The script I’ve read on the internet is more of a transcript than an original – references to “1920s version of a slacker – but was still worth reading. This holds up incredibly well; the structure is very familiar (this film helped create the archetype) but effective: bunch of people turn up at an old house where really weird stuff is going on. So many vivid characters: the slacker war survivor, all devil-may-care aplomb; the Yorkshire millionaire, still in love with his dead wife and not too upset to lose his chorus girl lady friend; said chorus girl who falls in love with the slacker after one long conversation – and you believe it; sexy Margaret (she does have a dull husband); the religious Rebecca Femm (commenting on Margaret’s long, straight legs and white body and feeling her); the imposing butler, Morgan, a terror when drunk; the 100-something little old man; the seemingly meek but psychotic Saul. It’s a decent story, too – the big mystery being what is the family hiding… and is Saul really bad or is it his relatives? I did feel the millionaire character was under-used – he disappears for a long time. (He would have made a good victim for Saul – but having Saul actually kill someone would have made this a lot darker.)
2 comments:
This and "I Walked with a Zombie" were transcripts I did back in the late '90s when online movie scripts were scarce. Not as important as the actual screenplays, but I'm glad they're still of interest to someone more than ten years later.
It was terrific to read - thank you for putting it up there!
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