1937-09-17 — Page 5

THE CHINA MAIL TRIDAY

EMBER 17, 1937

STORY--written by Scenario Writer as The rough draft for a film-And, as you'd expect, moves at an Astonishing Pace, giving you Love, Action, Drama, Gangsters, Aristocrats, Humour

A

EARL BABE

FADE IN

LONELY ranch somewhere

in the US.A. 1936.

Old man WATERBY, rancher is dying.

He and his AMERICAN WIFE

hope that

Their son, BABE, will arrive in time. They have not seen BABE

for three years.

“BABE'S a good boy.

come," says WATERBY.

Hell

Sound of high-powered car. Two cars pull up full of gang- sters. Leader is BABE

"BLOODLESS," as he never kills. In cars are also RED PAT, his girl, BENITO MANCINI, deputy leader of gang, a killer, wanted for a dozen crimes, MIKE, mur- derous looking big boy, and y others.

BABE tells them they can hide - out safely in his home. His MOTHER "tells him FATHER is dying. Thinks BABE has come in answer to -cable.

Old man WATERBY happy to see him. Explains with dying breath real name is not WATER- BY, but BYWATER.

He is eleventh EARL OF BY- WATER in the county of South- shire, in Eugland. BABE will be twelfth earl. Old man had emi- grated as a boy to America, mar- ried an American, and changed name, believing no future for young man in England. He hands over papers.

MANCINI has overheard, this. Tells others. BABE is greeted with laughter as "EARL BABE," "Your Earliness.”

He has an idea. Assume his title, go to England, and use By- water Castle as a hide-out.

MANCINI: "And start a new racket in the old country!”1⁄2

Idea is approved and carried

*

Next door old WATERBY dies with his eyes fixed on a picture of BYWATER CASTLE. Camera tracks forward until Castle fils picture. Castle dims.

SLOW FADE OUT. FADE IN

BYWATER CASTLE-

shire, England

South

Same view as în previous frame.. Blinds drawn. No sign of life Blinds go up. Flag climbs the top of flagpole.

In bànqueting hall PRIT- CHARD, son of last butler at BYWATER, removes dust sheets. He addresses aged seedy ten- ants-

"When his lordship's car ap- proaches you will let off maroons, you fling open gates; rest, "har- ness yourselves to car and pull it up drive!”

Party moves off.

·Dissolve to

AA. yellow plaque "BY- WATER London 96 miles."

Sleepy village street. Loafing village youths. No excitement. Scream of American motor hora and American car rounds corner.

At wheel is BABE. Others-are, with him.

BABE brakes and asks youth, FRANK way

BYWATER CASTLE

“Gangsters rush out and amine solitary card with TE-

DETENCE..

FRANK, sullenly: "You will see some rusty gates on the left. That's it.**

They reach closed gates, halt. Maroons explode with deafening

zoise.

Men with ropes hurl themselves

boundary, is deterred by Notice on Boat House: "PRIVATE: Trespassers prosecuted. By OT- der."

Realises "By Order means him. Breaks open Boat House, gets out old sailing boat, goes sailing

MANCENT shocked to find American gangster weapons by no means newest in the "collec tion

Enter COLONEL WILSON'S daughter JOANNE

The girl who put BABE on the

mud-bank. Sails shake.

up narrow creek. Pretty girl in boat has come up behind and taken his wind. BABE follows her, but sticks on mud- bank. Pretty girl sails away laughing, while BABE sits high and dry on mud gazing after her. FADE OUT.

FADE IN

RED PAT, in Castle Drawing Room, is reading "How, Where, and When in English Society." She reads:

*

QUICK FADE OUT. FADE IN.. Hall of Bywater Castle. Bell rings.

Enter the first "callers," SIR JOHN and LADY MILES..

LADY MILES: "Is his Lordship at home?"

BABE about to run out and say "Sure" PRITCHARD signals him back. Being a "first call,” they merely leave.card

Gangsters rush out and exam "ine solitary card with reverence. "Sept. 1. Partridge shooting Symbol of first social succ

Trick dissolves to begins."

"Aug. 12 Grouse shooting. gins.**

"Oct. 1. Pheasant shooting be gins."

MANCINI **These English seem to be always shooting'!”"" It

By John Heygate

on car. PRITCHARD advances to read welcoming speech...

MANCINI, thinking it a "stick up," terrified, whips out gun and Covers PRITCHARD. Situation cleared. Procession moves off up drive.

Dissolve to....

Interior of Castle. PRITCHARD shows BABE his. Banqueting Hall, his Ball Room, etc.

-Gangsters find Castle a trifle chilly. BABE finds his tenants a trifle elderly.

With RED'S gramophone, and hip flasks gang starts a party in Castle. PRITCHARD - made to dance. Gang pass out, distribut- ed on antique furniture.

Dissolve to

The same scene next morning. Gang asleep. Except BABE, who comes down staircase, sur- veys gang, and goes out of house.

Wanders down to Tidal River

is October 1 "Why ain't they pheasant shootin”?”

KEEPER says birds are too wild.

*

**

MANCINI: "Well tame them Dissolve to

Clearing in wood.

Gangsters with sawn-off

guns

shot

sub-machine guns, - await pheasants nervously. Drums of ammunition beside them.

Pheasants appear. Fusillade from gangsters. Pheasants pass safely overhead.

Reverse drive. Pheasants sur- vive barrage, but fall further off. While BABE and MANCINI both claim hit-

Old English gentleman with a smoking old-fashioned shotgun ap-

pears:

Introduces himself as co. LONEL WILSON, neighbour. In- vites gangsters back to his house to divide game and inspect his own “amateur" collection of wea-

Plate filling and overflowing with cards as all Southshire colls. But RED gets no cards or în. vitations.

Left alone, she permits love ad- vances from MANCINI, who has a scheme for starting racket in English Society.

Cut to

BABE out hunting. JOANNE, intrepid horsewoman, leads him through bog and once “hitches" "him. Pity he cant "sail," she taunts him She is building new " Class yacht

ce at Cow migat

next summIND OU

FADE OUT-

FADE IN

Emmington Shipyard.

Spring.

On stocks two slim Class yachts side by side..

Names of yachts are JOANNE and EARL BABE.

BABE explains beautiful lines of yacht to MANCINI

JOANNE, on deck of JOANNE, criticises lines of EARL BABE. And anyhow, who's going to steer her?

*

Dissolve to Bywater Castle.

telling

"MANCINI, without

(Continued on Page 7)

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