The Leopard Man Page #4

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Clo�Clo, feet wide apart, arms and hands still half raised

and holding the castanets, watches. The orchestra plays

feebly on.

Suddenly Clo�Clo smiles. She lifts her hands a little higher,

takes a step forward and lets the castanets loose with a roll

that sounds like machine�gun fire. The leopard startled,:

twists in a half turn of fright, strains suddenly at the

leash and lunges forward. The leash pulls out of Kiki's

frightened hand.

REFLECTION SHOT in the pool. The still water reflects the

quick bound and leap of the leopard in its panic flight for

freedom.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Kiki. She stands leaning against the table,

trembling in fright. Behind her Clo�Clo can be seen can be

seen on the platform, smiling. Jerry comes into the scene,

puts his arm about Kiki's waist.

JERRY:

Are you all right?

KIKI:

(wildly, and

in disgust)

Now look what you've done.

The familiar tone of anger reassures Jerry.

JERRY:

(briefly)

You are all right.

MED. SHOT - the leopard bounding through the gate.

MED. SHOT at the gate. A waiter with a napkin over his arm

and a water carafe in his hand, stands aghast, pressing his

back to the wall in fear. The water carafe falls with a

crash. The waiter holds up his hand, dazed. His hand is

streaming with blood.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. PASAJE DE LAS SOMBRAS - NIGHT

SHOT of four policemen, their backs toward us, going through

the Alley of the Shadows. Two of them are beating on pots and

pans to make a noise. Two others are flashing their

flashlights from one side to the other.

We TRUCK WITH them down the alley. They bring us to the open

end of the passage, athwart which a fire truck is parked.

Near this fire truck stands the Chief of Police, Robles, a

dignified, well�spoken, Mexican police officer, serious and

conscientious, very much on duty at all times.

ONE OF THE POLICEMEN

No leopard, Chief -- no cat, no

kittens, nothing. We're going to

tackle the houses

Robles nods. He makes a gesture to one of the men on the fire

truck and two long lances of light pierce the darkness of the

alley.

LONG SHOT - Pasaje De Las Sombras. The shafts of light from

the searchlights cross and re-cross, moving, as they explore

the dark jags and corners of the alley. It is one of the

oldest streets in town, so narrow that even at noonday, the

sun has difficulty lightening its dark shadows. The adobe

houses, standing wall to wall, were never built on any

straight geometric line; the street makes a dog-leg,

meandering, as if loathe to reach its own blind end.

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