King Kong - 1933 Screenplay

FADE IN - deck of ship at dawn, getting under way. Crew busy
casting off lines, moving stuff on deck. A tug is puffing
alongside. Driscoll on fo'c'sle head directing.

MEDIUM SHOT - Ann in same dress, but wearing a heavy loose
coat Denham has bought her. She climbs to fo'c'sle head,
watching this strange new world.

Driscoll backs into scene without seeing her. He is shouting
at a sailor.

DRISCOLL
Carry that line aft! Aft, you
farmer! Back there!

He swings his arm round behind him in a violent full-armed
gesture and hits Ann in the face. She staggers back against
the rail and nearly falls.

DRISCOLL
(turning)
Who the -- What are you going up
here?

ANN
(meekly, hand to her face)
I just wanted to see!

DRISCOLL
(gruffly)
Well, I'm sorry. You're the girl
Denham found at the last minute,
aren't you?

ANN
Yes. I'm - I'm awfully excited.
It's all so strange, and I've never
been on a ship before.

DRISCOLL
And I've never been on a ship with
a woman before.

ANN
I guess you don't think much of
women on ships, do you?

DRISCOLL
No. They're a ****-eyed nuisance.

ANN
I'll try not to be.

DRISCOLL
You got in the way already. Better
stay below.

ANN
What! The whole voyage!
(she smiles at him)

DRISCOLL
(hesitates, then says in a
softened tone -)
Say, I didn't apologize very good
for hitting you. That was an awful
sock in the jaw.

Driscoll stares at her doubtfully, she looks up and meets his
gaze. Their eyes hold for a moment, then two short toots from
a tug alongside, answered by one blast from the ship.

DRISCOLL
Well, we're off.

ANN
(clasping her hands and
peering into the mist)
We're off.

DISSOLVE TO - Long shot - Miniature ship at sea - DAY

DISSOLVE TO - The deck of the ship at sea. A calm tropical
afternoon. Ann and Charley, the Chinese cook, at rail.
Charley with enormous tub of potatoes, peeling them. Ann
making an intricate knot with a bit of rope's end, fooling
with it as she talks.

ANN
Charley, how many potatoes do you
suppose you've peeled since we left
New York six weeks ago?

CHARLEY
Too many.

ANN
Sailors eat an awful lot, don't
they?

CHARLEY
All time eat. No can fill up. Some
day my go back to China, never see
no more potato.

Ann finishes the knot and tugs at it.

ANN
There. That's fourteen knots I've
learned to tie.

CHARLEY
Pretty soon now you be same sailor.
Only don't eat so much.

ANN
(laughs, then looks around
with a contented sigh)
I'd like to be a sailor. Isn't the
sea wonderful!

CHARLEY
(drily)
Oh yes, very pretty.

ANN
Of course it wasn't so nice up
north when it was cold and rough.

CHARLEY
Ocean very fine when you order
weather how you like all same like
eggs for breakfast.

Driscoll strolls in. Charley gets up and moves away.

DRISCOLL
Hello, Ann.

ANN
Hello, Jack.

DRISCOLL
Where have you been all morning?

ANN
Trying on costumes for Mr. Denham.
He's going to make some tests of me
this afternoon, here on deck, when
the light's right.

DRISCOLL
Tests? Why?

ANN
Oh - to see which side of my face
looks best - and all that.

DRISCOLL
(very gruff)
Both sides looks all right to me.

ANN
(laughs)
Yes, but you're not the movie
director.

DRISCOLL
If I was, you wouldn't be here.

ANN
Well, that's a nice thing to say.

DRISCOLL
It's no place for a girl.

ANN
(indignantly)
I wish you wouldn't keep harping on
that. It's very mean of you.
Anybody'd think I'd been a lot of
trouble.

Driscoll grunts.

ANN
(very cross)
I haven't! You can't say I've been
one bit of trouble to anyone.

Driscoll is silent.

ANN
(looks at him, waits, then
anxiously)
Have I?

DRISCOLL
Sure you have.

ANN
I don't see - Well, how?

DRISCOLL
Just your being here's a trouble.

ANN
(mournfully)
Oh dead. I thought everything was
going to nicely.

Driscoll looks at her downcast expression, wiggles
uncomfortably and at last blurts an attempt at consolation.

DRISCOLL
Aw, you're swell. Women can't help
being a bother. I guess they're
made that way.

Oddly enough, this doesn't cheer her up very much. But she
draws a long breath and smiles.

ANN
Well, anyhow, I've had the happiest
time of my life on this old ship.

Driscoll is a little touched by this. He gives her a quick
look and says awkwardly -

DRISCOLL
Why - that's fine.

A little pause. Driscoll thinks it over.

DRISCOLL
D'ye really mean that, Ann?

ANN
Of course. Everyone's so nice to me
- Mr. Denham and the Skipper -
Don't you think the Skipper is a
sweet old lamb?

DRISCOLL
(grinning)
I'd hate to have him hear me say
so.

Ann laughs and picks up Ignatz, the monkey, who cuddles down
in her lap contentedly.

ANN
Ignatz is nice to me too. He likes
me better than he does anyone else
on board, don't you Iggy?

Denham approaches them.

DENHAM
Beauty and the Beast.

DRISCOLL
Well, I never thought I was
handsome, but -
(they all laugh)

DENHAM
Go put on a costume, Ann. Light's
good for those tests now.

ANN
I won't be a minute, Mr. Denham.

She puts down Ignatz and goes. Denham scratches Ignatz' head,
watches him for moment.

DENHAM
(half aloud)
Beauty and the Beast.

DRISCOLL
Mr. Denham, I've going to do some
butting-in.

DENHAM
What's your trouble, Driscoll?

DRISCOLL
When do we find out where we're
going?

DENHAM
(smiling)
Pretty soon now.

DRISCOLL
Are you going to tell us what
happens when we get there?

DENHAM
How can I? I'm no fortune-teller.

DRISCOLL
But hang it, you must have some
idea what you're after.

DENHAM
Going soft on me, Jack?

DRISCOLL
You know I'm not for myself. But
Ann --

DENHAM
Oh you've gone soft on her? I've
got enough on my hands without a
love affair to complicate things.
Better cut it out, Jack

DRISCOLL
(sullenly)
Love affair! You think I'm going to
fall for any dams?

DENHAM
(musing)
It never fails. Some big hard
boiled egg goes goofy over a pretty
face, and bingo! He cracks up and
gets sappy.

DRISCOLL
(angry)
Who's getting sappy? I haven't run
out on you, have I?

DENHAM
Nope. You're a good tough guy,
Jack. But if beauty gets you --
(he stops, then laughs a
little)
Why, I'm going right into a theme
song!

DRISCOLL
(sulky)
What are you talking about?

DENHAM
It's the idea for my picture. The
Beast was a tough guy, Jack. He
could lick the world. But when he
saw Beauty, she got him. He went
soft, he forgot his wisdom, and the
little fellers licked him. Think it
over, Jack.

SAILOR
(coming up)
Mr. Denham, the Skipper says will
you please come up on the bridge?
We've reached the position you
marked, he says.

DENHAM
Come on, Jack. You're in on this.
I'm going to spill it.