ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S “THE SHORT NIGHT Revised November 9, 1978 Based on the novel, “The Short Night," by Fonald Kirkbride."THE SHORT NIGHT" AFTER MAIN TITLE HAS CLEARED: FADE IN: MED. CLOSE SHOT - CHAIRMAN OF BUSINESS MEETING - INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - MANHATTAN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING = DAY START CLOSE on the portly, florid-faced CHAIRMAN, who is dis~ coursing on insurance industry problems. During his speech, CAMERA SLOWLY PULLS BACK to REVEAL him seated at the head of a rectangular conference table, with a dozen EXECUTIVES seated on both sides of the table, all of them save one listening to him intently, with their heads turned toward him and away from CAMERA. On the left side of the table and almost in f.g., one man is obviously paying no attention to the speaker. In sharp contrast to ali the other executives, this man has his head turned away from the chairman, is look- ing off intently toward Screen Right and out of the wide ex- panse of window (that may or may not be visible in this shot). He is a rugged, cragoy-featured man of about 35, neat but un- dedicated to sartorial splendour. His name is JOSEPH M. BAILEY, he is a vice president of this company, and it is apparent that whatever he is staring at out of the window has disconcerted him and taken over all his concentration. CHATRMAN (CAMERA PULLS BACK) +s.I'm not trying to innoculate you with pessimism, gentlemen, (off-screen) ++,only with realism. I know the short-term future of Manhattan Mutual is healthy. No doubt about it. But the long term is another matter entirely, something for all of us to be concerned about... (a quick off-screen aside to the inatten- tive non-listener) Are you with me, Joe? (Bailey doesn't even hear him) I think we're kidding ourselves with all this syrup we pour on each other about dramatic advances in medical science giving our policyholders a greater life expectancy... CONTINUEDce) CONTINUED CHAIRMAN (Cont'd 0.5.) The truth is, while technology is sprinting ahead, Manhattan Mutual's actuaries are only jogging in place, - and that's got to catch up with us eventually. During the above Joe rises, walks away from the table (and from the hubbub of CROSSTALK that will be HEARD off-screen), and CAMERA PANS him over to the sideboard to the right of the window where a large coffee urn stands. CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSER as Joe stares out of the window again, his face in profile, his hands automatically filling the mug with fresh coffee. CUT TO: JOE'S P.0.V. THROUGH WINDOW The conference room is situated on one of the first five floors of an office building in the West Forties of Manhattan. What Joe had been staring at previously, and is staring at now, is THE MOVING ELECTRIC SIGN that makes its continuous way with news bulletins around the circumference of the Allied Chemical Building across the avenue. On the cut, we SEE the tail end of the bulletin moving by (before it starts again at its beginning): "ALL EXITS FROM BRITISH ISLES BLOCKED OFF. cur To: CLOSE SHOT - JOE Continuing to stare out of the window, his jaws clenching with anger, unable to take his eyes off the news bulletin that he has already seen many times now. CUT TO: JOE'S P.O.V. The bulletin on the sign has already come around again, and we SEE: "ENGLISH TRAITOR, GAVIN BRAND, WHO SPIED FOR RUSSIANS, ESCAPES LONDON PRISON. ALL EXITS FROM BRITISH ISLES --" cur TO: FULL SHOT - JOE He turns away from the window with grim expression. An CONTINUED