Hellboy Page #5

Broom slowly fishes a BABY RUTH candy bar from his pocket.

Peeling back the wrapper, he slowly waves the candy. The RED

THING shrinks back.

Broom bites into the candy and chews, noisily smacking his

lips. Offers the candy again. This time, out of the dark

comes a small FACE, not very different from the stone demons

around it.

The creature extends its right arm: it's solid stone with

tiny runes engraved around the thick, cylindrical wrist.

Four articulated stone fingers wiggle, reaching for the

chocolate.

YOUNG SOLDIER:

Jesus! would'ya look at the size of

that whammer!

Whitman moves closer. On the wall behind him, a shadow shows

the RED THING climbing into Broom's arms.

Broom tenderly covers it with a blanket. The stubby fingers

snatch the candy. Broom smiles.

BROOM:

It's a boy. Just a baby boy.

EXT. CHAPEL RUINS - NIGHT

The soldiers cluster around, curious to see it. Matlin

prepares his camera and directs them into a group shot. Broom

smiles like a proud new father and embraces the creature,

patting him gently. CLICK!!!

OLD MATLIN'S VOICE

Best photo of my career --

CUT TO:

INT. DARKROOM - BACK TO INTERVIEW 1

OLD MATLIN:

and no one has ever seen it. They

keep saying he's not real, but I

want to set the record straight before

I go.

Matlin finally pulls an old 8x10 from a battered portfolio.

He smiles, full of memories.

OLD MATLIN:

Here. The real picture, not the

retouched one in LIFE magazine.

(hands over the

photograph)

This is him. The very same night we

found him. The night Broom gave him

that name.

(beat)

Can I say it on TV? He called him --

EXT. INSIDE THE CHURCH - BACK TO '44 - NIGHT

BROOM:

(smiles at the creature)

HELLBOY.

Inside the blanket, Hellboy blinks his bright golden eyes

and chews candy, his devilish red tail twitching happily.

CUT TO:

HELLBOY - MAIN TITLE

Montage:
Tabloid covers and news clippings screaming HELLBOY

SIGHTING IN RENO!! GOVERNMENT DENIAL!!! etc.

TV Newscasters read lurid copy. SPRINGER excerpts (fist fight

included) feature the show's theme: I WAS HELLBOY'S BRIDE!!

Some blurry, grainy footage depicts Hellboy crossing an alley.

Much like Bigfoot in the woods.

TOM MANNING (V.O.)

Look at that. That's a costume. These

people amaze me.

INT. STUDIO T.V. HOST SHOW - INTERVIEW #2 - DAY

MANNING is a balding, official-looking guy in a suit.

MANNING:

With their conveniently blurry footage

of their beloved "Hellboy." And they

claim that he works for the FBI-?

SUPER ON TV:

TOM MANNING, F.B.I.

HEAD OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

Manning on a TV SHOW a la Regis Philbin.

TV HOST:

As the head of your division, you --

You have seen dozens of pictures

like this!!!

MANNING:

Exactly -- so, why is it that they're

all out of focus? C'mon!! God knows,

people manage to get good pictures

at a wedding!!

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