"PSYCHO" By Joseph Stefano Based on the novel by Robert Bloch REVISED December 1, 1959 FADE IN: EXT. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - (DAY) - HELICOPTER SHOT Above Midtown section of the city. It is early afternoon, a hot mid-summer day. The city is sun-sunblanched white and its drifted-up noises are muted in blanched their own echoes. We fly low, heading in a downtown direction, passing over traffic-clogged streets, parking lots, white business buildings, neatly patterned residential districts. As we approach downtown section, the character of the city begins to change. It is darker and shabby with age and industry. We see railroad tracks, smokestacks, wholesale fruit-and- vegetable markets, old municipal buildings, empty lots. vegetable The very geography seems to give us a climate of nefariousness, of back-doorness, dark and shadowy. And secret. We fly lower and faster now, as if seeking out a specific location. A skinny, high old hotel comes into view. On its exposed brick side great painted letters advertise "Transients- Low Weekly Rates-Radio in Every Room." We pause long enough to establish the shoddy character of this hotel. Its open, curtainless windows, its silent resigned look so characteristic of such hole-and-corner hotels. We move forward with purposefulness and-toward a certain window. The sash is raised as high as it can go, but the shade is pulled down to three or four inches of the inside sill, as if the occupants of the room within wanted privacy but needed air. We are close now, so that only the lower half of the window frame is in shot. No sounds come from within the room. Suddenly, we tip downward, go to the narrow space between shade and sill, peep into the room. A young woman is stretched out on the mussed bed. She wears a full slip, stockings, no shoes. She lies in and attitude of physical relaxation, but her face, seen in the dimness of the room, betrays a certain inner-tension, worrisome conflicts. She is MARY CRANE, an tension, attractive girl nearing the end of her twenties and her rope. A man stands beside the bed, only the lower half of his figure visible. We hold on this tableau for a long moment, then start forward. As we pass under the window shade, CUT TO: INT. THE HOTEL ROOM - (DAY) A small room, a slow fan buzzing on a shelf above the narrow bed. A card of hotel rules is pasted on the mirror above the bureau. An unopened suitcase and a woman's large, straw open- top handbag are on the bureau. On the table beside the bed there are a container of Coco- Cola and an unwrapped, untouched egg-salad sandwich. There is no radio. The man standing by the bed, wearing only trousers, T-shirt and sox, is SAM LOOMIS, a good-looking, sensual shirt man with warm humorous eyes and a compelling smile. He is blotting his neck and face with a thin towel, and is staring down at Mary, a small sweet smile playing about his mouth. Mary keeps her face turned away from him. After a moment, Sam drops the towel, sits on the bed, leans over and takes Mary into his arms, kisses her long and warmly, holds her with a firm possessiveness. The kiss is disturbed and finally interrupted by the buzzing closeness of an inconsiderate fly. Sam smiles, pulls away enough to allow Mary to relax again against the pillow. He studies her, frowns at her unresponsiveness, then speaks in a low, intimate, playful voice. SAM Never did eat your lunch, did you. Mary looks at his smile, has to respond, pulls him to her, kisses him. Then, and without breaking the kiss, she swings her legs over the side of the bed, toe-searches around, finds her shoes, slips her feet into searches them. And finally pulls away and sits up. MARY I better get back to the office. These extended lunch hours give my boss excess acid. She rises, goes to the bureau, takes a pair of small earrings out of her bag, begins putting them on, not bothering or perhaps not wanting to look at herself in the mirror. Sam watches her, concerned but unable to inhibit his cheery, humorous good mood. Throughout remainder of this scene, they occupy themselves with dressing, hair-combing, etc. SAM Call your boss and tell him you're taking the rest of the afternoon off. It's Friday anyway... and hot. MARY (soft sarcasm) What do I do with my free afternoon, walk you to the airport? SAM (meaningfully) We could laze around here a while longer. MARY Checking out time is three P.M. Hotels of this sort aren't interested in you when you come in, but when your time's up... (a small anguish) Sam, I hate having to be with you in a place like this. SAM I've heard of married couples who deliberately spend occasional nights in cheap hotels. They say it... MARY (interrupting) When you're married you can do a lot of things deliberately. SAM You sure talk like a girl who's been married. MARY Sam! SAM I'm sorry, Mary. (after a moment) My old Dad used to say 'when you can't change a situation, laugh at it.' Nothing ridicules a thing like laughing at it. MARY I've lost my girlish laughter. SAM (observing) The only girlish thing you have lost. MARY (a meaningful quiet, then, with difficulty:) Sam. This is the last time. SAM For what? MARY This! Meeting you in secret so we can be... secretive! You come down here on business trips and we steal lunch hours and... I wish you wouldn't even come. SAM Okay. What do we do instead, write each other lurid love letters? MARY (about to argue, then turning away) I haven't time to argue. I'm a working girl. SAM And I'm a working man! We're a regular working-class tragedy! (he laughs) MARY It is tragic! Or it will be... if we go on meeting in shabby hotels whenever you can find a tax-deductible excuse for flying down deductible here... SAM (interrupting, seriously) You can't laugh at it, huh? MARY Can you? SAM Sure. It's like laughing through a broken jaw, but... He breaks off, his cheeriness dissolved, goes to the window, tries to raise the shade. It sticks. He pulls at it. It comes down entirely, and the hot sun glares into the room, revealing it in all its shabbiness and sordidness as if corroborating Mary's words and attitude. Sam kicks at the fallen shade, laughs in frustration, grabs on to his humor again. SAM And besides, when you say I make tax- deductible excuses you make me out a criminal. MARY (having to smile) You couldn't be a criminal if you committed a major crime. SAM I wish I were. Not an active criminal but... a nice guy with the conscience of a criminal. (goes close to mary, touches her) Next best thing to no conscience at all. MARY (pulling away) I have to go, Sam. SAM I can come down next week. MARY No. SAM Not even just to see you, to have lunch... in public? MARY We can see each other, we can even have dinner... but respectably, in my house with my mother's picture on the mantel and my sister helping me broil a big steak for three! SAM And after the steak... do we send Sister to the movies and turn Mama's picture to the wall? MARY Sam! No! SAM (after a pause, simply) All right. She stares at him, surprised at his willingness to continue the affair on her terms, as girls are so often surprised when they discover men will continue to want them even after the sexual bait has been pulled in. Sam smiles reassuringly, places his hands gently on her arms, speaks with gentle and simple sincerity. SAM Mary, whenever it's possible, tax- deductible or not, I want to see deductible you. And under any conditions. (a smile) Even respectability. MARY You make respectability sound... disrespectful. SAM (brightly) I'm all for it! It requires patience and temperance and a lot of sweating- out... otherwise, though, it's only hard work. (a pause) But if I can see you, touch you even as simply as this... I won't mind. He moves away and again the weight of his pain and problems crushes away his good humor. There is a quiet moment. SAM I'm fed up with sweating for people who aren't there. I sweat to pay off my father's debts... and he's in his grave... I sweat to pay my ex-wife alimony, and she's living on the other side of the world somewhere. MARY (a smile) I pay, too. They also pay who meet in hotel rooms. SAM A couple of years and the debts will be paid off. And if she ever re- marries, the alimony stops... and then... MARY I haven't even been married once yet! SAM Yeah, but when you do... you'll swing. MARY (smiling, then with a terrible urgency) Sam, let's go get married. SAM And live with me in a storeroom behind a hardware store in Fairvale. We'll have a lot of laughs. When I send my ex-wife her money, you can lick the stamps. MARY (a deep desperation) I'll lick the stamps. He looks at her, long, pulls her close, kisses her lightly, looks out the window and stares at the wide sky. SAM You know what I'd like? A clear, empty sky... and a plane, and us in it... and somewhere a private island for sale, where we can run around without our... shoes on. And the wherewithal to buy what I'd like. (he moves away, suddenly serious) Mary, you want to cut this off, go out and find yourself someone available. MARY I'm thinking of it. SAM (a cheerful shout) How can you even think a thing like that! MARY (picking up handbag, starting for door) Don't miss your plane. SAM Hey, we can leave together can't we? MARY (at door) I'm late... and you have to put your shoes on. Mary goes out quickly, closing door behind her. As Sam stares down at his shoeless feet, CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - (DAY) - HIGH ANGLE Shooting down at hotel entrance. Mary comes out, walks quickly to a parked cab, gets in. The cab zooms up the awful street. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LOWERY REAL ESTATE OFFICE - (DAY) A small, moderately successful office off the main street. A cab pulls up at the curb. We see Mary get out of cab, pay driver, cross pavement to the office door. INT. OUTER OFFICE - (DAY) Mary enters office, crosses to her desk, sits down, rubs her temples, finally looks over at Caroline, a girl in the last of her teens. MARY Isn't Mr. Lowery back from lunch? CAROLINE (a high, bright, eager- to-talk voice laced to-with a vague Texan accent) He's lunching with the man who's buying the Harris Street property, you know, that oil lease man... so that's why he's late. (a pause, then, as Mary does not respond to the pointed thrust) You getting a headache? MARY It'll pass. Headaches are like resolutions... you forget them soon as they stop hurting. CAROLINE You got aspirins? I have something... not aspirins, but (cheerfully takes bottle of pills out of desk drawer) my mother's doctor gave these to me the day of my wedding. (laughs) Teddy was furious when he found out I'd taken tranquilizers! She rises, starts for Mary's desk, pills in hand. MARY Were there any calls? CAROLINE Teddy called. Me... And my mother called to see if Teddy called. Oh, and your sister called to say she's going to Tucson to do some buying and she'll be gone the whole weekend and... She breaks off, distracted by the SOUND of the door opening. MR. LOWERY and his oil-lease client, TOM CASSIDY enter the office. Lowery is a pleasant, worried-faced man, big and a trifle pompous. Cassidy is very faced loud and has a lunch- hour load on. He is a gross man, exuding a kind of pitiful vulgarity. CASSIDY Wow! Hot as fresh milk! You girls should get your boss to air-condition you up. He can afford it today. Lowery flashes an embarrassed smile at Mary, tries to lead Cassidy toward the private office. LOWERY Mary, will you get those copies of the deed ready for Mr. Cassidy. Cassidy pauses beside Mary's desk, hooks a haunch onto the desktop, smiles a wet smile at Mary. CASSIDY Tomorrow's the day! My sweet little girl... (laughs as Mary looks up at him) Not you, my daughter! A baby, and tomorrow she stands up there and gets her sweet self married away from me! (pulling out wallet) I want you to look at my baby. Eighteen years old... and she's never had an unhappy day in any one of those years! (flashes photo) Mary glances, cannot bring herself to smile or make some remark, continues sorting out the deed copies, tries to ignore the man's hot-breath closeness. LOWERY Come on, Tom, my office is air- conditioned. CASSIDY (ignoring Lowery) You know what I do with unhappiness? I buy it off! You unhappy? MARY Not inordinately. (puts deed copy into Cassidy's too-close hand) CASSIDY I'm buying this house for my baby's wedding present. Forty thousand dollars, cash! Now that ain't buying happiness, that's buying off unhappiness! That penniless punk she's marryin'... (laughs) Probably a good kid... it's just that I hate him. (looks at deed) Yup! Forty thousand, says here... (to Lowery) Casharoonie! He takes out of his inside pocket, two separate bundles of new $100 bills and throws them onto the desk, under Mary's nose. Caroline's eyes go wide at the sight of the glorious green bundles of bills, and she comes close to the desk. Cassidy leans terribly close to Mary, flicks through the bills, laughs wickedly. CASSIDY I never carry more than I can afford to lose! (closer to Mary) Count 'em! LOWERY (shocked, worried) Tom... cash transactions of this size! Most irregular... CASSIDY So what? It's my private money! (laughs, winks, elbows Lowery) And now it's yours. CAROLINE (staring at the money) I declare! CASSIDY (whispering) I don't! That's how I'm able to keep it! (laughs) LOWERY (hastily interrupting) Suppose we just put this in the safe and then Monday morning when you're feeling good... CASSIDY Speakin' of feeling good, where's that bottle you said you had in your desk... (laughs, as if having given away Lowery's secret) Oops! (to Mary, patting her arm) Usually I can keep my mouth shut! He rises, reels toward Lowery's office, pauses, turns, speaks to Mary, meaningfully. CASSIDY Honest. I can keep any private transaction a secret... any pri.... (stopped by Mary's cold gaze) Lowery! I'm dyin' of thirstaroonie! Lowery starts after him, pauses, turns to Mary. Cassidy has gone into Lower's office. LOWERY (quietly) I don't even want it in the office over the weekend. Put it in the safe deposit box, at the bank, Mary. And we'll get him to give us a check on Monday - instead. He starts quickly away when it looks like Cassidy is going to come and pull him bodily into the office. When the men are gone and the door is closed, Caroline picks up a bundle, smiles at it. CAROLINE He was flirting with you. I guess he noticed my wedding ring. Mary has put one bundle into a large envelope and takes the other from Caroline. When the bills are away, she puts the filled envelope in her handbag, notices the remaining deed copies on her desk, picks them up, goes to the private office door, knocks, starts to open door as: LOWERY (O.S.) Come in. INT. LOWERY'S PRIVATE OFFICE - (DAY) Mary opens door, looks in. Cassidy is drinking from a large tumbler, winks at her without pausing in his drinking. Mary remains on threshold a moment, then crosses to the desk, talking as she goes. MARY The copies. Mr. Lowery, if you don't mind, I'd like to go right on home after the bank. I have a slight... CASSIDY You go right home! Me and your boss are going out to get ourselves a little drinkin' done! (to Lowery) Right? LOWERY (to Mary) Of course. You feeling ill? MARY A headache. CASSIDY You need a week-end in Las Vegas... playground of the world! MARY I'm going to spend this week-end in bed. (starts out) CASSIDY (to Lowery) Only playground that beats Las Vegas! Mary goes back out into the outer office, closes door. INT. OUTER OFFICE - (DAY) Mary goes to her desk, takes the handbag, checks to make sure the money-filled envelope is tucked well down into it. During this: CAROLINE Aren't you going to take the pills? (as Mary shakes her head) They'll knock that headache out. MARY I don't need pills... just sleep. She goes to the door. DISSOLVE: INT. MARY'S BEDROOM - (DAY) A double bed in the foreground. We just see the far side as the CAMERA SHOOTS across. Mary enters the scene, clad only in her slip. Perhaps she is about to get into bed. Behind her is an open closet, but too dark inside for us to see any contents. As Mary turns to the closet the CAMERA LOWERS to show a close view of the $40,000 in the envelope on our side of the bed. Mary takes a dress from the closet and starts to put it on as the CAMERA RETREATS to reveal a packed but not yet closed suitcase also on the bed. Mary zips up her dress and then brings some final garments from the closet. She comes around to the suitcase and puts them on the top. Mary works with haste and in tension, as if acting on an impulse which might vanish as quickly as it came. The suitcase filled now, she checks around the room, then takes her handbag to the bed, puts in the money-filled envelope, and then slams the suitcase shut. Then filled she looks at her small bedroom desk, goes to it, removes a small file-envelope from one of the drawers. It is one of those brown envelopes in which one keeps important papers and policies and certificates. She checks its contents briefly, puts it on the bed, opens another desk drawer, takes out her bank book, tosses it on the bed. Then she packs both the file-envelope and the bank book, into her handbag, takes one quick last look around the room, picks up the handbag and the suitcase and goes out of the room. CUT TO: EXT. MARY'S GARAGE - (DAY) A two-car garage. One car is gone. Mary's car is parked in the driveway. The CAMERA is low enough so that we can easily read the Arizona number plate in the foreground. Mary comes out of house, starts for the trunk, intending to put the suitcase in, changes her mind, places the suitcase and her handbag on the front seat, gets in, starts the car, begins to back out of driveway. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX - (DAY) We are close on Mary's car, shooting in at her troubled, guilty face. She seems to be driving with that excess care of one who does not wish to be stopped for a minor traffic irregularity. She stops for a red light at a main intersection. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT - (DAY) We see Lowery and Cassidy crossing the street, passing right in front of Mary's car. MARY'S CAR - (DAY) Mary freezes. EXT. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX - (DAY) Cassidy, glancing into car, sees Mary, lets out a cheery exclamation, elbows Lowery. Lowery turns, sees Mary, smiles pleasantly, pulls Cassidy on. MARY'S CAR - (DAY) Mary watches the entire exchange with a look of stony horror on her face. EXT. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX - (DAY) Now we look closely at Lowery. As he reaches the curb, a small confusion brightens his face. He remembers that Mary intended to "spend the weekend in bed." He considers, curiously, turns, looks back at her, a slight frown on his face. MARY'S CAR - (DAY) Mary sees the pause and the look. EXT. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX - (DAY) For a moment it even looks as if Lowery might be meaning to cross back to the car. MARY'S CAR - (DAY) Mary's tension is unbearable. And at that moment we hear the shrill shriek of the traffic cop's whistle. Mary zooms the car away. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HIGHWAY - (DAY) Mary in car, driving, safely away from town. Her look is less tense now, and more purposeful. After a moment, she checks the fuel gauge, frowns, looks along highway for a gas station. FAST DISSOLVE TO: MARY'S CAR - (DAY) Approaching and leaving city limits. MARY - (DAY) Looks at gas gauge. C.U. GAS GAUGE - (DAY) EXT. A GAS STATION - (DAY) We see Mary's car drive in, come to a stop. There are no other cars about, this being a gas station off the main highway, and the attendant is obviously in the shack. Mary looks worried about having to make this stop, keeps her face turned away from the shack, not wishing it to be seen. No one comes and for a moment Mary considers driving on, as if the emptiness of the station were a warning, an omen that she should listen to. But the gas registers almost empty. She has to blow her horn. A YOUNG MAN comes out of the shack, starts toward her car. At that moment, we HEAR the RINGING of the TELEPHONE in the shack. The Attendant walks a few steps further, toward Mary's car, then decides to go back and answer the phone. The phone's insistent ringing unnerves Mary. She starts her car, zooms off. We see the Attendant, phone in hand, in the doorway of shack. He looks after the departing car with little or no expression. CAR The car grows smaller as it races up the road. The sun is setting. There is something vaguely ominous about the darkening sky into which the car seems to be disappearing. DISSOLVE TO: MARY IN CAR - (NIGHT) The oncoming headlights hurt Mary's eyes. She is getting sleepy and her vision is blurring. Her eyes close, involuntarily, snap open again. She stretches than wide, as if forcing them to stay open. The oncoming lights seem to glare to a point beyond endurance. She murmurs "Sam - Sam." LONG LAP DISSOLVE: EXT. ROAD SHOULDER - (DAWN) We see Mary's car, dim in the early dawn, tilted on the soft shoulder of the road, looking somehow sad and pathetic, like a child's thrown-away toy. And from this angle it would appear that the car is empty. After a moment, during which there are no other vehicles passing, we see, coming from the far distance, a HIGHWAY PATROLMAN in a patrol car. He passes Mary's car, notes its apparent emptiness, U-turns, comes back up behind the car. He gets out and approaches the driver's side window. EXT. MARY'S CAR - (DAWN) The Patrolman looks down into the car. INT. CAR (DAWN) FROM HIS VIEWPOINT Mary turns with a start, sits up, is startled and unnerved by the sight of the Patrolman, and, as if by automatic reflex, turns the ignition and presses down on the starter. EXT. CAR (DAWN) The Patrolman holds up his hand. PATROLMAN (startled) Hold it there! Mary slams down on the brake, tries to pull herself together. The Patrolman raps again, less gently. Reluctantly, Mary rolls down the window. The Patrolman studies her for a moment. PATROLMAN In quite a hurry. MARY Yes. (because he seems to be awaiting an explanation) I didn't mean to sleep so long. I was afraid I'd have an accident last night, from sleepiness... so I decided to pull over... PATROLMAN You slept here all night? MARY (a faint edge of defensiveness) Yes. As I said, I couldn't keep my eyes... PATROLMAN (mere concern) There are plenty of motels in this area. You should have... I mean, just to be safe... MARY I didn't intend to sleep all night! I just pulled over... have I broken any laws? PATROLMAN No, m'am. MARY Then I'm free to go...? PATROLMAN (a pause) Is anything wrong? MARY Of course not! Am I acting as if... something's wrong? PATROLMAN (almost a smile) Frankly, yes. MARY Please... I'd like to go... PATROLMAN Is there? MARY Is there what? (not waiting for an answer) I've told you there's nothing wrong... except that I'm in a hurry and you're taking up my time... PATROLMAN (interrupting, sternly) Now wait just a moment! Turn your motor off, please. Mary seems about to object, thinks better of it, turns off the ignition. PATROLMAN In the course of my duty, I never "take up" anyone's time, whether it's to give a warning, or a ticket, or help! Believe that, M'am. (a little softer) Now if you woke up on the wrong side of... the car seat, that's one thing. But when you act as if I've just placed you under arrest... MARY I'm sorry. PATROLMAN No need to apologize... Mary starts the car, her face turned as if she wishes the matter were all settled and the Patrolman had already gone. The Patrolman isn't exactly one of those civil servants who demands a thank-you, but he does feel her manner is a bit too abrupt. He calls: PATROLMAN Wait a minute! MARY (jamming down the brake) Now what? The Patrolman gazes at her a moment, then: PATROLMAN May I see your license? MARY Why? PATROLMAN Please. Mary pulls her handbag up from the floor, where she'd placed it when she stretched out for sleep. She puts her hand in it, rummages for her wallet, cannot find it. The Patrolman is staring at her. She glances at him nervously, pokes in her bag a bit more, sighs, realizes she'll have to remove some of its contents. Nervously, badly controlling her fear, she takes out the money-filled envelope, and then the important papers envelope, filled then a couple of other items, places them on the seat, finally finds her wallet, opens it, hands it to him. He looks at the wallet, then at the car. EXT. ROAD SHOULDER - (DAWN) The Patrolman walks around to the front of the car, checks the license plate, and returns. INT. MARY'S CAR - (DAWN) The Patrolman peers in, checks the car registration on the steering wheel, returns Mary's wallet. She takes it, looks at him for a flicker of a moment. He says nothing. She starts ahead, fast. EXT. ROAD SHOULDER - (DAWN) The Patrolman stares after Mary as she drives off, then starts back to his automobile. MARY IN CAR - (DAWN) She is quite shaken, realizes she caused herself a great deal of trouble and placed herself in unnecessary danger. She is disturbed and angry and frightened at her inability to act normally under the pressure of guilt. As she drives, she glances into her rear-view mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR - (DAWN) The Patrolman is following in his automobile, keeping behind her at a matched speed. MARY IN CAR - (DAWN) She glances out at her surroundings. MARY'S POV - (DAWN) The Freeway ahead. EXT. MARY'S CAR - (DAWN) She suddenly turns off the highway. MARY IN CAR - (DAWN) She checks her mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR - (DAWN) The Patrolman is no longer following, has not turned off after her. MARY IN CAR - (DAWN) She breathes a sigh of relief, thinks a moment, makes a quick decision. DISSOLVE: EXT. USED CAR LOT - (DAY) The big sign reads "California Charlie - Automobile Paradise." We see Mary's car drive onto the lot and stop. Mary gets out of the car, glances toward the lot office, turns her attention to the line of cars, notice the California licence plates on all of them. The CAR DEALER calls out from his office: CAR DEALER With you in a second! Mary nods, starts walking along the line of cars as if making a selection. Her eye is caught by the iron newspaper stand on the corner, just outside the lot. She stares at the papers, turns away, as if what she is fearing would have to be impossible, then, having to satisfy herself, goes to the stand, drops a dime in the iron slot, picks up a LOS ANGELES newspaper, starts back into the car lot as she glances worried at the front page. As she goes, we see, coming up the street toward the lot, the same PATROLMAN. He sees Mary, slows, swerves over to the opposite side of the street, stops by the curb. Mary, engrossed in the newspaper, and walking back ease the lot, does not see the Patrolman. The car dealer is out on the lot now, standing and waiting for Mary. As she approaches, lost in her newspaper, he smiles. CAR DEALER I'm in no mood for trouble! MARY (glancing up, thrown for a moment) What? CAR DEALER (cheerfully) There's an old saying, "First customer of the day is always the most trouble!" But like I said, I'm in no mood for it so I'm just going to treat you so fair and square you won't have one human reason to give me... MARY (interrupting) Can I trade in my car and take another? CAR DEALER You can do anything you've a mind to... and bein' a woman, you will! (chin-indicating her car) That yours? MARY Yes, it's... nothing wrong with it, I'm just... CAR DEALER Sick of the sight of it! (laughs) Well, suppose you look around for something that strikes your eyes and meanwhile I'll have my mechanic give yours the once over and... want some coffee? I was just about... MARY No. Thank you. I'm in... a hurry. I just want to make a change and start... She stops suddenly, almost with a gasp. She has seen the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN - MARY'S POV - (DAY) He is staring over at her, his face dispassionate. EXT. USED CAR LOT - (DAY) Mary has to force herself to look away. CAR DEALER One thing people never ought to be when they're buying a used car is in a hurry! (starting away toward her car) But like I said, too nice a day for arguing. I'll just shoot this into the garage. He starts into Mary's car. She looks at him, in near panic, wanting to skip the whole thing. Torn, wondering if the presence of the Patrolman doesn't negate the value of changing cars, wondering how she can get away, wondering if she'll be followed, or if the Patrolman will go away if she does stay here. All these panic-fears rush her mind and she can do nothing. The Car Dealer has driven her car into the garage. She stands in the middle of the lot, feeling like a shooting target. She looks toward the garage. THE GARAGE - MARY'S POV - (DAY) Mary's car is in it. EXT. USED CAR LOT - (DAY) Mary decides she cannot back out now without arousing further suspicion, is compelled to look again at the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN - MARY'S POV - (DAY) He still watches. With a self-angry sigh of resignment, she goes to a close car, looks at it. The Car Dealer is returning. CAR DEALER That's the one I'd've picked for you myself! MARY How much? CAR DEALER Go ahead! Spin it around the block. Now I know you don't know anything about engine condition, but you can feel, can't you... and it's all in the feel, believe me, you feel that one around the block... MARY It looks fine. How much will it be, with my car...? CAR DEALER You mean you don't want the usual day and a half to think it over? (laughs) You are in a hurry! Somebody chasin' you? MARY Of course not. Please. CAR DEALER Well... heck, this is the first time I ever saw the customer high-pressure the salesman! (laughs, sees she is in no mood for it) I'd figure roughly... (looks at the car, then back at the garage) ...your car plus five hundred. MARY Five hundred. CAR DEALER Aha! Always got time to argue money, huh...? MARY All right. As the car dealer looks at her in amazement, she reaches into her bag, feels the money-filled envelope, pauses. CAR DEALER (slowly) I take it... you can prove that car's yours... I mean, out of state and all... got your pink slip and your... MARY I think I have the necessary papers. Is there a Ladies Room... CAR DEALER In the building ... (indicates, continues to stare quietly) Mary starts for the building, glancing once in the direction of the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN - MARY'S POV - (DAY) He still sits, his motor throbbing, his face quiet. EXT. THE USED CAR LOT - (DAY) Mary goes into the office building. CUT TO: INT. LADIES ROOM - (DAY) Mary enters, locks door, takes envelope out of her handbag, extracts one bundle of bills from the envelope, counts off five, puts the bundle back into the envelope and the envelope back into the bag. Then she remembers, takes out the important papers envelope, goes through it, finds several papers having to do with her car, takes them all out, puts back the envelope, starts out of the ladies Room. CUT TO: EXT. THE USED CAR LOT - (DAY) The Car Dealer has moved the car of her choice out of the line. It stands in the clearing. CAR DEALER (too cheerfully) I think you'd better give it a trial spin. Don't want any bad word of mouth about California Charlie. MARY I'd really rather not. Please. Can't we just settle this and... CAR DEALER I'll be perfectly honest with you, Ma'am. It's not that I don't trust you, but... MARY (interrupting) But what? Is there anything so terribly wrong about... making a decision and wanting to hurry? Do you think I've stolen... my car? CAR DEALER No, M'am. I was only about to say, I've sent my mechanic out to give your car a little test... that's all. MARY (handing him the ownership papers and the new bills) I'd like to be ready when he gets back. CAR DEALER Okay. If you'll come along... He starts toward the office building. Mary follows, closely, anxiously. She glances, sees: THE PATROLMAN - MARY'S POV - (DAY) He is still at the far curb. EXT. USED CAR LOT - (DAY) The Car Dealer goes into his office. Mary follows. THE PATROLMAN - (DAY) A second later, he starts his automobile, checks traffic, comes across the street, slowly, and drives onto the lot. He pauses a moment, then drives across the lot, passing the office, going on to the other exit, stops there as Mary's car is driven back onto the lot. The MECHANIC stops Mary's car, hops out, waves to the Patrolman. The Patrolman waves back, goes on a bit until he is behind Mary's car, stops again, looks over at the office. In a moment, Mary comes out, hurries across to her new car, gets in, starts the motor. The Mechanic yells: MECHANIC Hey! Miss? Mary pauses, turns, sees the Patrolman, then the Mechanic. Her face goes white. She doesn't know which man called her. Then the Mechanic waves, starts forward with her suitcase. MARY (as Mechanic reaches car) Just put it right in here, please... beside me. The Mechanic smiles, throws the suitcase in. Mary zooms off. As she drives out of lot we see the Mechanic, the Car Dealer and the Patrolman all looking after her. DISSOLVE TO: MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE Mary is driving tensely. She checks the rear-view mirror, is more shocked than pleased when she sees... MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR No sign of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE She turns her face, looks out at the highway. ROUTE 99 - MARY'S POV It is heavy with traffic. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE Again she checks the mirror and although... MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR There is still no sign of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE She cannot relax or feel safe, cannot convince herself that nothing will come of the man's watching and suspicions. CAMERA IS CLOSE on Mary's face now, recording her anxiety, her fears. Her guilt shines bright in her eyes and she is a person unaccustomed to containing this much guilt in this realistic a situation. Suddenly, we hear the SOUND of the Used Car Dealer's laugh, hear it as clearly as Mary hears it in her imagination. The "imagined voice" we hear is actually the voice of the Car Dealer: CAR DEALER'S VOICE Heck, Officer, that was the first time I ever saw the Customer high- pressure the Salesman! Somebody chasing her? PATROLMAN'S VOICE I better have a look at those papers, Charlie. CAR DEALER'S VOICE She look like a wrong-one to you? PATROLMAN'S VOICE Acted like one. Mary blinks, shakes her head, as if trying to shake away these voices of her imagination. She checks the rear-view mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR Still no sight of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR She tries to force herself to relax, almost succeeds when she is sprung to tension again by.... EXT. HIGHWAY The sight of a police car. As she drives past, we hear the squeaky, unintelligible voice coming over the car radio. Mary zooms down on the gas, whizzes ahead. DISSOLVE THROUGH TO: EXT. HIGHWAY 99 - LONG SHOT Mary's car dashing along. DISSOLVE TO: MARY IN NEW CAR Mary looks weary, tired with strain and with hard driving. Her eyes are heavy with worry and deep thought. OUT THE WINDSHIELD We can see that it is much later in the day, almost dusk. MARY IN NEW CAR We HEAR the sound of an agitated BUZZ of an intercom system, a sound emanating from Mary's imagination. After the second BUZZ, we HEAR the voice of Caroline. CAROLINE'S VOICE Yes, Mr. Lowery. LOWERY'S VOICE (a worried tone) Caroline...? Mary still isn't in? CAROLINE'S VOICE No, Mr. Lowery... but then she's always a bit late on Monday mornings. LOWERY'S VOICE Buzz me the minute she comes in. Again Mary shakes her head, forces herself to stop hearing these "invented" scenes of her imagination. EXT. HIGHWAY Now we cut to the view of the road, from Mary's viewpoint. Darkness of evening is coming. In the dim twilight we see the neon sign of roadside restaurants and gas stations beginning to blaze on. INT. MARY'S NEW CAR Back on Mary's face, and after a moment, the imagined voices again: LOWERY'S VOICE Call her sister! If no one's answering at the house.... CAROLINE'S VOICE I called her sister, Mr. Lowery, where she works, the Music Makers Music Store, you know? And she doesn't know where Mary is any more than we do. LOWERY'S VOICE You better run out to the house. She may be... unable to answer the phone... CAROLINE'S VOICE Her sister's going to do that. She's as worried as we are. A flush of painful guilt and regret rises up in Mary's face. She closes her eyes for one tight swift moment. EXT. HIGHWAY We cut again to the highway. The first oncoming headlights slash at the windshield. INT. MARY'S NEW CAR Cutting back to Mary, we can sense by the tense muscles of her face that she is driving faster. The oncoming headlights blurt at her. Suddenly we HEAR Lowery's voice, loud now and frightened, as if the anxiety in the man's voice was strong enough to break through Mary's effort to keep her mind silent and her imagination blank. LOWERY'S VOICE No! I haven't the faintest idea. As I said, I last saw your sister when she left this office on Friday... she said she didn't feel well and wanted to leave early and I said she could. And that was the last I saw... (a pause, a thought) ...wait a minute, I did see her, an hour or so later, driving... (a pause, then with solemn fear) Ah, I think you'd better come over here to my office. Quick. (a pause, a click) Caroline, get Mr. Cassidy for me. EXT. HIGHWAY It is completely dark now, night. INT. MARY'S NEW CAR We cut back to her face. LOWERY'S VOICE After all, Cassidy, I told you... all that cash... I'm not taking the responsibility... Oh, for heaven's sake, a girl works for you for ten years, you trust her! All right, yes, you better come over. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT EXT. THE ROAD AHEAD INT. MARY'S NEW CAR Fast cut back to Mary's face. Oncoming headlights throw a blinding light across her features. CASSIDY'S VOICE (undrunk, sharp with rage) Well I ain't about to kiss off forty thousand dollars! I'll get it back and if any of it's missin' I'll replace it with her fine soft flesh! I'll track her, never you doubt it! LOWERY'S VOICE Hold on, Cassidy... I still can't believe... it must be some kind of a mystery... I can't... CASSIDY'S VOICE You checked with the bank, no? They never laid eyes on her, no? You still trustin'? Hot creepers, she sat there while I dumped it out... hardly even looked at it, plannin' and... and even flirtin' with me...! A look of revulsion makes Mary close her eyes. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AGAIN Big drops of rain begin to appear. CLOSEUP - MARY She is becoming aware of the rain starting. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD The rain increasing and backlit by the oncoming headlights. CLOSEUP - MARY Mary starts the windshield wipers. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD The wipers are having a battle with the now torrential rain. CLOSEUP - MARY Peering through the blurred windshield. CLOSEUP - THE CAR WHEELS slowing down in the flooding highway. CLOSEUP - MARY peering through the windshield. The oncoming lights are fewer. CLOSEUP - THE CAR WHEELS almost coming to a slow turn. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD just blackness and rain. CLOSEUP - MARY peering. MARY'S VIEWPOINT An almost undiscernible light in the far distance, a neon sign blurred by the rain-sheeted windshield. MARY'S CAR She presses down, forces the car to move on through the flooded road. EXT. THE ROAD As we move closer, we see the neon sign more clearly and can faintly make out the large letters which read "Motel." Mary stops the car, lowers the window slightly, looks out. We see the sign clearly now: "BATES MOTEL." Mary opens the car door and dashes out into the rain and up onto the porch of the motel office. EXT. BATES' MOTEL - (NIGHT) Mary pauses on the porch. The lights are on within the office. She tries door, finds it open, goes into office. CAMERA FOLLOWS her into office. There is no one present. Mary goes to the desk, rings a small pushbell. There is no response. Mary rubs her forehead in weariness and frustration, goes back out onto the porch. She looks off in another direction, slightly behind the office, and sees... MARY'S VIEWPOINT - A LARGE OLD HOUSE - (NIGHT) A path from the motel office leads directly up to this house. There is a light on in one of the upstairs rooms. A WOMAN passes the window, pauses, peers out. We see her in clear silhouette. She quickly goes away from the window. EXT. PORCH OF BATES' MOTEL - (NIGHT) Mary, having seen the woman, expects now that she will get some attention. She stands a few moments, waiting. No one comes. Impatience and anger rise in Mary. She dashes out into the rain, to her car, gets in, opens the side window, begins to honk the horn. After a moment, a YOUNG MAN open the front door of the house, pauses, starts down the path. After a few steps, he turns and runs back into the house. Mary leaves her car, starts a dash for the shelter of the porch. As she runs, we see that the Young Man has gone back only to get an umbrella. Seeing that Mary is on her way to the porch, he runs quickly, the umbrella unopened in his hand. He gets to the porch a moment after Mary has reached it. He stops short, looks at her, then at the umbrella hanging useless in his hand, then back to her. There is something sadly touching in his manner, in his look. Mary's impatience goes and she smiles and this makes him almost smile. He gestures her into the office, standing back to indicate that he will go after her. She goes into the office. INT. OFFICE OF BATES' MOTEL - (NIGHT) The Young Man follows Mary in, closes the door. He is NORMAN BATES, somewhere in his late twenties, thin and tall, soft- spoken and hesitant. NORMAN Dirty night. MARY (not really a question) You have a vacancy? NORMAN (simply, almost cheerfully) We have twelve vacancies. Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. (a pause) They moved away the highway. MARY I thought I'd gotten off the main... NORMAN I knew you must have. No one stops here anymore unless they do. He is behind the counter now, pushing forward the registration book. NORMAN But it's no good dwelling on our losses, is it. We go right ahead lighting signs and following the formalities... Would you sign, please. Mary has placed her handbag on the counter. She takes the registration book, picks up the pen, is suddenly struck with the realization that she'd better use an alias. She writes the name Marie Samuels. NORMAN Your home address. Oh, just the town will do. MARY (glancing at newspaper sticking out of her handbag) Los Angeles. She realizes he didn't ask her to tell him, merely to write it down. She smiles, writes Los Angeles beside the false name. Norman smiles, stops smiling out of embarrassment. NORMAN Cabin One. It's closer in case you want anything... right next to the office. CLOSEUP - NORMAN He removes a key for Cabin One. We see that there is a remaining key on the board. TWO SHOT - MARY AND NORMAN MARY I want sleep more than anything. Except maybe, food. NORMAN There's a big diner about ten miles on up... just outside Fairvale. MARY Am I that close to Fairvale? NORMAN Fifteen miles. I'll get your bags. He goes to door, opens it. The rain has slowed down considerably. He smiles at this fact, as if to communicate some pleasure he finds in it. Mary follows him to the door, goes out on the porch, waits and watches as Norman runs to her car, gets in, drives it to the parking space in front of Cabin One. Mary walks along the porch, waits before the door of Cabin One. Norman gets out of car, with suitcase, runs to the door, opens it, pushes the door open, puts his hand in and switches on a light. Mary goes into the cabin. Norman follows her. INT. CABIN ONE - (NIGHT) Norman places suitcase on bed, goes to the window, opens it. NORMAN Stuffy in here. (turns to her) Well... the mattress is soft and there're hangers in the closet and... stationary with "Bates' Motel" printed on it in case you want to make your friends back home envious... and... the... over there.... (he points to the bathroom, fairly blushes) MARY The bathroom. NORMAN (quickly, starting to leave) I'll be in the office if you want anything... just tap on the wall. MARY Thank you, Mr. Bates. NORMAN Norman Bates. He pauses at the door, gazes at her. She smiles. NORMAN You have something most girls never have. MARY I have? NORMAN There's no name for it... But it's something that, that puts a person at ease. MARY Thank you. Again. NORMAN (not really a question) You're not going to go out again and drive up to that diner, are you? MARY No. NORMAN Then will you do me a favor? (without waiting for her response) Will you have supper here? I was just about to, myself... nothing more than some sandwiches and a lot of milk, but I'd like it if you'd come up to the house and... I don't set a fancy table but... the kitchen's awful homey. MARY I'd like to. NORMAN All right, you get your dresses hanging out and... change those wet shoes, and I'll come for you soon as it's ready... (starts out) ...with my trusty umbrella. (he laughs a small laugh, runs off) Mary closes the door, goes to suitcase, opens it, starts to take out a dress. Her handbag is next to the suitcase. She glances down into it, pauses, drops the dress, reaches into the handbag, takes out the money-filled envelope, stares at it, almost with regret, filled contemplates hiding it, decides to, starts looking for a reasonable hiding place. She looks about, at the closet, the drawers etc., realizes all such places are obvious. Catching sight of the newspaper in her bag, she hits on a solution. She opens the newspaper, places the envelope within it, lock-folds the paper again and then places it on the bedside table as if it were there for later reading. She considers this for a moment, accepts it, goes to her suitcase to start unpacking. Suddenly the quiet is shattered by the shrill, ugly sound of a woman's voice, raised in anger. WOMAN'S VOICE No! I tell you no! Mary walks slowly to the window, realizing that the terrible voice is coming from the house behind the cabins. CAMERA FOLLOWS her to window and once there we see the light is still on in the upstairs bedroom and the voice is coming from that room. The rain has stopped and the moon is out. WOMAN'S VOICE I won't have you bringing strange young girls in for supper... (an ugly, sneering note creeps into the voice) ...by candlelight, I suppose, in the cheap erotic fashion of young men with cheap, erotic minds! NORMAN'S VOICE Mother, please... WOMAN'S VOICE And then what? After supper, music? Whispers? NORMAN'S VOICE Mother, she's just a stranger... hungry, and the weather's bad... WOMAN'S VOICE (mimicking cruelly) Mother, she's just a stranger! (hard, cruel again) As if men don't desire strangers, as if... oh, I refuse to speak of disgusting things because they disgust me! You understand, Boy? WOMAN'S VOICE (pause) Go on, go tell her she'll not be appeasing her ugly appetite with my food... or my son! Or do I have to tell her, cause you don't have the guts? Huh, boy? You have the guts, boy? NORMAN'S VOICE (blurted cut fury and shame) Shut up! Shut up! There is the SOUND of a door closing in that room up there. Mary has stood by the window, listening with mounting distress and concern and sympathy. She turns her face away now, gazes sadly at the little empty room. In a moment there is the SOUND of the house's front door slamming shut. Mary turns, looks out the window. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT - (NIGHT) We see Norman coming down the path, carrying a napkin-covered tray. INT. CABIN ONE - (NIGHT) Mary looks at him for a moment, then turns quickly, goes to the door, opens it and goes out onto the porch. EXT. THE MOTEL PORCH - (NIGHT) Mary pauses outside the door, is about to start forward when Norman comes round the building and walks along the porch, past the office, stopping only when he is close to her. He stares with painful embarrassment at the knowing look in her eye. MARY I've caused you some trouble. NORMAN Mother... (a hollow little laugh, an attempt at sardonic humor) ...what is the phrase... "she isn't herself today"... I think that's it. MARY (looking at the tray) You shouldn't have bothered. I really don't have that much of an appetite. Norman flinches, realizing she has heard his mother's reference to Mary's appetite. NORMAN I'm sorry. I wish... people could apologize for other people. MARY Don't worry about it. (a warm smile) But as long as you've made us supper, we may as well eat it. Huh? She begins to back into her room. Norman starts to follow, hesitates as he sees the total picture of an attractive young woman and a motel room. Bringing down the tray of food, in defiance of his mother's orders, is about the limit of his defiance for one day. He cannot go into Mary's room. NORMAN It might be nicer... warmer in the office. Without waiting for approval or disapproval, he turns, hurries to the office. Mary looks after him, her face showing amused sympathy, then follows. INT. THE MOTEL OFFICE - (NIGHT) Norman looks about, tray in hand, sees there is no reasonable place to spread out a supper. He turns, sees Mary standing in the doorway. NORMAN Eating in an office... (a rueful smile) ...to officious, even for me. I have the parlor behind this... if you'd like. Mary nods. Norman walks on, behind the counter and into the darkened parlor. Mary follows. INT. NORMAN'S PARLOR -(NIGHT) In the darkened room, lit only by the light from the office spilling in, we see Norman placing the tray on a table. Mary comes to the doorway, pauses. Norman straightens up, goes to lamp, turns on the light. Mary is startled by the room. Even in the dimness of one lamp, the strange, extraordinary nature of the room rushes up at one. It is a room of birds. Stuffed birds, all over the room, on every available surface, one even clinging to the old fashioned fringed shade of the lamp. The birds are of many varieties, beautiful, grand, horrible, preying. Mary stares in awe and a certain fascinated horror. CLOSE UP - THE VARIOUS BIRDS TWO SHOT - MARY AND NORMAN NORMAN Please sit down. On the sofa. As Norman goes about spreading out the bread and ham and pouring the milk, we follow Mary across the room. She studies the birds as she walks, briefly examines a bookcase stacked with books on the subject of "Taxidermy." CLOSE UP - THE BOOKS ON TAXIDERMY MED. CLOSE SHOT - MARY She notices, too, the paintings on the wall; nudes, primarily, and many with a vaguely religious overtone. Finally Mary reaches the sofa, sits down, looks at the spread. MARY You're very... kind. NORMAN It's all for you. I'm not hungry. Please go ahead. Mary begins to eat, her attitude a bit tense. She takes up a small slice of ham, bites off a tiny bite, nibbles at it in the manner of one disturbed and preoccupied. Norman gazes at her, at the tiny bite she has taken, smiles and then laughs. NORMAN You eat like a bird. MARY You'd know, of course. NORMAN Not really. I hear that expression, that one eats "like a bird," is really a falsie, I mean a falsity, because birds eat a tremendous lot. (A pause, then explaining) Oh, I don't know anything about birds. My hobby is stuffing things... taxidermy. And I guess I'd just rather stuff birds because... well, I hate the look of beasts when they're stuffed, foxes and chimps and all... some people even stuff dogs and cats... but I can't... I think only birds look well stuffed because they're rather... passive, to begin with... most of them... He trails off, his exuberance failing in the rushing return of his natural hesitancy and discomfort. Mary looks at him, with some compression, smiles. MARY It's a strange hobby. Curious, I mean. NORMAN Uncommon, too. MARY I imagine so. NORMAN It's not as expensive as you'd think. Cheap, really. Needles, thread, sawdust .. the chemicals are all that cost anything. (He goes quiet, looks disturbed) MARY A man should have a hobby. NORMAN It's more than a hobby... sometimes... a hobby is supposed to pass the time, not fill it. MARY (after a pause, softly) Is your time so empty? NORMAN Oh, no! (forcing brightness again) I run the office, tend the cabins and grounds, do little chores for mother... the ones she allows I might be capable of doing. MARY You go out... with friends? NORMAN Friends? Who needs friends. (Laughs, then with gallows humor) A boy's best friend is his mother. (Stops laughing) You've never had an empty moment in your whole life. Have you? MARY Only my share. NORMAN Where are you going? I don't mean to pry... MARY (A wistful smile) I'm looking for a private island. NORMAN What are you running away from? MARY (Alert) Why do you ask that? NORMAN No. People never run away from anything. (A pause) The rain didn't last very long. (Turning suddenly) You know what I think? I think we're all in our private traps, clamped in them, and none of us can ever climb out. We scratch and claw... but only at the air, only at each other, and for all of it, we never budge an inch. MARY Sometimes we deliberately step into those traps. NORMAN I was born in mine. I don't mind it anymore. MARY You should... mind it. NORMAN Oh I do... but I say I don't. (Laughs boyishly) MARY (Staring at him, shaking her head softly.) If anyone ever spoke to me, the way I heard... The way she spoke to you, I don't think I could ever laugh again. NORMAN (Controlled resentment) Sometimes when she talks that way to me I'd like to... curse her out and leave her forever! (A rueful smile) Or at least, defy her. (A pause, a hopeless shrug) But I couldn't. She's ill. MARY She sounded strong... NORMAN I mean... ill. (A pause) She had to raise me all by herself after my dad died... I was only five... and it must have been a strain. Oh, she didn't have to go out to work or anything, Dad left us with a little something... anyway, a few years ago... Mother met a man. He talked her into building this motel... We could have talked her into anything... and when. Well... It was just too much for her when he died, too... And the way he died... Oh, it's nothing to talk about when you're eating. (Pauses, smiles) Anyway, it was too much of a loss for my mother... she had nothing left. MARY (Critically) Except you. NORMAN A son is a poor substitute for a lover. (Turns away as if in distaste of the word) MARY Why don't you go away? NORMAN To a private island, like you? MARY No, not like me. NORMAN It's too late for me. And besides... who'd look after her? She'd be alone up there, the fire would go out... damp and cold, like a grave. When you love someone, you don't do that to them, even if you hate them. Oh, I don't hate her. I hate... what she's become. I hate... the illness. MARY (Slowly, carefully) Wouldn't it be better if you put her in... someplace... She hesitates. Norman turns, slowly, looking at her with a striking coldness. NORMAN An Institution? A madhouse? People always call a madhouse "someplace." (Mimicing coldly) Put her in Someplace! MARY I'm sorry... I didn't mean it to sound uncaring... NORMAN (The coldness turning to tight fury) What do you mean about caring? Have you ever seen one of those places? Inside? Laughing and tears and cruel eyes studying you... and my mother there? Why? has she harmed you? She's as harmless as... one of these stuffed birds. MARY I am sorry. I only felt... it seemed she was harming you. I meant... NORMAN (High fury now) Well? You meant well? People always mean well, they cluck their thick tongues and shake their heads and suggest so very delicately that... The fury suddenly dies, abruptly and completely, and he sinks back into his chair. There is a brief silence. Mary watches the troubled man, is almost physically pained by his anguish. NORMAN (Quietly) I've suggested it myself. But I hate to even think such a thing. She needs me... and it isn't... (Looks up with a childlike pleading in his eyes) ...it isn't as if she were a maniac, a raving thing... it's just that... sometimes she goes a little mad. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you? MARY (After a long thoughtful pause) Yes, and just one time can be enough. (Rises) Thank you. NORMAN (Cheerfully, correcting) Thank you, Norman. MARY Norman. NORMAN You're not going to... to your room already? MARY I'm very tired. And I'll have a long drive tomorrow. All the way back to Phoenix. NORMAN Phoenix? MARY I stepped into a private trap back there -- and I want to go back and... try to pull myself out. (Looking close at Norman) Before it's too late for me, too. NORMAN (Looking at her) Why don't you stay a little while, just for talking. MARY I'd like to, but... NORMAN Alright. I'll see you in the morning. I'll bring you breakfast. What time will you... MARY Very early. Dawn. NORMAN Alright, Miss... (He has forgotten her name) MARY Crane. NORMAN That's it. (He frowns, as if bothered by not being able to match the name to the memory of the name in the registration book) MARY Good night. She goes out of the parlor. We see her, from Norman's viewpoint, as she crosses the small office, goes out into the night. Norman turns and looks at the table, and we see his face now. It is bright with that drunken-like look of determination and encouragement and like resolve. He starts to clean up the table, pauses as he hears the closing of Mary's door in the cabin next door. He holds still, listens. He goes into the office and looks at the book. C.U. - THE NAME "SAMUELS" M.S. - NORMAN He goes back into the parlor with a mystified expression. The sound of Mary moving about her room come over, soft SOUNDS, somehow intimate in the night quiet. Norman turns his ear from the direction of the SOUNDS, seems to be fighting an impulse to listen, or more than listen. But slowly, he is forced to surrender to the impulse and, resisting himself, he goes to the wall, presses the side of his head against it. The SOUNDS come louder, as if we too had our ear pressed against the wall. Now Norman looks at a picture hanging on the far end of the wall he is leaning against. Slowly he starts toward it. He reaches it, touches it, reluctantly lifts the small frame off the wall. A tiny circle of light hits Norman's face, coming from the hole in the wall behind the picture. This end of the room is very dim and thus we are able to see clearly the light striking Norman's face. We move close to Norman, extremely close, until his profile fills the screen. The tiny spot of light hits his eye. See the small hole through which the light comes. Norman peeps through. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT Through the hole we look into Mary's cabin, see Mary undressing. She is in her bra and halfslip. She stoops over a bit, places her hands behind her upper back, begins to unhook her bra. NORMAN - ECU He watches as Mary removes her bra. We see his eye run up and down the unseen figure of Mary. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT Mary, just slipping into a robe, covering her complete nudity. NORMAN He turns from the hole, faces us for a moment, continues turning until he can look out the small parlor window. We see, as he sees... THE HOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND NORMAN He turns his face away, quickly, resentfully. In his face we see anger and anguish. And then resolve. Quickly, precisely, he rehangs the picture over the hole in the wall, turns, starts out of the parlor. We see him go through the office and out onto the porch, not even bothering to close the door behind him. CUT TO: EXT. THE MOTEL OFFICE PORCH - (NIGHT) Norman walking along the porch, in the direction of the big house. Once on the path he pauses, looks up at the light in the bedroom window, then pulls himself up, squares his shoulders, strides manfully up the path. CAMERA follows behind him. He opens the door of the house, enters. We see him pause at the foot of the stairway, look up at the bedroom door just at the head of the stair. He holds for a moment, and then his resolve and courage evaporates. His shoulders slump, sadly, mournfully. He by- passes the stairs and slowly makes his way to the kitchen. At the far end of the hall. He enters the kitchen, drops wearily into a chair. After a moment, he stretches out a leg and gently pushes the kitchen door closed. CUT TO: INT. MARY'S MOTEL ROOM - (NIGHT) Mary is seated at the small desk, engrossed in figuring in a small notebook. We see from these figures a calculation which indicates her intention to make a restitution of the money she has used of the forty thousand dollars. We see, too, her bankbook. The paper reads thus: top figure, 40,000; directly beneath it 500, the amount used for the new car; total after subtraction, 39,500. In another spot we see a figure which matches the balance in her bankbook; 624.00. Beneath this is the figure 500, and the amount after subtraction, 124.00. She studies the figures, sighs, not wearily but with a certain satisfaction, with the pleasure that comes when one knows that at any cost one is going to continue doing the right thing. After a moment she tears the page out of the notebook and, rising, begins to rip it into small pieces. She goes into the bathroom, drops the pieces into the toilet bowl, flushes the toilet. Then she drops her robe and steps into the tub and turns the shower on. INT. MARY IN SHOWER Over the bar on which hangs the shower curtain, we can see the bathroom door, not entirely closed. For a moment we watch Mary as she washes and soaps herself. There is still a small worry in her eyes, but generally she looks somewhat relieved. Now we see the bathroom door being pushed slowly open. The noise of the shower drowns out any sound. The door is then slowly and carefully closed. And we see the shadow of a woman fall across the shower curtain. Mary's back is turned to the curtain. The white brightness of the bathroom is almost blinding. Suddenly we see the hand reach up, grasp the shower curtain, rip it aside. CUT TO: MARY - ECU As she turns in response to the feel and SOUND of the shower curtain being torn aside. A look of pure horror erupts in her face. A low terrible groan begins to rise up out of her throat. A hand comes into the shot. The hand holds an enormous bread knife. The flint of the blade shatters the screen to an almost total, silver blankness. THE SLASHING An impression of a knife slashing, as if tearing at the very screen, ripping the film. Over it the brief gulps of screaming. And then silence. And then the dreadful thump as Mary's body falls in the tub. REVERSE ANGLE The blank whiteness, the blur of the shower water, the hand pulling the shower curtain back. We catch one flicker of a glimpse of the murderer. A woman, her face contorted with madness, her head wild with hair, as if she were wearing a fright-wig. And then we see only the curtain, closed across the tub, and hear the rush of the shower water. Above the shower-bar we see the bathroom door open again and after a moment we HEAR the SOUND of the front door slamming. CUT TO: THE DEAD BODY Lying half in, half out of the tub, the head tumbled over, touching the floor, the hair wet, one eye wide open as if popped, one arm lying limp and wet along the tile floor. Coming down the side of the tub, running thick and dark along the porcelain, we see many small threads of blood. CAMERA FOLLOWS away from the body, travels slowly across the bathroom, past the toilet, out into the bedroom. As CAMERA approaches the bed, we see the folded newspaper as Mary placed it on the bedside table. CLOSE UP - THE NEWSPAPER beside the bed. The CAMERA now moves away over to the window and looks up to the house, and as it gets there we HEAR, coming from within the house, the SOUND of Norman's fearful, shocked voice. NORMAN'S VOICE Mother! Oh God, what... blood, blood... mother...! We cannot entirely distinguish these exclamations. After a moment or two of silence, Norman emerges from the front door, dashes down the path toward the motel. QUICK CUT TO: EXT. THE PATH - (NIGHT) Norman is coming AT CAMERA, running head-on. He dashes into an extreme close up and we see the terror and fear ripe in his face. CAMERA PANS as Norman races past, holds as Norman runs to the porch and quickly along it and directly to Mary's room. INT. MARY'S CABIN - (NIGHT) Norman pauses a moment in the doorway, glances about the room, hears the shower going, sees the bathroom door is open. He goes to the bathroom, looks in, sees the body. Slowly, almost carefully, he raises his hands to his face, covers his eyes, turns his face away. Then he crosses to the window, looks out at the house. Shot is so angled that we see the bedside table with the newspaper on it. After a moment, Norman moves from the window, sinks onto the edge of the bed. FRESH ANGLE - BEHIND NORMAN Norman sitting on bed, the bathroom in b.g. of shot. We can see only the hand of the dead girl, lying along the tile floor. Norman presses his eyes, fights to find a way out of his dilemma. Slowly, a kind of settling comes upon him, the peace that comes with decision. Norman rises, goes to the window, looks out, and then, with resolution, closes the window and draws the curtain across it. Then he crosses to the front window, facing the porch, and draws those curtains closed. Then he switches off the bedroom light, leaving the room lit only by the spill from the bathroom. He opens the front door, goes out. EXT. THE HOTEL PORCH - (NIGHT) Norman comes out of Mary's cabin, closes the door carefully behind him, goes along the porch to his office, goes in. We stay outside. Immediately, the "Vacancy" sign goes off, and then the motel sign goes off. As CAMERA GOES closer to the office, the lights within go off and we HEAR a closet door opening and then the SOUND of a pail being picked up. Norman comes out of office, closes door, looks cautiously about, goes along porch, carrying pail with mop in it, goes into Mary's cabin, closing the door after him. INT. MARY'S CABIN With the paper in the foreground, Norman enters. We can see him in the dim spill of light. He pauses by the door, then gathers his strength and goes into the bathroom. We HEAR him set the pail on the tiled floor, and then we HEAR the shower being turned off. And there is total silence. CAMERA MOVES FORWARD so that we can see into bathroom. CAMERA is ANGLED that we see Norman only from the waist up. Quickly and deftly he unhooks the shower curtain, emerges with it into the bedroom. CAMERA PANS down and we see him spread the shower curtain on the bedroom floor, just outside the bathroom door. He spreads the curtain so that one end of it comes up against the bathroom threshold and slightly over and onto the tile floor. Again he goes into the bathroom and CAMERA TILTS up so that we see only the upper half of Norman. He works carefully, with his arms extended away from his body, slowly pulls the dead body out of the tub, drags it across the tile floor and onto the spread-out shower curtain in the bedroom. Having arranged the body, he straightens up, examines his hands, sees bloodstains on them. He returns to the bathroom, goes to the hand-basin. CLOSE SHOT We see his hands being washed, see the bloodstains being diluted and washed away by the gush of the faucet water. NORMAN We see Norman shake his hands free of the water, then turn to the job of cleaning the bathroom. He places the pail in the tub, runs water into it, dips the mop in, swabs the tile floor. With a towel he wipes off the wall over the tub and the edges and sides of the tub and even the shower curtain rod. Then he takes a second towel and goes over the cleaned areas, carefully drying them. Finally he rinses and squeezes out the mop, empties the pail, cleans out the tub, and goes out into the bedroom. INT. MARY'S BEDROOM Norman steps carefully around the unseen body, crosses to the desk, starts going through Mary's handbag, in search of her car keys. He suddenly notices them lying on the desk, where he'd thrown them after parking her car. He picks up the keys, crosses the room, goes out. EXT. THE PORCH We see Norman pauses at the door, check cautiously, then hurry across the porch and into Mary's car. He circle-turns the car, so that its trunk is backed up to the turns porch, directly opposite Mary's door, as close as it can go. Then he alights, goes to the trunk, opens it with the key and, leaving the trunk lid raised, goes back into the cabin. INT. MARY'S ROOM From a raised angle, we see Norman bend down and begin to wrap the shower curtain around the body. We see the edges of the curtain as they are raised and laid down again. Then he picks up the wrapped body, crosses to the door, uses his foot to pull the door open, and, leaving the door open behind him, goes quickly across the porch and gently lays the body in the trunk. He closes the lid then, but does not lock it. He comes back into the cabin, closes the door completely, flicks on the light. Again the newspaper is in the foreground. For a moment he pauses, closes his eyes against the realization of what he is doing, then quickly pushes all thoughts away, continues with his work. With the room lighted, he now proceeds to gather up all Mary's articles and toss them into the suitcase. He checks all drawers and the closet, gets down and checks under bed and bureau, goes into the bathroom, checks that room again, comes back into the bedroom, looks about carefully, spots Mary's handbag, throws even that into the suitcase, is finally satisfied that all traces of the girl are gone from the room. Then he closes Mary's suitcase, picks it up. With his free hand he picks up the pail, in which are the mop and the used towels. He crosses to the door, switches off the light with his shoulder, pulls open the door, starts out. EXT. THE PORCH As Norman stands in the doorway, he is suddenly and blindingly lit by the bright headlights of a passing car. The flash of the lights and the SOUND of the SPEEDING CAR are over in a flicker of a moment, but it takes a few seconds for Norman to regain his former tense composure. Then he goes to the car trunk, raises it with his foot, throws the suitcase and the pail into it, slams it shut. He pauses a moment, then realizes he has left the bathroom light on in Mary's cabin. He returns to cabin. As he enters, his eye is caught by the newspaper on the bedside table. He goes to it, takes the newspaper, and looks once again into the bathroom. His glance goes right over the toilet bowl. He turns out the lights, crosses the darkened cabin, goes out onto the porch. He reopens the trunk, tosses in the newspaper and closes it. He goes around and jumps into the car and starts away. We HOLD on the trunk, follow it for a while, then DISSOLVE TO: EXT. THE SWAMP - (NIGHT) The car pulls away from a CLOSE ANGLE on the trunk and as CAMERA HOLDS we see that we are now in a swamp area. It is quiet except for the irritating noises of night insects. Norman stops the car at the very edge of the swamp, turns off the lights, gets out, leaving door open. He looks at the swamp, seems doubtful of its ability to swallow up the car, realizes he has no choice. He leans into the car, releases the emergency brake, starts to push. The front of the car begins to roll into the swamp. Suddenly there is the LOW, THROBBING SOUND of a motor. Norman freezes, listens. The SOUND grows louder and Norman realizes it is an airplane flying overhead. The car is rolling quickly now. Norman jumps away, slams the door shut, stands tense. The SOUND of the plane overhead grows louder. Norman looks up. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT - THE BLACK SKY We see no plane. The SOUND of the motor is beginning to diminish. CUT BACK TO: NORMAN We see the relief in his face. He looks at the car. More than two-thirds of it have already sunk into the swamp. The trunk alone seems to hold poised above the sand and slime, as if refusing to go the rest of the way. Norman begins to panic, he steps dangerously close, pushes with his foot. And slowly the car sinks, until finally it is gone and we hear only the gentle plop of the swamp's final gulp, and see only the small after-bubble, like a visual burp. Norman waits a moment, then begins stamping out the tire marks, so obvious in the wet ground around the swamp. He stamps and drags his feet over the markings as we: DISSOLVE TO: CLOSE UP NORMAN standing on the porch of the motel, leaning against a post. He is staring out into the night, a look of guarded, casual innocence on his face, as if he were taking one last moment of peaceful night air before retiring. Then he glances down and CAMERA follows his gaze. A hose is lying on the ground outside Mary's cabin, its stream of water obliterating the tire marks. After a moment, Norman's hand comes into shot, picks up hose, places it in a new position. As CAMERA PULLS BACK, we see that the water from the hose has erased and rearranged the road markings so that it would be impossible to tell that a car had been parked here. After a short wait, Norman goes to the hose-faucet, turns it off, unscrews the hose. As he rolls the hose, he walks away from the spot, past the office, heading for the path that leads to the house. He goes up the path, pauses at the steps of the house, tosses the curled hose onto the lawn, goes up the steps and into the house. CAMERA FOLLOWS him in, PAUSES as he pauses at the foot of the stairs. Norman goes up the stairs. On the landing he stops. The door to his mother's room is closed. Lying in a heap outside the door are a blood-stained dress and a pair of elderly-woman's shoes. From an EXTREMELY HIGH ANGLE, we look down on Norman as he bends to pick up the stained dress and shoes. He rolls the shoes into the dress, tucks the small, neat bundle under his arm, and starts down the stairs, heading for the basement. EXT. A LONG SHOT OF THE OLD HOUSE - (NIGHT) It stands silhouetted against the sky. There is a long wait. Then, slowly, a curl of smoke comes out of the chimney. FADE OUT: FADE IN INT. BACK ROOM OF SAM'S HARDWARE STORE IN FAIRVALE - (DAY) Sam is seated at his desk, writing a letter. Sequence begins with CAMERA IN CLOSE, over Sam's shoulder, and we can read as mush as he has written of the letter. The letterhead reads "Sam Loomis - Hardware," and the letter reads: "Dearest right-as-always Mary: I'm sitting in this tiny back room which isn't big enough for both of us, and suddenly it looks big enough for both of us. So what if we're poor and cramped and miserable, at least we'll be happy! If you haven't come to your senses, and still want to... CAMERA begins PULLING AWAY as Sam turns the sheet of paper over, continues backing away out of the small back room and heads, backwards, down the corridor, we see a young clerk, BOB SUMMERFIELD, Sam's assistant, standing behind the counter, a look of handsome patience on his face. He is waiting on a meticulous, elderly woman customer, who is holding and examining a large can of insecticide. As CAMERA PASSES: WOMAN CUSTOMER ...They tell you what its ingredients are and how it's guaranteed to exterminate any insect in the world, but they do not tell you whether or not it's painless. And I say insect or man, death should always be painless. CAMERA, by this has reached the front door of the hardware store and we now see a girl standing just inside the door. She is an attractive girl with a rather definite manner, a look of purposefulness. She carries a handbag and a small overnight case. She is Mary's sister, LILA CRANE. Bob Summerfield has noticed Lila, smiles brightly at her, gives her an I'll-be-with-you-in-a-moment nod. Lila starts to walk toward the counter, never taking her eyes off Bob. As she approaches, she asks quietly: LILA Sam? SUMMERFIELD You want to see Sam? LILA Sam Loomis. SUMMERFIELD (yelling toward back room) Sam! Lady wants to see you! Lila looks to the back room. The woman customer goes on worriedly examining the fine print of the insecticide can. Sam comes to the door of his room, pauses, looks at Lila a moment, starts toward her, his expression indicating that he does not know her. Lila studies him with a quiet, worried expression. SAM Yes? LILA May I talk to you? SAM (a bit mystified) Sure... Lila glances at the customer and the clerk, turns, starts toward the front of the store. Sam holds a moment, then follows. As he reaches her, she turns, her eyes studying him intently as she says: LILA I'm Mary's sister. SAM Lila. LILA (quickly) Is Mary here? Sam is mystified, and is also aware of the worried, hostile expression on Lila's face. He studies her for a quiet moment. Behind them is a display of various size carving knives. SAM Is something wrong? LILA I want to know if my sister is here. SAM Here? LILA With you. SAM Where? LILA I don't know where. In your store, somewhere in your town... anywhere. SAM What's the matter? LILA Don't you know? As Sam is about to speak, the Woman Customer comes sailing past, speaking as she goes and wearing a satisfied smile. WOMAN CUSTOMER All I can do is hope if it isn't painless, it's quick! She speaks "quick" with a kind of delicious bite, nods happily, goes on out of the store. Sam is now staring apprehensively at Lila. SAM What should I know? LILA To begin with, where Mary is. Do you? SAM No. I take it you don't either? (As Lila shakes her