Shawshank Redemption Page #4

RED (V.O.)

There's a con like me in every prison

in America, I guess. I'm the guy who

can get it for you. Cigarettes, a

bag of reefer if you're partial, a

bottle of brandy to celebrate your

kid's high school graduation. Damn

near anything, within reason.

He slips somebody a pack of smokes, smooth sleight-of-hand.

RED (V.O.)

Yes sir, I'm a regular Sears &

Roebuck.

TWO SHORT SIREN BLASTS issue from the main tower, drawing

everybody's attention to the loading dock. The outer gate

swings open...revealing a gray prison bus outside.

RED (V.O.)

So when Andy Dufresne came to me in

1949 and asked me to smuggle Rita

Hayworth into the prison for him, I

told him no problem. And it wasn't.

CON:

Fresh fish! Fresh fish today!

Red is joined by HEYWOOD, SKEET, FLOYD, JIGGER, ERNIE, SNOOZE.

Most cons crowd to the fence to gawk and jeer, but Red and his

group mount the bleachers and settle in comfortably.

11INT -- PRISON BUS -- DUSK (1947) 11

Andy sits in back, wearing steel collar and chains.

RED (V.O.)

Andy came to Shawshank Prison in

early 1947 for murdering his wife

and the fella she was bangin'.

The bus lurches forward, RUMBLES through the gates. Andy gazes

around, swallowed by prison walls.

RED (V.O.)

On the outside, he'd been vice-

president of a large Portland bank.

Good work for a man as young as he

was, when you consider how

conservative banks were back then.

TOWER GUARD:

All clear!

GUARDS approach the bus with carbines. The door jerks open.

The new fish disembark, chained together single-file, blinking

sourly at their surroundings. Andy stumbles against the MAN in

front of him, almost drags him down.

BYRON HADLEY, captain of the guard, slams his baton into

Andy's back. Andy goes to his knees, gasping in pain. JEERS

and SHOUTS from the spectators.

HADLEY:

On your feet before I f*** you up

so bad you never walk again.

13 ON THE BLEACHERS 13

RED:

There they are, boys. The Human

Charm Bracelet.

HEYWOOD:

Never seen such a sorry-lookin'

heap of maggot sh*t in my life.

JIGGER:

Comin' from you, Heywood, you being

so pretty and all...

FLOYD:

Takin' bets today, Red?

RED:

(pulls notepad and pencil)

Bear Catholic? Pope sh*t in the woods?

Smokes or coin, bettor's choice.

FLOYD:

Smokes. Put me down for two.

RED:

High roller. Who's your horse?

FLOYD:

That gangly sack of sh*t, third

from the front. He'll be the first.

HEYWOOD:

Bullshit. I'll take that action.

ERNIE:

Me too.

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