Scripts: The Man Who Knew Too Much (final draft, 07/May/1955) - part 4
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EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
Mrs. Drayton comes up to the group, still holding on
to Hank's hand.
MRS. DRAYTON
You don't want your little boy to go,
do you?
HANK
I wanna go. I never saw a French police
station before.
MRS. DRAYTON
Perhaps it would be best if I took him
back to the hotel.
JO
You're very thoughtful.
POLICE ONE
Ameneles aux Bureaux de Police.
(He moves out)
DRAYTON
(To Ben)
I think we'd better set off.
(To wife wryly)
Heaven knows how long we shall be.
POLICE TWOO
Alons-y. Sil vous plait.
Police Two moves across the square with Drayton. Ben
and Jo precede them. Drayton begins conversing in
French with them about the crime, but we cannot
distinguish their words clearly. Jo looks back and
gives a little wave to Hank.
EXT. MARKET PLACE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
The McKenna's are walking across the square with the
Police and Drayton a few yards behind them. The CAMERA
MOVES with them. Jo moves close to Ben and speaks to
him in a surreptitious manner.
JO
Why should he suddenly turn up in Arab-
outfit, wearing makeup?
BEN
What's more important -- why was he
killed?
JO
I'll bet he was a spy, or something
like that.
Ben looks at her with some surprise.
JO
Ben, what did he whisper to you? What
did you write down?
BEN
I'll tell you later.
Ben looks at his hands.
JO
What is it?
BEN
I don't feel very good after what I
said about Louis Bernard last night.
JO looks away, equally embarrassed. Ben wipes his
fingers with his handkerchief.
LAP DISSOLVE TO:
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MED. SHOT
The main hallway and waiting room of the Police Station
in Marrakesh. French and Arab personnel move up and
down the wide hallway from one doorway to another.
There is a babble of voices and the sound of phones
heard off. The McKennas and Drayton are seated on a
long bench, waiting to be called into the inner office
of the Police Inspector. Drayton sits next to Ben.
It is hot. Jo has eyes for everything, but Ben seems
to be somewhat impatient. He looks at his watch for
the third or fourth time in a minute.
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
Drayton notices him studying his watch. He leans to
him, and at the same time wipes off the side of his on
face with a handkerchief.
DRAYTON
Once we talk to the police inspector,
I'll do my best to out some of the red
tape.
JO
I have to stretch.
She gets up and saunters away, looking around the police
station for whatever there is to see. Drayton speaks
to Ben with reassuring geniality.
DRAYTON
I'm afraid the questions will go on
till doomsday, if you admit knew this
chap Bernard before.
BEN
I didn't know him at all. We only met
yesterday on a bus.
DRAYTON
They're a cynical lot, these French --
they might refuse to believe that.
BEN
They'll have to believe me. It's true.
DRAYTON
It might sound a bit odd, from their
point of view. They saw the poor chap
whispering to you ... and then they
saw you writing something down...
Ben looks at Drayton, waiting for his to go on.
DRAYTON
The question is, are you going to show
them what you wrote down?
Before Ben can say any more, a policeman opens the
door leading to the Police Inspector's office. He
calls out.
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MED. SHOT
Jo turns around at the sound of the door opening, and
Ben and Drayton start to rise from the bench.
The policeman steps aside, holding the door, as a Police
Inspector comes out of the office from behind him. He
is a short, heavy-built-dark man. He does not smile.
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
The Inspector walks a few steps into the corridor,
stops. Ben, Jo and Drayton approach him. Drayton
speaks first.
DRAYTON
Ces personnes sont mes bons amis, les
McKenna. Mon nom est Drayton. Ils ne
parlent pas francais et ils m'ont
demandé de traduire.
The Inspector answers in English.
INSPECTOR
Thank you, Monsieur Drayton, but a
translator will not be necessary.
(To McKenna)
Won't you come inside, Monsieur, Madame?
He stops aside, and wait.
INSPECTOR
(To Drayton)
Do to the kindness to wait. I might
have questions for you later.
He motions to the McKennas. Jo goes past him first,
into the office, followed by Ben, Drayton returns to
the bench, and watches the trio as the office door
closes on them.
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MED. SHOT
A medium-sized office, saved from plainness of civil
service decor by a few personal decorations of the
Inspector.
He waves the McKenna to chairs, as he goes around behind
his desk and remains standing. Ben and Jo sit down.
The Inspector looks at some papers on his desk, then
holds out his hand.
INSPECTOR
(Precisely)
Your passports, please.
Ben looks at Jo, who fishes for them in her purse.
She takes them out, hands them to Ben, who hands them
to the Inspector. He scrutinizes them. Uncomfortable,
Ben retreats to a chair and sits down, waiting. The
inspector checks the pictures against the people he
sees sitting in his office, then puts the passports
down on his desk.
INSPECTOR
You entered French Morocco four days
ago.
BEN
That's right.
INSPECTOR
You are a doctor, monsieur?
BEN
A surgeon. A tourist, and an American
citizen.
INSPECTOR
Three good reasons why you should have
nothing in common with Louis Bernard.
BEN
I didn't have.
INSPECTOR
You were recently in Paris?
BEN
A medical convention.
INSPECTOR
You come to Marrakesh with him in the
same bus. You drank an apéritif with
him in your hotel room. And you ate
at the same restaurant last night.
JO
But at different tables.
The Inspector's eyes study her briefly, as if her
comment was an unnecessary interruption. Then his
eyes return to Ben.
INSPECTOR
So, Louis Bernard is a stranger to
you?
BEN
I met him yesterday -- on the bus --
for the first time in my life.
The Inspector begins to let his skepticism be seen.
INSPECTOR
(ironically)
And yet -- out of five thousand people --
In a great market place -- he comes to
you when he is about to die! Is that
the action of a casual acquaintance,
monsieur?
BEN
(Obstinate)
I know nothing about Louis Bernard.
INSPECTOR
No? Not even, I suppose, that he was
an agent of the Déuxieme Bureau?
BEN
What's that?
INSPECTOR
Perhaps you have also never head of
the American F.B.I.?
(Sadly)
It would be so much more easy for both
of us, monsieur, if you would cease to
pretend.
BEN
Now, look here...
INSPECTOR
(Patiently)
The dead man found out what he had
been sent here to discover. That is
why he was kill-ed. He told you what
he had discovered. Why? Because he
placed complete confidence in you.
Voila.
BEN
Boy, you not only ask the questions
you also answer them -- Wait a minute
let me ask you a question.
INSPECTOR
Indeed, Monsieur?
BEN
Assuming Bernard trusted me as
implicitly as you say, I would never
reveal anything he said to me, would
I?
INSPECTOR
Even Americans, I suppose, sometimes
find it desirable to betray a
confidence?
BEN
Let's get something straight. I'm a
tourist traveling for pleasure. I
somehow got involved in an unfortunate
incident. I came down here to make a
simple statement of fact, and not to
be subjected to a police grilling.
INSPECTOR
Monsieur, I would like....
BEN
(Interrupting)
Now hold your horses! Just hold them.
The door opens suddenly. The two men look up.
INT. INSPECTOR'S OFFICE - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
A policeman opens the door and leans in.
POLICE TWO
Inspecteur. On demande Monsieur McKenna
au téléphone.
As he speaks, the policeman nods in the direction of
Ben.
INT. INSPECTOR'S OFFICE - (DAY) - MED. SHOT
The Inspector impatiently tries to dismiss the officer
with a gesture.
INSPECTOR
Laissez nous, nous sommes occuppes.
Ben motions to the policeman to stay where he is
BEN
Wait a minute. A telephone call for
me?
The policeman at the door looks at the Inspector
briefly. The Inspector is disconcerted, but doesn't
tell the man what to say, so he turns back to Ben and
nods.
BEN
Where?
The policeman points over his shoulder to in outside
office.
INSPECTOR
(To the world in
general)
Mais enfin, voyons!
BEN
I'll take the call now. You just take
it easy.
He goes out the door, closing it behind him. The
Inspector sits down heavily. Then he looks up at Jo.
INSPECTOR
Madame McKenna.
JO
I don't know a thing,
INT. POLICE STATION - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT
The CAMERA PANS Ban as he follows the policeman down
the outside corridor, past Drayton who is still sitting
on a bench and watching Ben somewhat anxiously, and
into a small plain office.
INT. SMALL OFFICE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT
The policeman enters the small office first. There is
a desk, more like a table, and a phone is lying on it
off the hook. The policeman picks it up, and hands it
to Ben. Ben holds it without speaking a second, and
waves the policeman out.
The policeman is indifferent. He leaves. Ben puts
the phone to his ear.
BEN
Hello.
INT. ROOM - (DAY) - CLOSE SHOT
A robed Arab is sitting in a chair holding a telephone.
The room is part of a rather elaborate Moorish house.
The Arab speaks in accented English.
ARAB
Doctor McKenna?
INT. SMALL OFFICE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT
As Ben answers, he idly looks through the open doorway
toward Drayton sitting on the bench outside.
BEN
This is McKenna. Who's calling me?
INT. ROOM - (DAY) - CLOSE SHOT
The Arab doesn't bother to identify himself.
ARAB
You tell even one word of that Louis
Bernard whispered to you in the market-
place -- your little boy will be in
serious danger.
The Arab starts to hang up.
INT. SMALL OFFICE - (DAY) - MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT
There is an audible click in the receiver held in Ben's
hand.
BEN
Hello.
There is no answer. Ben lowers the phone slightly,
looks at it a minute, then continues on downward with
it, returning the receiver to the phone cradle. He
stands a brief moment in thought, then half turns toward
Drayton sitting in the corridor outside. He motions
to Drayton to join him in the office
BEN
Drayton!
The Englishman gets up and comes into the small office.
BEN
Didn't your wife say she was taking
Hank straight back to the hotel?
DRAYTON
As I recall. Why?
Ben picks up the phone, hands it to Drayton.
BEN
Call her. Somebody just threatened me
about Hank. See if he's all right.
Drayton reacts with surprise, speaks into the Phone.
He speaks French.
DRAYTON
Passez moi l'hôtel Mamounia, s'il vous
plait. Voulez vous appeler la chambre
deux cents dix sept s'il vous plait....
je vois, Puis-je parler au,
concierge?...Ah! ici Mr. Drayton de
la chambre deux cents dix sept. Est
ce que ma femme est revenue a l'hôtel
depuis une heure? Sa chambre ne répond
pas.... je vois... bien... bien...
merci... Oh! Un instant s'il vous
plait.
BEN
Four fourteen.
DRAYTON
(To phone)
Voulez vous essayer la chambre quatre
cents quatorze?...Merci.
Ben slowly hangs up. Looks at Ben.
DRAYTON
I can't believe it.
BEN
She didn't come back?
DRAYTON
At least nobody's seen her. What on
earth...
BEN
Look -- you get back to the hotel right
away -- and see if you can find out
what's going on.
DRAYTON
It's so unlike my wife...
BEN
I'll finish up with the police and
join you as soon as I can.
DRAYTON
Right. But don't worry. Probably
some stupid misunderstanding.
(He starts out,
stops)
If I find out anything before you get
back, I'll ring you here.
BEN
Just don't waste any time!
Drayton hurries out of the office. He goes one way,
Ben the other.
INT. INSPECTOR'S OFFICE - (DAY) - MEDIUM SHOT
As Ben enters the office, both Jo and the Inspector
look up him inquiringly.
JO
Who was it, Ben?
Ben adopts as casual an air as he can under the
circumstances. He doesn't sit down. He speaks more
to the Inspector than to his wife, avoiding her eyes.
BEN
It was the Concierge at the Hotel. He
heard we were being held by the Police
and thought there was some way he could
help us.
JO
That was nice of him.
BEN
(Looking at Inspector)
I told him if we weren't back there in
fifteen minutes to call the American
Consulate in Casablanca.
The Inspector has realised that he won't get any more
out of Ben.
INSPECTOR
(charmingly)
But, Monsieur, if you had only told me
in the first place, that you wished to
consult with your consul!
Ben gives him a look.
BEN
Let's go, Jo.
INSPECTOR
There is just one small formality. I
must request you to sign a statement
of the facts.
BEN
If it doesn't take too long.
INSPECTOR
But a moment. I will send for a typist.
Reluctantly the Inspector reaches for a phone on his
desk. Jo looks at her husband somewhat puzzled.
JO
Ben...
He gives her a warning glance to be quiet. She does.
He reaches out, takes her hand.
LAP DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MARRAKESH STREETS - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
Ben and Jo are riding along in an open Victoria, headed
back for the Hotel Mamounia. Ben seems preoccupied
with his thoughts.
JO
(Holds out her hand)
Let me see the message.
BEN
I don't -- I don't think you should.
She holds out her hand more firmly.
JO
I'm your wife, Ben -- not the police
inspector. Let's see it.
Reluctantly, Ben takes out the notebook, hands it to
her. Ben watches her as she reads the note he has
written.
The notebook page held by Jo on which Ben has scribbled
Louis Bernard's message. It reads: "A MAN...A
STATESMAN...IS TO BE KILLED...ASSASSINATED...IN
LONDON...SOON...VERY SOON...TELL THEM...IN LONDON...TO
TRY AMBROSE CHAPPEL...
EXT. MARRAKESH STREETS - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SHOT
Jo looks up, soberly.
J0
Why didn't you give this to the police?
BEN
Because I didn't want to.
JO
But Ben, a man's life --
BEN
(Interrupts)
...is at stake, I know, But I'm not
sure of what's the right thing to do.
She closes the notebook. Ben reaches over, takes it
from her and replaces it in his pocket. She stares
ahead, with her own thoughts. Then she speaks.
J0
I thought we ought to go back to the
hotel, pack our clothes, take Hank,
and get out of this country as quickly
as we can.
BEN
(Thinking)
Maybe.
JO
Hank, seeing a man killed in front of
him. What a shook it must be to his
mind.
BEN
(Quietly)
I know.
JO
Why don't you just give that note to
the American Consulate -- Why get any
more involved?
Ben is uncomfortable, and unhappy, but he tries to
hide it. He leans toward Jo as if he's about to tell
her something important. He reaches out, places his
hand over hers.
BEN
Jo...about Hank...
(He trails off)
JO
What about him?
BEN
Well...he...he's the kind of a kid who
can take of himself.
EXT. HOTEL MAMOUNIA - (DAY) - MED. LONG SH
The Victoria turns into the Hotel Mamounia, and pulls
up in front of the entrance. The McKennas dismount.
EXT. HOTEL MAMOUNIA - (DAY) - MED. CLOSE SH
Jo straightens out her dress, waits for Ben to accompany
her into the hotel. The head porter is outside
supervising some baggage with the lesser porters. He
touches his cap to the McKennas.
BEN
(To Jo)
You get the key. I'll take care of
the driver.
JO
Okay.
She turns and enters the hotel. Ben takes a bill out
of his pocket, examines it, and hands it to the driver.
The Victoria moves off. Ben turns to the Head Porter.
BEN
Uh...pardon me.
The head Porter turns to Ben respectfully.
HEAD PORTER
Yes, m'sieu?
BEN
Do you know Mrs. Drayton?
HEAD PORTER
The English lady?
BEN
(Nods)
Did you see her come back from the
market place anytime in the past hour
or so?
HEAD PORTER
(Thinks)
No, m'sieu.
BEN
Wait a minute. You don't understand...
she had a small boy with her. Mine.
HEAD PORTER
No, m'sieu.
BEN
How about Mister Drayton?
HEAD PORTER
Oui, m'sieu. M'sieu Drayton check
out.
BEN
He what?
HEAD PORTER
Checked out.
Ben stares at him.
BEN
He couldn't have.
HEAD PORTER
Oui, m'sieu. He did.
BEN
(Still can't believe
it)
No, Mr. Drayton, the Englishman with
horn-rimmed glasses.
The Head Porter nods in agreement.
HEAD PORTER
Oui, m'sieu. Checked out.
EXT. HOTEL MAMOUNIA - (DAY) - CLOSE SH
Ben turns slowly away from the porter, his face filled
with disturbance. He looks up toward the entrance as
he hears Jo's voice off.
JO
Ben, What's holding you up?
He quickly composes his face as best he can. The CAMERA
PANS HIM over to the entrance where Jo is waiting with
the key. He takes her arm and they enter the hotel.
...continue to part 5