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[school-discuss] An Original etc ... screenplay of Jack London's "The House of Mapuhi" : critique it please, use it if you have a theatre group



FADE IN:


               EXT. JUST OUTSIDE THE LAGOON -DAY


               A handsome schooner, the Aorai, sits in the clear water,
               bobbing gently.  A small boat swings out from it containing a
               handful of tanned sailors.  The fair skinned ALEXANDRE RAOUL
               stands out in the group with his European looks. 


               EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF CAPTAIN LYNCH


               Raoul steps onto the beach, walking up to HURU HURU, a tall,
               grizzled native, who only has one arm.  They exchange
               greetings.  


                                   HURU HURU
                         Have you heard, Raoul?  Mapuhi has
                         found a pearl.  Such a pearl.


                                   RAOUL
                         What kind of pearl?


                                   HURU HURU
                         There's never been one like it
                         fished up in Hikueru.  Buy it from
                         him.  He has it now.  Mapuhi is a
                         fool and you can get it cheap. And
                         remember that I told you first. 
                         Have you any tobacco?  


               Raoul digs into his pocket for some tobacco.


                                   RAOUL
                         Thanks, Huru.


               He hands him some tobacco and turns away.


               EXT. MAPUHI'S HOUSE


               The home is a shack under a pandanus tree. Raoul is standing
               next to MAPUHI, a dark native. Behind Mapuhi stand two women
               and a girl. They are TEFARA, who is youngish to middle aged,
               NAURI, who is old, and NGAKURA, about twelve.  


               Raoul holds a large pearl in his palm, examining it closely
               while Mapuhi nervously watches.  Raoul then pulls out a
               pocket magnifying glass and looks at the pearl through that. 
               He returns the magnifying glass to his pocket and looks at
               Mapuhi. 


                                   RAOUL
                             (nonchalantly)
                         Well, what do you want for it?


                                   MAPUHI
                             (anxiously)
                         I want-


               He turns around to look at the three women behind him. 
               Tefara and Nauri return the glance with a silent nod, their
               rigid demeanor bespeaking a suppressed eagerness.


                                   MAPUHI
                         I want a house.


               Raoul's eyes squint.


                                   RAOUL
                         A house?


                                   MAPUHI
                         A house with a roof of galvanized
                         iron and an octagon-drop-clock. 
                         Six fathoms long with a porch all
                         around.  A big room must be in the
                         center, with a round table in the
                         middle and the octagon drop clock
                         on the wall.


               Tefara and Nauri's eyes widen with avarice.


                                   MAPUHI
                         There must be four bedrooms, each
                         with an iron bed, two chairs and a
                         washstand.  And the back of the
                         house must be a kitchen, a good
                         kitchen with pots and pans and a
                         big stove.  
                             (beat)
                         And you must build the house on my
                         island, which is Fakarava.


               Raoul pauses for a second before answering, then smirks.


                                   RAOUL
                         Is that all?


               Tefara jumps up next to Mapuhi with a defiant look.


                                   TEFARA
                         There must be a sewing machine!


                                   NAURI
                             (motionless)
                         Not forgetting the octagon drop
                         clock.


                                   RAOUL
                             (smiling)
                         Of course.


               Mapuhi ignores the two women.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Yes, Raoul, that is all.


               Raoul's smile fades and his eyes are unfocused as if in
               thought. He holds up the pearl, looking at it. Suddenly his
               smirk returns.


                                   RAOUL
                         Mapuhi, don't be a fool.  Set a
                         money price.


               Mapuhi shakes his head.  Behind him the women and girl shake
               their heads in unison.


                                   RAOUL
                         I'll give you a thousand Chili
                         dollars plus a hundred in trade.


                                   MAPUHI
                         I want the house.  It must be six
                         fathoms long with a porch all
                         around-


                                   RAOUL
                             (interrupting)
                         Yes, yes, the octagon drop clock
                         and all that.


               He returns to a more pleasant demeanor.


                                   RAOUL
                         What good will the house do you? 
                         The first hurricane that comes
                         along will wash it away.  You ought
                         to know.  Captain Lynch says it
                         looks like a hurricane right now.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Not on Fakarava- my island.  The
                         land is much higher there.  That is
                         where I want the house.  Six
                         fathoms long with a porch all
                         around...


               Raoul looks down and sighs as Mapuhi goes on about the house. 
               He is becoming agitated.


                                   RAOUL
                         I know about the house! Mapuhi-


               The FIRST MATE of the Aorai jogs up interrupting.


                                   FIRST MATE
                         Raoul! The Captain says we've got
                         to get the hell outta here!


                                   RAOUL
                         Now?


                                   FIRST MATE
                         The barometer's dropping fast!


               As he says this a gust of wind knocks some coconuts from a
               nearby tree.  Raoul impatiently turns back to Mapuhi.


                                   RAOUL
                         A thousand Chili dollars and two
                         hundred in trade.


                                   MAPUHI
                         I want the house. Six fath-


                                   RAOUL
                             (angry)
                         Mapuhi! You are a fool!


               He hands Mapuhi the pearl, turns away and motions to the
               first mate to leave.  Mapuhi and his family return to their
               shack.


                                   FIRST MATE
                         Did you get the pearl?


                                   RAOUL
                         I have to calculate the cost of his
                         damn house!  I'll come back.


               EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF CAPTAIN LYNCH


               The gust of wind blows as Huru Huru speaks with TORIKI, a
               half caste.  Raoul and the first mate pass them by.  Huru
               Huru notices them and motions to Raoul.


                                   HURU HURU
                         Did you get it?


                                   RAOUL
                             (not stopping)
                         Mapuhi is a fool.


               Raoul disappears as Huru continues to talk to Toriki.


                                   TORIKI
                         What was that all about?


               Huru smiles a toothy grin.


                                   HURU HURU
                         Have you heard? Mapuhi has found a
                         pearl unlike any other.  Nowhere in
                         any of these islands is there one
                         like it. And  Mapuhi is a fool. 
                         Easily manipulated.  Besides,
                         doesn't he owe you money?  Remember
                         that I told you first.  Have you
                         any tobacco? 


               Huru puts out his hand.


               EXT. MAPUHI'S HOUSE


               Toriki holds the pearl up, glances at it casually, then
               carelessly drops it into his shirt pocket.


                                   TORIKI
                         You're lucky, Mapuhi.  It's a nice
                         pearl.  I'll even give you credit
                         on the books.


               Mapuhi looks down in frustration.


                                   MAPUHI
                         But I want a house!  Six fathoms
                         long-


                                   TORIKI
                         Six fathoms your grandmother!  You
                         want to pay up your debts is what
                         you want. You owed me twelve
                         hundred Chili.  Now you no owe me
                         nothing.  I'll even give you credit
                         for two hundred on top of that.  If
                         the pearl sells well, I'll give you
                         another hundred. But only if the
                         pearl sells well, mind you.  Good
                         day, Mapuhi.


               Toriki begins to walk away.  He turns back around.


                                   TORIKI
                         You better get your family to
                         safety.  They say a hurricane is
                         coming.


               Toriki leaves. Mapuhi remains motionless with his head down
               and his arms folded.  Tefara and Nauri walk up to him, with
               Ngakura closely following. They look at him disapprovingly.


                                   TEFARA
                         How did I marry such a fool?


                                   NAURI
                         Such a fool is right, daughter.
                             (to Mapuhi)
                         Why did you let the pearl into his
                         hand?


               Mapuhi squats down, arms still folded.


                                   MAPUHI
                         What could I do?  I owed him the
                         money.  He knew I had the pearl.


               He looks up at Tefara.


                                   MAPUHI
                         You heard him yourself ask to see
                         it.  Someone else told him I had
                         it.  I owed him the money.


               Tefara looks away in disgust.


                                   NGAKURA
                         Mapuhi is a fool.


               Mapuhi looks at his daughter with sorrow at her rebuke.  The
               women shake their heads in disapproval at Mapuhi's loss.


               EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF CAPTAIN LYNCH


               Huru is speaking to LEVY, a German Jew whose hair is a fiery
               red.   


                                   LEVY
                         What's all this talk about some big
                         pearl, Huru?


                                   HURU HURU
                         Mapuhi has found a pearl. There has
                         never been a pearl like it found in
                         all the world!  He is a fool. He
                         sold it to Toriki for fourteen
                         hundred Chili.  Toriki is likewise
                         a fool.  You can buy it from him
                         cheap.  He is still here, in the
                         house of Captain Lynch. 
                         Remember that I told you first. 
                         Have you any tobacco? 


               EXT. MAPUHI'S HOUSE


               Mapuhi is sitting down, dejected. Raoul walks up.


                                   RAOUL
                         Mapuhi, I've thought about it and
                         reconsidered my offer. 


               Mapuhi looks up at him and looks back down.  Nauri stands in
               the doorway.


                                   NAURI
                         Mapuhi lost the pearl.  You are too
                         late.


               EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF CAPTAIN LYNCH


               Huru is listening at the door and quickly backs away and
               assumes a casual stance.  Toriki and Levy walk out of the
               house shaking hands.  Levy puts the pearl in his pocket. 
               They are startled by the sound of guns firing in the
               distance.  It is beginning to rain and the wind is blowing
               harder.


                                   TORIKI
                         That is my ship signalling me. 
                         They must be preparing to leave
                         because of the storm.


               Suddenly CAPTAIN LYNCH emerges.  He is an older, white
               bearded man wearing an old seaman's cap. He is dismayed. 


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         The glass is falling!  My barometer
                         reads twenty-nine-twenty!


                                   LEVY
                         My God! We'd better get out of
                         here!


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         It might be too late, lad!  But if
                         you go, it had better be now!


               Toriki and Levy quickly move off. The captain returns inside
               as the rain strengthens. Huru begins to move away but
               collides with Raoul.   


                                   RAOUL
                         Where's Toriki?


                                   HURU HURU
                         Too late.  He sold the pearl to
                         Levy for twenty five thousand
                         francs.  And Levy will sell it in
                         France for a hundred thousand. 
                         Have you any tobacco?


               Captain Lynch emerges once again.


                                   RAOUL
                         Captain! I want to ask you about-


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                             (cutting him off)
                         It'll have to wait,man!  The
                         barometer is reading twenty-nine
                         ten!


               Huru Huru shrugs and walks away.  Raoul's face changes from
               one of greed to one of concern.  The wind continues to pick
               up.


                                   RAOUL
                         Twenty-nine-ten?  I've never seen
                         it so low before!


               Captain Lynch is closing his storm shutters as he talks to
               Raoul.


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         I should say not!  Fifty years boy
                         and man on all the seas, and I've
                         never seen it go down to that! 


               The weather continues to worsen.  Raoul and the Captain look
               out for a moment at the violent sea.  The captain walks
               inside.


                                   RAOUL
                             (still looking at the sea)
                         I guess I'll stay with you tonight,
                         captain.


               The captain reemerges.


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         Twenty-nine flat!


                                   RAOUL
                         My God!


               Amidst the rain and wind a family of natives scurry by,
               holding onto random possessions. 


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         There are twelve hundred people on
                         this island.  I wonder how many
                         will be here tomorrow morning?


                                   RAOUL
                         Is it that bad?


                                   CAPTAIN LYNCH
                         Worse. We'd better get to the trees
                         and hold tight!


               The two exit as we hear the scream of the wind heighten and
               the rain begins to come down in sheets.


               FADE TO BLACK.


               FADE IN:


               EXT. NEAR WHAT USED TO BE THE HOUSE OF CAPTAIN LYNCH


               The winds are calm and the sun is out.  The sand is littered
               with dead bodies, fallen trees and limbs, and a smattering of
               other objects.  Captain Lynch's house is pure wreckage now.
               Amidst the ruin is an unconcious Raoul, sprawled belly down
               in the sand.  Near him is Captain Lynch's hat.


               Raoul begins to stir.  His clothes are torn and soaked.  He
               looks a mess.  He slowly gets up and looks around.  In the
               distance he can see survivors walking around identifying the
               dead.  He then notices the captain's hat on the ground and
               picks it up.


                                   RAOUL
                         Captain Lynch?


               His eyes go sad and he drops the hat.  He looks out again at
               the devastation.


                                   RAOUL
                         My God.


               EXT. WHERE MAPUHI'S SHACK ONCE STOOD


               Mapuhi, bedraggled and limping, is carrying Ngakura, who is
               unconscious and bleeding from various small wounds.  He puts
               her down and rests her head on a small tree limb where his
               house used to be. 


                                   MAPUHI
                         Rest, my daughter.


               He stands up and begins to look around.  He gasps as he sees
               his wife lying on the beach, half in, half out of the water. 
               She is clutching a large tree limb.  Mapuhi runs to her.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Tefara!?!  Tefara!?!


               He kneels down to her and turns her over. He puts his head in
               his hands and begins to sob.  As he does so, Tefara coughs.
               He looks down.  She groans. 


                                   TEFARA
                             (quietly)
                         Mapuhi?


               He hugs her and continues to sob.


               TITLES: TWO WEEKS LATER


               EXT. MAPUHI'S HOUSE -EVENING


               Mapuhi's shack is almost rebuilt.  He and Raoul are standing
               outside.


                                   RAOUL
                         Of the twelve hundred on this
                         island, only three hundred
                         survived.  It's a miracle that all
                         three of you made it. Glad you did,
                         though.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Thank you.


                                   RAOUL
                         Sorry about your mother in law,
                         though.  Was she ever found?


                                   MAPUHI
                         No, but we can assume the worst by
                         now.  Thank you, Raoul.  Goodbye.


                                   RAOUL
                         Bye, Mapuhi.


               Tefara stands in the door of the house.


                                   RAOUL
                             (nodding goodbye)
                         Tefara.


               Raoul walks away.  Tefara walks out.


                                   TEFARA
                         If only you hadn't sold the pearl
                         to Toriki.  Raoul told me that if
                         you still had it, he would-


                                   MAPUHI
                         Toriki robbed me.  But it did pay
                         my debt with him.


                                   TEFARA
                         Toriki is dead.  His schooner was
                         lost as well as Levy's.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Yes, I know. Toriki cannot pay me
                         my two hundred credits, nor can
                         Levy pay Toriki for the pearl.  The
                         pearl is lost and now we have
                         nothing.  Now let us sleep.


               They begin to go inside.  Mapuhi stops as something catches
               his eye.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Wait!


               Tefara stops and turns around to face him.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Someone is coming. 
                             (to person)
                         Who is it?


               A very weary and dishevelled Nauri walks closer.


                                   NAURI
                         It is I, Nauri. Do you have a drink
                         of water for your mother?


               Mapuhi and Tefara's eyes widen in fear. 


                                   TEFARA
                         It is a ghost!


               Nauri sighs.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Where do you come from?


                                   NAURI
                         I come from the sea.  Can I get a
                         drink of water?


                                   TEFARA
                         I knew it. She is a ghost!


               Mapuhi keeps his distance.


                                   MAPUHI
                         Get her a drink of water.


               Tefara disappears inside.


                                   MAPUHI
                         How is it you come from the sea?


                                   NAURI
                         My tale is a harrowing one. I could
                         use the water. 


               Tefara walks out with the water her hand shaking as she gives
               the glass to Mapuhi who nervously hands it to Nauri.  Nauri
               downs almost all the water in one gulp.  


                                   MAPUHI
                         Ghosts do not drink water.


               He skittishly touches Nauri's shoulder.


                                   MAPUHI
                         It is you! But how?


               Tefara walks up and stands next to Mapuhi facing Nauri.


                                   NAURI
                         I was swept to the next island. 


                                   MAPUHI
                         How did you-


                                   NAURI
                         I lived on coconuts for over a
                         week.  I found a broken canoe and
                         fixed it best I could.  I prayed to
                         the shark gods and they spared me. 
                         The sharks were well fed from all
                         the corpses.


                                   TEFARA
                         You're so old! I can't believe-


                                   NAURI
                         On the island I was surrounded by
                         dead bodies. 
                         I avoided them as much as possible
                         until I noticed one face down whose
                         hair was bright red.  


                                   MAPUHI
                         Levy!


                                   NAURI
                         Yes.  Digging through his pockets I
                         found this.


               She pulls the pearl up from the folds of her ahu.


                                   MAPUHI
                         The pearl!


               She drops the pearl into his hand.


                                   NAURI
                         Perhaps you can get the house this
                         time?


                                   TEFARA
                         Yes! Raoul said he would build the
                         house for it!


                                   NAURI
                         And it will be six fathoms long?


                                   MAPUHI
                         Ay, six fathoms!


                                   NAURI
                         And the octagon drop clock?


                                   MAPUHI
                         Ay, and the round table as well!


                                   NAURI
                             (tired)
                         Then get me something to eat. I am
                         hungry.


               FADE TO BLACK.