| O'Flaherty Productions Film Scripts by Tim O'Flaherty and Tess O'Flaherty |
Parker Trails
| JULIE Who told you to follow me, and why? LUKE I was told by Curly to follow you, since there could be varmints about. JULIE I think I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Now please do me a favor and return to the ranch house. Julie raises her right hand and points back the way that they have come. LUKE Sorry, I can’t just ride off. I have orders from my boss. JULIE I order you to ride back to the ranch house. LUKE It’s no use ma’am. I only take orders from Curly. He’s my boss. Julie, exasperated, throws up her arms and tries to explain again to him. JULIE But I’m Curly’s boss, so you have to do whatever I say. All the other hands have to do what I say. LUKE I’m sorry, Ms. Moore, but I’m not one of the other hands. I was hired to take orders from Mr. Moore, or the foreman, who happens to be Curly. ************************************************************************ PAGO There’ll be no gunplay here. Y’all, shuck’em! Both Luke and Slim slowly unbuckle their gun belts as they stare at one another, and then hang them on the fence. Luke ducks through the corral bars, and straightens, as he rolls up his sleeves. SLIM Well puncher! I gave you a chance, to clear out. Now I’m gonna pound you to a pulp before I turn you over to the sheriff. With that, Slim comes at Luke and throws a punch at Luke’s head, but Luke sidesteps the punch, and brings his right fist into the belly of Slim. Slim lets out a painful breath and whirls around still doubled over. Slowly straightening up, and rubbing his stomach, he starts circling around Luke, now with an ugly sneer on his face. As Luke slowly rubs the knuckles of his hand, he circles around the now dodging Slim. The commotion has attracted several of the other hands, who now form a wide circle around the two fighters. CROWD Come on Slim, pound his face in! ************************************************************************ EXT-OUTSKIRTS OF MOORE RANCH-DAY ZAK BOYER is riding on a horse in the lead of six other horsemen. LEM, JAKE, NEELY, ROY and SLIM are all riding with Zak towards the Moore’s Ranch. Coming up to the ranch yard, with their guns drawn, they surround and disarm some of the cowhands in the yard. But one hand, SHORTY, runs into the main house yelling. SHORTY BAR THE DOORS! RUSTLERS ARE COMIN’! Zak, wheeling his horse, yells to some of his men to follow him to the main house. ZAK Charge the house, men. Don’t let them get barricaded in. Riding from the barn towards the house they suddenly stop in their tracks, when a shotgun blast shoots up dust right in front of Zak’s horse that is in the lead. Zak and his men turn around fast and spread out, dismounting to hide behind anything that offers protection in the yard. Zak yells to the house. ZAK Throw down your guns and come out peaceful like, and everybody will be just fine. Curly’s voice comes from the house. CURLY Zak, we know its you out there, and there’s surely no way in hell we’re gonna come out. ******************************************************************************************************************************** ...Ducking down low, Luke advances up to near where Gus is waiting. Palming his gun, he waits until Gus is glancing back behind him, then Luke sprints out from where he has been crouching and quickly advances to a couple of yards a way from Gus. Gus, hearing something, swings his head back around fast with a grin still on his face. The grin drops into a look of wonder at seeing Luke standing not too far away in front of him. His hand freezes on his gun butt as Luke’s gun covers him. Gus, starting to sneer again, quickly turns his head and yells at Zak. GUS ZAK, LOOK OUT!! Right then, there’s a gunshot from the alley, and Luke, jumping to the side, notices Pat Moore, crumble to the ground and Zak, gun smoking, whirling around to face him. Swinging his gun to cover Zak, Luke sees a flash, and thumbing the hammer on his gun several times, he feels himself falling to the ground. Luke catches himself with his left hand on the ground and he quickly thumbs the hammer at Zak. Zak is still shooting as he topples face forward into the dirt to lie still. Luke swings his gaze back around as he hears a commotion of horses coming up behind, and his eyes catch Gus, swinging his gun up at Luke and pulling the hammer back. Luke tilts his gun a little, thumbs the trigger back, then feels the hammer land on an empty cartridge. ... ************************************************************************************** JULIE Me stubborn! You’re the one being so stubborn and thick headed. Why do you want to bother me so? LUKE I don’t want to bother you at all ma’am. I don’t want to be here, as much as you don’t want me here neither. JULIE Well, that’s a surprise. Just leave since you don’t like me so much. LUKE Like or dislike has nothing to do with it. I am just following or... JULIE I know, orders given to you by Curly. Well this ride is ruined now, thanks to you. I’m returning to the ranch, the faster I can be rid of you. Exasperated, Luke replies to her somewhat under his breath. LUKE The feeling is mutual, ma’am. JULIE And, the sooner I get back, the sooner I can get you fired for being such a lout, and ignoring my orders. With that Julie spurs her horse ahead a little and tries to keep that distance all the way back to the ranch. PAT Curly!! It’s about damn time you showed back up!! Where in hell have you been? I thought you had finally lost your head and run out on me, and left us for those gold fields. CURLY That’s not me boss. You know that! Curly, hat in hand, sees a chair nearby and slowly and gingerly settles down into it, rubbing his right leg. Pat Moore settles back down into his chair, and taking out a pipe, adds tobacco to it and then lights up. He puffs out smoke. PAT Well you are a sight for sore eyes. CURLY Somebody didn’t like me following them and took a shot at me. Got both me and my horse. I’ve been laid up for a bit, and couldn’t get word back to you, until now. PAT Somebody shot you, you say? CURLY Yep! Took a slug in the leg. Killed my horse too, which pinned me under it. PAT You know who did it? CURLY No-- but I aim to find out! How’s things goin’ around here? ************************************************************************ |
| INT—PARLOR OF DONLINGS—DAY Again, his wife’s arguments silenced Sir Charles on the subject. When Mr. Farling and his wife, however came to visit, Sir Charles compunction began anew. Mr. Farling was a vicar as you might meet in any small village –conscientious, studious, and given to not a few airs. His wife, Mrs. Farling, was of a slightly more unique character –the town gossip endowed with a feeling of duty to preserve a dignified stand in society as the vicar’s wife. She and Lady Dorham were invaluable to each other, one as the supplier of news, the other as a willing ear to listen. Upon this particular call, Mr. Farling happened to remark upon his most current theme of choice: to whit, MR. FARLING “the increasing need of aid among the less fortunate families among us.” Sir Charles took such a comment as a direct hint. Not wishing anyone to think him without those virtues of generosity, good-will, and judicious execution of duty, which were his own, Sir Charles promptly sat down and wrote to his brother-in-law, asking to adopt the eldest daughter of the family, and promising aid to the eldest boy in whatever profession he should choose. In fear of his wife’s displeasure, he offered this explanation when he presented his actions: SIR CHARLES “In asking for a girl, you see, I lessen the load. She may share Phillipia and Lucy’s governess instead of requiring higher schooling like Thomas. She will not wish to keep horses nor entertain nor require those expensive amusements which a boy would. And nor will she expect money upon my death.” LADY DORHAM Lady Dorham was almost shocked into silence. It was the first time Sir Charles had ever acted against her pleasure, and gave a cry worthy of expressing her sentiments. LADY DORHAM “ I am shocked! Indeed, shocked, Sir Charles, that you would wish to raise an inferior child right along with your own lovely children! How could you be so cruel to them, to say nothing of myself?” Sir Charles, into whom his Lady Charles knew full well how to instill misgiving, began doubtfully, SIR CHARLES “Of course, if it would make you feel any better, I shall plan to keep the child down. She shall not be Phillipia or Lucy’s equal. She shall be allowed into our family circle, but only as a mark of condensation on our parts. She shall really hardly expect more, indeed! And she shall have the east attic room.” LADY DORHAM “That is only to be expected, of course. Well, it is done, and I shall have to be content. I’m sure the dear Mr. and Mrs. Farling will be pleased.” INT—PARLOR OF DONLINGS—DAY Lady Dorham’s brother, Mr. Lawrence, and his wife, were indeed very reluctant to let Sir Charles take in their eldest daughter. MR. FARLING “ Maria is our daughter, and we must see to her bringing up. I know not how my brother-in-law’s house is run, nor what the place is even like,” said Mr. Lawrence to his wife. MRS. FARLING “ And yet I like this gesture of his – what possible gain can he come by it? Maria is far superior in understanding than most children her age. I do not think that she will find herself in any situations which she will feel incapable of handling at our brother-in-law’s. This may be a blessing, and we are too easily suspicious.” MR. FARLING “That it may always be so,” |
Felicity & Forebearance
120+ pgs.
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