The Leopard Man Page #5

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MED. LONG SHOT � the mouth of the alley at the other side of

the fire truck. This is a-scene of curiosity and confusion. A

police cordon has been erected, and several uniformed Mexican

policemen are busy shooing away the spectators, foiling the

attempts of small boys to get under the ropes, and generally

trying to reduce chaos to an ordered hunt for the leopard.

At the mouth of the alley, next to the fire truck is parked a

curious conveyance, a half-ton truck with a gaudy sign which

reads:

CHARLIE-HOW-COME

THE LEOPARD MAN:

STRETCH LIKE A PANTHER FOR MUSCLES OF STEEL

Leaning against a fender of this vehicle is Jerry Manning,

hot, disheveled and excited. He is talking with a short

Indian, Charlie How�Come, dressed in Levis, a velvet Zuni

jacket, and with a battered felt hat on his coarse black

hair.

CHARLIE HOW-COME

Remember what you said: Ten bucks

for the loan of my cat �-two

hundred and twenty-five if anything

happened to it.

Jerry tries to control his exasperation.

JERRY:

(with strained patience)

But nothing has happened to it. It

got into this alley, and there's no

way out of it. They'll find it.

CHARLIE HOW-COME

You don't get the idea, Mister.

These cops banging those pans,

flashing those lights -� they're

going to scare that poor cat of

mine, Cats are funny. They don't

want to hurt you -- but if you

scare them -� they go crazy. These

cops don't know what they're doing.

A little Mexican boy who has seen listening to the

conversation between Jerry and Charlie, is suddenly attracted

by something off in the darkness. Grinning, he turns on the

hand flashlight he is holding and points it off into the

darkness of the alley.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Clo-Clo's legs. The flashlight picks up a

pair of shapely legs and holds on them as they move forward,

The legs stop their walking motion and suddenly begin to

stamp with the heel taps that are part of her dance. The

light snaps off.

MED. SHOT - Jerry and Charlie. Clo�Clo comes in from the

left. She grins at the men.

CLO-CLO

(to Jerry)

Maybe, Mr. Manning would like to

help me? I do not need a leopard. I

have talent.

Jerry is furious and about to make some retort. Clo�Clo

laughs and takes her hands from her pockets. She is holding

her castanets, and a ribald rattle drowns anything Jerry

might want to say.

CLO�CLO

(moving off)

Goodnight, Mr. Publicity Man.

Jerry glares after her.

EXT. FLOWER SHOP - NIGHT

This is a small flower shop. One or two vases hold wilted

flowers which have been left in the display window. Behind

them is a mirror. In this mirror we can see the mouth of the

alley and Clo-Clo as she walks away from the men and comes

toward the flower shop.

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