Next: (WESTERN SCREENPLAY) EXT. ALLISON HOMESTEAD Victoria Allison stands beside Randall in the yard between the house and barns of the Allison homestead, garlands strung over them as an ensemble of fiddles and guitar play a festive tune. VICTORIA Well, Randall? Where are your girls? I hope Henrietta isn’t trying to spoil the party again this year! RANDALL Now, now, they’ll be along, Victoria. EZEKIAL ALLISON Word is that the Nez Perce killed old Ben Nearing. That’s what I heard, Randall. They found five arrows in him. RANDALL You heard wrong, Ezekial. If there were Nez Perce arrows in him they were put there by bandits, meant to throw people off their trail. EZEKIAL ALLISON Smart bandits, I’d say. RANDALL Yeah... Randall looks anxiously south toward the Morning Star, shining white, 12 miles away. RANDALL (CONT’D) U.S. Marshals caught most of them last night and are chasin’ the rest into the Washington Territory. They had old Ben’s gold, according to Henrietta. VICTORIA Randall, how about a dance? RANDALL Yes, Ma’am! Randall nods at the Westing men. The women are called together on one side of the barnyard. Musicians PLAY as the men in their black masks survey the exotically disguised women waiting to dance across the festooned barnyard as barbecue pits roast meat to one side. The men of the Westing homestead stand together in their black masks across from the Allison homestead’s girls as Victoria Allison calls the square dance. Victoria notices Beau, William and Gus aren’t dancing and kicks Beau in the butt and in a chain reaction the little rascals join in opposite similarly sized girls. RANDALL (CONT’D) Looks like you’re girls are the belles of the ball, Victoria. Montage of partiers dancing, barbecuing, eating, with women and men all wearing masks. RANDALL (CONT’D) (under his breath) Where are they? Beau steps out of the dance. BEAU I’m worried, Dad. Samuel steps out, too, to Victoria’s chagrin, they look back at the pharos. RABBI (dancing) They’ll be along, Randall! You know how women are. Take the time they say they’ll be ready and multiply by three! Then double it! Randall shrugs. BEAU Dad? RANDALL Yeah, Beau. BEAU Hey! RANDALL Hey, son. BEAU Uh... RANDALL Eh? (winks) I know, Aino’s not here. Henrietta and I expect some grandchildren. So why don’t you get married already? BEAU (smiles, troubled) Yeah... RANDALL And the Rabbi might appreciate it if ya tied the knot first. Henrietta wants you to know she thinks the Rabbi wants that, too! BEAU Yeah, yeah. You’re both cowards. I know that. But I was thinkin’ - RANDALL I know the Rabbi might be old-fashioned but we don’t want to hurt his feelings, son! You know how much it means to him... Samuel waltzes an Allison daughter near to them: SAMUEL Tell him, Beau! Randall double-takes. RANDALL What? BEAU Well, Dad, that’s - that’s it. I call you Dad. RANDALL Yeah. BEAU You call me son. RANDALL Well, spit it out! BEAU I’m not, though. Am I? RANDALL Why not? BEAU Sam, Will and Gus are your sons. They’re WESTINGS. I’m... an O’Hara. And I’m not even that. Not really. RANDALL You’re as much a Westing as me! BEAU Except, well, legally. RANDALL Well what is that supposed to mean? BEAU I don’t know! Maybe nothing. Any other name wouldn’t mean a thing to me. I know that. RANDALL Hell, I can be stupid sometimes, son. BEAU Every day, Dad. RANDALL (wry) Well, we’ll have the Rabbi fix it when he marries you - as a Westing. You’ll make your Ma happy. And your Pa. BEAU That’ll be fine! After I ask her... RANDALL Well, that’s next... VICTORIA Come on, Randall! She drags Randall into the dance. Beau smiles and turns and notices the pharos turn RED. BEAU Pa! The partiers turn and see the signal. Most of the men run toward the stable, tossing aside their masks as Victoria looks crestfallen. RANDALL Let’s go, boys! EXT. FOREST RIDGE - CONTINUOUS SILAS KREBBS and his gang of ten have joined the six from his brother’s gang who look down at the Allison ranch from a nearby ridge. The men see the light of the pharos turn red to the south. BIG JOHN There it is! OSWALD And there they go! Your brother is a genu-wine genius, Silas! SILAS (spits) He always was! The others HOLLER and HOOT. OSWALD (CONT’D) OK, boys: Get ready! They head down to the now nearly defenseless Allison homestead as the men tear down the road toward the Morning Star. EXT. ROAD TO MORNING STAR As the men gallop. RANDALL Hell, I let down our guard for a damned dance! BEAU It’s not your fault! SAMUEL (terrified) Ma’ll be all right! RANDALL Just ride, boys! ORTEGA (riding ahead) Don’t spare the horses! RABBI Oh, no, Ingrid... No! BEAU I’m going ahead, Pa! Beau takes the lead, followed by his brother, Paavo and Aino’s other two brothers, the Rockwell sons, and Zachary Thomas and Charles Allison. The young men charge ahead in the night before the Rabbi and Randall, who share a grim look.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 07:59:09 +0000
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