chuckling. BEN And for every matinee? JO Two chapters of Grey's Anatomy. They stop short of bumping into Hank and Mrs. Drayton. HANK Hey, Mummy. (He points) Sewing machines! Looks like a television commercial. BEN Now If we could only get four cases of the Seven-year itch, we could retire. Or, if Mrs. Yarros really has triplets, we could at least redecorate the house. J0 (Laughs) Oh, Ben, what would they say if they heard us? EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT The CAMERA PANNING through the market place to a line of veiled women all working at Singer sewing machines. Drayton saunters behind them in the distance. BEN One of the reasons I came to a place like Marrakesh is so that we could say things like this without anybody hearing us. JO I'd like to say something where nobody can hear us. BEN This is the safest place. JO When are we going to have another child? Ben looks at her with some surprise. JO You're the doctor. You have all the answers. BEN Yeah -- but, but this is the first time I've heard the question! They stop short of bumping into Hank and Mrs. Drayton. HANK Hey, Mummy. (He points) Sewing machines! Looks like a television commercial. Jo laughs appreciatively, and rumples his hair. JO Having a good time, Hank? MRS. DRAYTON He's delighted with everything. At this moment, Mr. Drayton saunters up, and for the first time the group is all together. Suddenly there as some shouts in the distance. Everyone's attention is drawn to the noise. Hank moves quickly, threading his way through some people for a better look, the CAMERA PANNING him away. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - LONG SHOT From Hank's viewpoint we see police chasing a white- robed Arab figure. The police consist of a couple of uniformed French officials and two or three others in local Arab dress, with rifles slung over their backs. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT Hank, fascinated at the drama, dishes away to got a better view. Jo and Ben miss Hank. Then see him moving through the crowd. BEN Hank! Hank -- come back here! JO Hank! She starts forward after him, but Mrs. Drayton moves faster than anyone. She passes both of the McKennas and overtakes Hank. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT Mrs. Drayton reaches down and takes hold of Hank's shoulders, and pulls him toward her. MRS. DRAYTON Hank, it's best to keep away from trouble. Hank is looking away toward the chase. HANK What's going on? Mrs. Drayton looks toward the trouble. MRS. DRAYTON It looks as though the police are chasing somebody. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT A closer view of the chase brings us back to where the motor coaches are loading up, and for a moment the police as lost to view. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT A high view of the open air tannery with its circles of crude stone water tanks becomes the scene of a further part of the chase. We see the white-robed Arab leaping between the crude tanks with the police yelling and running after him in the distance. The difficulty of the obstacles enables the Arab to get ahead of them, and we see that he is now able to dodge through an archway into the grain market. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT As the chase passes through the grain market, it scatters grain and grain sellers in every direction. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT The pursued Arab dashes through an enclosure holding the donkeys which are used to carry grain to and from the market. There is quite a stampede, with the donkeys running, kicking, and braying in fright. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT Through another archway the Arab now dashes down some of the narrow streets of the Medina. Sapling branches are laced overhead creating a latticed shadow pattern on the ground below. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT As the Arab moves along the narrow street, with the police in pursuit, progress is made difficult by the many shoppers and bicycle riders. One bicycle rider trying to avoid the oncoming Arab turns and drives helplessly into a lags pottery store. The sound of wreckage is enormous. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The Arab turns into another street where the rows of brilliantly dyed wool yarn hang, from overhead strung along sapling poles. There is in unfortunate collision between the fleeing Arab end a workman crossing the street with a large vat of blue dye on his shoulder. In a moment the whole narrow streetway is saturated with blue dye, and everyone is lifting his robe and hopping around to avoid being stained. The Arab continues on past. The police dash through the street trying to avoid the dye themselves. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The Police reach a narrow intersection where the blind beggars as squatting, begging alms. They pause. There is no sign of their quarry. Then one of them points to faint blue footprints dashing away to the left. They take up the pursuit once again. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT A high, overhead shot of the narrow streets showing that the police have caught sight of their man again. But there seems to be something strange about the chase now. Two white-robed Arabs are running. The second Arab we haven't seen before, but he is faster than the first man and is gaining on him. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT A closer, level shot, the CAMERA PANNING, shows, the two breathless men closing in on each other. As they reach an intersection in the streets, lighted by a shaft of sunlight, the new Arab comes up behind the original man being chased and whipping out a knife from under his robes, plunges it into the back of the first man. Then he turns and quickly moves away into a street on his left. The first Arab jerks his head up and backward with the sharp pain of the stabbing, Then he staggers into the dark shadows. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT A high shot shows that the stabbed man is almost out of sight for a moment so that the police continue their chase after the second man, who has swiftly darted down another side turning. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT The CAMERA MOVES IN behind the stabbed Arab. The knife is still in his back. We get a glimpse of his hands, vainly groping behind him. The CAMERA MOVES WITH HIM as he staggers out into the open market place. His shadow on the ground shows us the silhouette of the knife handle sticking out from his back. The CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE to follow the agony of his head and shoulders as he attempts to go forward. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM LONG SHOT The CAMERA seems to pass BEYOND HIM for a moment, and there, a few yards away, stands Ben McKenna, and his group. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT The Arab hesitates for a moment, but the attitude of his head shows us that he has seen McKenna. He makes his way desperately and painfully toward him. He is finding it difficult to remain upright and even take those last few steps. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT A closer view of McKenna shows that those around him, including his wife and the Draytons, become frightened. He spreads his arms out to move them back protectively, waiting to see what is going to happen. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT As the Arab reaches McKenna, the knife drops from his back, and he collapses at Ben's feet. Ben endeavors to grab him as he falls. He misses his shoulders, and his hands close in and inadvertently grab the Arab's cheeks. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - CLOSE SHOT A big close up of Ben's hands as his fingers slide off the Arab's face. He turns his hands up and we see they are covered with black grease paint. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - CLOSE SHOT The Arab's head his now dropped to the ground, and we see streaks of white flesh showing through the dark makeup which Ben's fingers had scraped off. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT Ben drops to his knees to examine the man better. The Arab gasps out something in French. LOUIS Ils ont trouvés... ils ont réussi à trouver... Ben looks at him puzzled. LOUIS (English) McKenna... I'm... Louis.... Bernard. Ben is quite surprised. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT Ben glances swiftly at the fallen knife, and then reaches across Louis Bernard to turn him over and examine his wound. But the Frenchman reaches up with one arm and grabs Ben by the coat. LOUIS McKenna -- listen to me -- first! With what strength he has, Louis drags Ben down until Ben's ear is near to his mouth. With a great effort Louis whispers to him. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - CLOSE SHOT A big closeup of Ben's ear and Louis' mouth enables us to hear the whispering, but Louis' voice is fading so much that we cannot distinguish the words -- at least enough to make any sense out of what he says. LOUIS A man...a statesman...is to be killed...assassinated...in London...soon...very soon...tell them...in London...to try Ambrose Chappell... Presently, the mouth stops speaking. It remains still and open. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT As Ben backs away, we see the staring eyes, and open mouth of Louis. Ben quickly puts his hand inside the robes to feel for Louis' heart, The hand slowly withdraws. Ben rises. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. SHOT The Arabs crowd in to see the details. Louis Bernard, the McKennas and the Draytons are in the center of a large flat cement section of the market place. The Police by now have caught up to the event, and dash quickly into the picture toward Ben and Louis. Instinctively Ben backs away, as do the Draytons, and Jo and Hank. However, Ben still stays closer than the rest. One of the police picks up the knife and examines it, another bends down to wipe the make-up off Louis Bernard's face. Ben looks around for his wife. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT Ben beckons to his wife beyond him, to join him. Jo turns Hank over to Mrs. Drayton. Hank stands close to the English woman as Jo comes over. As Jo comes up to Ben, he is feeling in his pocket for something. Takes out a pen. JO Ben -- who is he? BEN Louis Bernard. Got something to write on? She begins looking in her purse. JO Is he dead? BEN (Impatiently) Yes. Yes. He's dead. She produces a small address book. Ben snatches it out of her hand unceremoniously. He opens the book end begins writing something down fast. Jo watches him with mystified curiosity. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT Drayton strolls up, out of curiosity. He has also seen Ben's hurried writing, but Ben casually puts the notebook back into his inside pocket, along with the pen. Before either man can comment on the writing, the voice of a policeman is heard, speaking in French. POLICE ONE Savez vous qui est cet homme? The uniformed French policeman approaches Ben. EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT The policeman repeats his question as he stops in front of Ben. POLICE J'ai dit: Savez vous qui est cet homme? Drayton steps forward to help. He addresses the police. DRAYTON Il ne parle pas francais. Je traduirái. The policeman nods. Drayton turns to Ben. DRAYTON He wants to find out if you know this man. The policeman watches their faces. JO Of course we know him! (She points) It's the frenchman, Louis Bernard. Her gestures, and her comments, although In English, give the policeman all the information he needs. POLICE ONE (Looks at body) Louis Bernard? He moves away toward the body, which the other policemen are now covering with a sheet. He gives them some instructions in French. Ben looks at Jo in a way that says "Who asked you to say anything." The French policeman returns to the group. He addresses Drayton. POLICE MAN Quel est le nom de ces personnes? DRAYTON McKenna. POLICE MAN Dites leur que j'aimerai qu'ils viennent tous les deux au commissariat pour faire un rapport. Drayton nods unhappily, and turns to Ben and Jo. DRAYTON Just as I thought. He wants both of you to go to police headquarters to make a statement. BEN Do we have to? DRAYTON I'm afraid so. (He turns to wife) Our friends here have to go to the police Station. I'm going with them to give what help I can.
...continue to part 4