Ken Russell's Dracula (8 page)

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Well done, Renfield ...

Renfield beams with delight. Renfield
runs to his bed and returns with a framework of a fruit basket which he proudly
holds up for inspection. When the Doctor speaks again, after a moment’s pause, Renfield
is taken by surprise.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Is that the song of a

thrush, Renfield, or

a sparrow?

After a moment’s hesitation,
Renfield runs to the cell window and peers out.

RENFIELD

Both, Doctor, though I

fancy the sparrow is closer.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Show me what you have made

with the remainder of your

rushes and twine, Renfield.

Caught out, Renfield reluctantly
takes from beneath his bed the caged bird which he brings towards the peephole
for the Doctor’s inspection.

RENFIELD

I was keeping it as a

surprise - for your

birthday, Doctor.

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

My first action on receiving

such a gift, Renfield, would

be to release it. You must

do likewise.

Renfield breaks down.

RENFIELD

Oh please, Doctor, not yet,

not yet a while. I must have

a pet of some kind. A little

kitten perhaps. There’s no

harm in that. A nice little

sleek playful kitten that I

can play with and teach and

feed, and feed, and feed!

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

Would you not rather have

a cat?

RENFIELD

Oh yes, I would like a cat!

I only asked for a kitten

lest you should refuse me

a cat. No one would refuse

me a kitten, would they?

DR. SEWARD’S VOICE

At present that is not

possible, Renfield, but

we shall see.

Renfield’s face falls, becomes
dangerous, homicidal.

CLOSE SHOT: An inverted eye.

CUT BACK TO REVEAL: The inverted
head of a dead SAILOR lying on top of a hatch aboard –

THE SS DEMETER. NIGHT.

Fellow members of the CREW stand by
holding lanterns and staring with dismay at the dead man; the CAPTAIN kneels at
his side and is about to cover him with a tarpaulin when something causes him
to freeze. Drops of blood are dripping from the sky onto the dead man’s face.
Slowly the Captain looks up to where all eyes are now staring in horror. Hanging
upside down on the cross tree at the masthead, bloated like some hellish bat,
hangs the cloaked figure of DRACULA. Blood trickles over his sharp teeth and
drips from his open mouth set in a smile of satisfaction.

JUMP CUT: RENFIELD’S crazed face -
blood and feathers in and around his mouth.

INT. RENFIELD’S CELL.
NIGHT.

TWO MEDICAL ORDERLIES force RENFIELD
into a strait- jacket as DR. SEWARD plunges a hypodermic in his arm.

SOUTHAMPTON WATER. DAY.

The SS DEMETER steams over the
horizon towards CAMERA.

SUPERIMPOSE: Dracula’s eyes as the
CAMERA cranes down to reveal LUCY idly watching its approach as she speculates
on the closing chapter of her brief life.

LUCY

Who shall I take as my last

lover - who will he be? ...

FADE OUT Dracula’s eyes which have appeared
to be burning right through her.

LUCY

... I just can’t choose

between the kind doctor who

will fortify me or the crazy

cowboy who will make me

forget ...

She smiles forlornly past CAMERA at
her unseen companion and, assuming a phony Texan accent, caricatures her
American admirer.

LUCY

... ‘Miss Lucy, ah know

ah ain’t good enough to turn

the pages of yur song sheets

but ah jes’ know you got the

sweetes’ li’l ole voice this

side o’ heaven.”

(
she becomes serious

for a moment and speaks

naturally
)

“Bad mark there, Quincey my

boy, to mention heaven...”

(t
hen forces gaiety back

into her voice as he

resumes the imitation
) ...

“But if you jes’ hitch up

along side o’ me, we’ll

have ourselves one helluva

fine ride, drivin’ along in

double harness...

She breaks into a real laugh in
which she is joined by her companion and secretary, MINA MURRAY, who walks into
frame and puts her arm around Lucy’s waist and kisses her affectionately on the
cheek.

MINA

Sounds vaguely indecent

to me.

(
becoming a little

more serious
)

Oh, I don’t know; I’m afraid

I can’t help you, Lucy.

It’s nice to have a choice.

MINA, an attractive girl in her
mid-twenties, enjoys a special relationship with Lucy, being as reliable a
friend as she is a secretary.

LUCY

Oh come now, if you were

in my shoes you’d still

marry your lovely Jonathan.

MINA

(
joking
)

If he doesn’t leave me

in the lurch waiting at

the church.

LUCY

You were expecting him back

yesterday, weren’t you?

Nina shrugs and smiles though it is
plain to see she is a little worried.

MINA

You know what these business

trips are ...

LUCY

(
archly
)

Yes, well, we needn’t go

into that.

(
banteringly
)

He simply must come back.

He can’t afford to

disappoint the chief

bridesmaid. This afternoon

we’re going to select my

dress. Do you see me in Eau

de Nile? It’s very

fashionable this year,

though it rather depends on

what colour you’ve chosen

for yourself.

MINA

(
dryly
)

I rather thought I’d be

in white.

Both girls laugh at Lucy’s
faux-pas. There is obviously an unspoken pact between them to treat life as a
joke.

LUCY

And which of my suitors

are we meeting at the

bandstand, today? The poor

psychiatrist or the crazy

cowboy?

MINA

(
consulting a small

diary)

Well, according to your

appointments diary ...

(
flatly
) ... both!

They laugh again until Lucy
abruptly sobers up.

LUCY

Isn’t that ship cutting it

a little fine?

Mina turns in time to see the SS
DEMETER speeding full speed ahead toward the narrow harbour entrance, only a
few paces from where they are standing.

MINA

The crew must be blind.

She’s going to collide!

Quicker than it takes to tell, the
SS DEMETER is upon them and with a prolonged screech the ship scrapes the full
length of her hull against the end of the stone jetty causing them to jump back
with the shock. Another moment and the vessel has ploughed her way into the
waters of the harbour and through a luckless fishing boat which was too slow in
clearing her path. Meanwhile, the girls recovering from their initial shock are
running along the quayside following the ship’s course of destruction.

EXT. SOUTHAMPTON PIER.
BANDSTAND. DAY.

The BANDMASTER, conducting his
PLAYERS through Strauss'
Die Fledermaus
Overture
, cannot believe his eyes as he sees the SS DEMETER steaming
straight towards the pier on which he is giving an afternoon concert to a jolly
THRONG OF HOLIDAY MAKERS. But the screams of women and cries of children soon
convince him that this is no dream. One by one the band stop playing to follow
his terrified stare at the mountain of steel rushing toward them, belching
forth clouds of black smoke like an angry volcano. The crash when it comes is a
cacophony of human shrieks and exploding timber made all the more horrific by
the dense smoke which envelops everything in a funereal pall.

JUMP CUT: MINA and LUCY arrive on
the scene to find several POLICE- MEN restoring order, some STRETCHER-BEARERS
carrying away those wounded by falling stanchions, and others throwing lines to
people in the water. Near the bows of the ship, which is stuck fast in the
pier, they come upon DR. SEWARD setting a broken leg with an improvised splint
close by a tall, lanky American, QUINCEY MORRIS, who is arguing with a gruff
bearded individual in vague nautical attire.

HARBOURMASTER

As Harbourmaster of this

here Port of Southampton,

it is my prerogative, if she

has been abandoned as seems

the case, to claim this here

vessel as salvage.

QUINCEY

Then pray, get aboard

pronto, sir, or there won’t

be anything to salvage.

HARBOURMASTER

I fail to perceive your

meaning, sir.

QUINCEY

The engines are still

turning at full speed and

unless someone gets their

tail on board and does

something about it, we’ll

all be blown to hell and

high water.

The Harbourmaster looks worried but
holds his ground.

HARBOURMASTER

I’ve sent for a gangplank,

Now please stand aside sir;

it will be here momently.

QUINCEY

Momently is too late!

Snatching a coil of rope, he fashions
it into a lariat and lassoes the flagpole at the bow and hauls himself aboard
before anyone can stop him. The Harbourmaster is furious but Lucy applauds
excitedly and turns to Mina who is also thrilled by the Texan’s daring.

LUCY

Oh Mina, isn’t he splendid?

Just look at that!

(
shouting
)

Bravo, Quincey, Bravo!

Catching sight of Lucy, Quincey
smiles a big smile and waves his cowboy hat before running aft.