INTERIOR: FINCH KITCHEN. DAY.

Calpurnia is at the sink. Scout and Jem are eating. Dill comes in.

Jean Louise (voice over). School finally ended and summer came . .. and so did Dill.

Dill. Good mornin’.

Calpurnia. Good mornin’. My, you’re up mighty bright and early.

Dili. Oh, I’ve been up since four.

Calpurnia. Four?

Dill. Oh, yes, I always get up at four. It’s in my blood. You see, my daddy was a railroad man till he got rich. Now he flies airplanes. One of these days, he’s just goin’ to swoop down here to Maycomb, pick me up, and take me for a ride.

EXTERIOR: FINCH HOUSE. LATE AFTERNOON.

Atticus sits on the porch reading as Jem comes out with a pitcher of juice. He moves back to Atticus and puts the pitcher . on the chair beside him, then he takes a cookie from a plate on the chair. Atticus lifts his briefcase and starts putting his papers inside.yhe Sheriff's car comes by.

Jem. Who’s that in the car with Sheriff Tate?

Atticus (looking up). Tom Robinson, Son.

Jem. Where’s he been?

Atticus. In the Abbottsville jail.

Jem. Why?

Atticus. The sheriff thought he’d be safer there.

They’re bringin’ him back here tonight because his trial is tomorrow. (He gets up and goes into the house.)

INTERIOR: JEM'S ROOM. NIGHT.

In his room, Jem is lying in bed beside the sleeping Dill. He hears a knock at the screen door.

INTERIOR: LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Atticus goes to the door and opens it Heck Tate is standing there.

Atticus. Well, good evenin’, Heck.

Tate. Evenin’, Mr. Finch.

Atticus. Come in.

Tate (coming in). The news has gotten ’round the county about my bringin’ Tom Robinson back to the jail. I heard there might be trouble from that bunch out at Old Sarum.

INTERIOR: KITCHEN. NIGHT.

Atticus goes into the kitchen to Calpurnia.

Atticus. Cal, if I need you to stay here tonight, can you do it?

Calpurnia. Yes Sir ... I can.

Atticus. Thank you. I think you better count on stayin’.

Calpurnia. Yes Sir.

(Atticus goes out Calpurnia goes back to work.)

INTERIOR: JEM'S ROOM. NIGHT.

Jem is lying in bed, still awake. Dill is asleep. Atticus comes in and gets., something from the shelf and goes out again. Jem gets out of bed and listens by the door. He gets his clothes from the closet and starts to get dressed.' Dill awakens and sits up in bed. Scout comes into the room.

Dill. What’s going on?

Jem. Sssh. Go back to sleep!

Scout. What’s going on?

Jem; Sssshhh!

(The three of them go out of the room.)

EXTERIOR: FINCH HOUSE NIGHT.

They come outside and walk down the sidewalk toward town.

EXTERIOR: TOWN SQUARE. NIGHT.

-tt is deserted and dark. The stores aroundy

tthe square are dark except for night lights burning back by the safes and cash registers.

Moving shot. The three children walk down the street by Atticus' office. They see his car parked in front of the building. They look in the doorway of the building.

It is dark. Jem tries the knob of the door. It is locked.

Jem. Hey, there’s his car.

(They walk up the sidewalk. They see a solitary light burning in the distance. It is from the jail. As they approach the jail.

they can see the long extension cord Atticus brought from the house running between the bars of the second-floor window and down the side of the building. In the light from its bare bulb they see Atticus propped against the front door. He is sitting on one of the office chairs, and he is reading a newspaper, oblivious of the night bugs hovering above his head.)

See, there he is . . . over there!

(Scout starts to run toward him.)

No, Scout... don’t go to him. He might not like it. I just wanted to see where he was and what he was up to. He’s all right. Let’s go back home. Come on.

(The children start back across the square, taking a shortcut, when they hear a noise and pause. They see four dusty cars come in from the Meridian Highway, moving slowly, in a line. They go around the square, pass the bank building, and stop in front of the jail. Nobody gets out. Atticus looks up from his newspaper, closes it, deliberately folds it drops it in his lap, and pushes his hat to the back of his head. He seems to be expecting the men. Scout, Jem, and Dill run to the cover of some bushes and hide behind them, watching.)

(In ones and twos, the men get out of the cars. They are countrymen. Walter Cunningham, Sr., is among them. They surround Atticus.)

Man. He in there, Mr. Finch?

Atticus. He is. He’s asleep. Don’t wake him.

Cunningham. You know what we want. Get aside from that door, Mr. Finch.

Atticus. Walter, I think you ought to turn right around and go back home. Heck Tate’s around here somewhere.
Kelley. No, he ain’t, Heck’s bunch" is out chasin’ around Ole Sarum lookin’ for us.

Tex. We knowed he was, so we came around the other way.

Kelley. And you hadn’t never thought about that, had you, Mr. Finch?

Atticus. I thought about it.

(The children run over to the car.)

Scout I can’t see Atticus.

(Scout darts out toward the men, Dill behind her, before Jem can reach out and grab them.)

Atticus. Well, that changes things, doesn’t it?

(Scout and Dill run, Jem behind them. They run to the men and pushthemselves through until they reach Atticus,)

Scout. Atticus!

(She smiles up at him, but when she catches the look of fear on his face, she becomes insecure. Scout looks around at the men surrounding her. Most are strangers to her.)

' Hey, Atticus ...

(Atticus gets up from his chair and begins to move slowly, like an old man, toward them.)

Atticus. Jem, go home. /Jnd take Scout and Dill home with you.

(Scout looks up at Jem. She sees he is not thinking of leaving. Jem shakes his head "no." Atticus' fists go to his hips and so do Jem's, and they face each other in defiance.)

Son, I said, “Go home!”

Jem. No Sir!

(Jem shakes his head. A burly man grabs Jem roughly by the collar.)

Man. I’ll send him home!

(The man almost yanks Jem off his feet. Atticus flushes. His fists clench; he reaches for Jem. But before he gets to him, Scout kicks the man swiftly.)

Scout. Don’t you touch him! Let ’im go! Let ’im go!

(The man falls back in pain. Atticus puts his hand on her shoulder.)

Atticus. That’ll do, Scout.

Scout Ain’t nobody gonna do Jem that-a-way.

Man (growling in the back). Now, you get ’em outta here, Mr. Finch.

Atticus. Jem, I want you to please leave.

Jem. No Sir.

Atticus. Jem!

Jem. I tell ya, I ain’t goin’!

(Scout becomes bored by this exchange; she looks back at the men. She sees a man she recognizes. She moves toward him.)

Scout. Hey, Mr. Cunningham . . .

(Walter Cunningham, Sr., does not seem to hear her.)

I said, “Hey,” Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment getting along?

(The man biinks and hooks his thumbs into his overall straps. He seems uncomfortable. He dears his throat and looks away. Scout walks a little closer to him.)

Don’t you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I’m Jean Louise Finch. You brought us some hicko nuts early one morning, remember? We had a talk. I went and got my daddy to come out and thank you. I go to school with your boy. I go to school with Walter. He’s a nice boy. Tell him “hey” for me, won’t you? You know something, Mr. Cunningham, entailments are bad. Entailments ...

(Suddenly, Scout realizes she is the center of everyone's attention: the men, her brother, Dill, Atticus. She becomes self-conscious. She turns to Atticus.)

Atticus, I was just sayin’ to Mr. Cunningham that entailments were bad but not to worry. Takes a long time sometimes . . .

(She begins to dry up. She looks up at the country men staring at her. They are quite still.)

What’s the matter?

(She looks at Atticus. He says nothing. She looks back at Mr. Cunningham.)

I sure meant no harm, Mr. Cunningham.

Cunningham. No harm taken, young lady. (He moves forward and takes Scout by the shoulders.) I’ll tell Walter you said “hey,” little lkdy. (He straightens up and waves a big hand.) Let’s clear outta here. Let’s go, boys.

(As they had come, in ones and twos, the men straggle back into their cars. We hear doors slam; engines cough, and the cars drive off. Scout, Jem, and Dill watch them leave.)

Atticus. Now you go home, all of you. I’ll be there later.

Jem, Come on . . . come on.

(The three children go on down the street. Atticus sits again in the chair, waiting. Tom Robinson calls out from the darkness of the jail.)

Tom (off camera). Mr. Finch . . . they gone?

Atticus. They’ve gone. They won’t bother you any more.

(He sits back in his chair and continues watching.)

EXTERIOR: STREET IN FRONT OF FINCH HOUSE. EARLY MORNING. DAY.

People are coming from all parts of the county for the trial. It is like Saturday.

Wagons carrying country people on the way to the trial stream past the house.

Some men ride horseback. Scout, Jem, and Dill sit on the curb of the sidewalk watching the wagons and the horses go by.

Jem. Morning, Mr. Stevens. How do you do?

(A man rides by on a mule and waves to the children, and they wave back. A wagonload of ladies rides past. They wear cotton sunbonnets and dresses with long sleeves. A bearded man in a wool hat drives them. A wagonload of stern-faced citizens comes by next.)

Scout Did you ever see so many people? Just like on Saturday. . .

(Jem suddenly gets up.)

Where you goin’?

Jem. I can’t stand it any longer. I’m goin’ downtown to the courthouse to watch.

Scout You better not! You know what Atticus said.

Jem. I don’t care if he did. I’m not gonna miss the most excitin’ thing that ever happened in this town!

(They all look at each other and start toward■ town.)

EXTERIOR: COURTHOUSE SQUARE. DAY.

It is deserted, as everyone is inside watching the trial. Scout, Jem, and Dill come into the square. They stand looking up at the courthouse. They alt start toward the entrance. Scout, Jem, and Dill go up the stairs toward the entrance.

INTERIOR: ENTRANCE HALL OF COURTHOUSE. DAY

When they get to the entrance, Jem peeks . through the hole of the door. He looks back at the other two. Reverend Sykes, the black Baptist preacher, comes up the stairs. The children go over to him.

Jem. It’s packed solid. They’re standin’ all along the back . . . Reverend!

Sykes. Yes?

Jem. Reverend Sykes, are you goin’ upstairs?

Sykes. Yes, I am.

(He starts up the stairs and they follow him.)

' INTERIOR: COLORED BALCONY OF COURTHOUSE.

Reverend Sykes enters the colored balcony with Jem, Dill, and Scout. He leads them among the black people in the gallery.

Four blacks in the front row get up and give them their seats when they see them come in.

Sykes. Brother John, thanks for holding my seat.

(They sit down and peer over the balcony. The colored balcony runs along three walls of the courtroom like a second-story veranda, and from it the children see everything.)

(The jury sits to the left under long windows. Sunbun. , lanky, they are nearly all farmers, but this is only natural. Townfoik rarely sit on juries. They are either struck or excused. The circuit solicitor and another man, Atticus, and Tom Robinson sit at tables with their backs to the children. Just inside the railing, which divides the spectators from the court, the witnesses sit in cowhide-bottomed chairs. Judge Taylor is on the bench, looking like a sleepy old shark.)

(Jem, Scout, Dill, and Reverend Sykes are listening intently.)

Bailiff. This court is now in session. Everybody rise.

(The Judge bangs his gavel.)

INTERIOR: COURTROOM. LATER.

The solicitor Mr. Gilmer is questioning the sheriff Heck Tate.

Tate. On the night of August twenty-first I was just leavin’ my office to go home when Bob . . . Mr. Ewell . . . come in, very excited, he was. And he said, get to his house quick as I could . . . that his girl had been raped. I got in my car and went out there as fast as I could. She was pretty well beat up. I asked her if Tom Robinson beat her like that. She said, “Yes, he did.” I asked if he’d taken advantage of her and she said, “Yes, he did.” That’s all there was to it.

Gilmer. Thank you.

(Atticus is sitting behind his table, his chair skewed to one

side, his legs crossed, and one arm is resting on the back of

the chair.)

Judge. Any questions, Atticus?

Atticus. Yes Sir. Did anybody call a doctor, Sheriff?