Blackthorne--Scene Thirteen

image borrowed from bing

Blackthorne

Cinemagenic Thirteen

Gates of Gomorrah

“In the vineyards of Gomorrah, the grapes taste of gall,

their clusters are bitter, their wine the poison of dragons.”

--Bible verse.

1(sound cue) piano plinking with a saloon singer warbling a sad

ballad.

2(wide-shot) set up across the street from Wallace’s GENERAL

STORE, the street fairly busy with riders, wagons, & pedestrians.

3(hold the wide shot) as Buck emerges from the store, then stands

for a moment with his hands on his hips. 

4(sound cue) bullwhip cracking, horse’s hooves.

5(cut to medium wide-shot) a stagecoach is rushing toward the camera.

6(sound cue) banjo, harmonica, & guitar with busy chords.

7(several jump cut insert-shots)

--the snorting jet-black pair of lead horses,

--(pan over them) to a pair of twin silver mares, stepping like angels,

--(travel the shot up) to the driver, holding four reins in one hand as

he slipped the long whip into a seat bracket--a large man wearing an

old Cavalry hat, with the wide brim pushed flat-back, cut off sleeves

on a sweat-stained buckskin shirt, his thick arms rippling with muscle. 

8(sound cues) horse hooves rapping, loud brakes on the steel-rimmed

wooden wheels, the clang of harness & yoke.

9(voice-over) stage driver: Whooahh, my beauties--ease up black

leaders--slow down white lovelies. 

10(cut to medium wide-shot) Buck on the boardwalk, center frame, with

his back to the camera, his POV as the bright red & yellow stagecoach

rolled from the right side of the frame passing him 

11(cut to a close-up) the side of the stagecoach, with the words

BRONSON STAGE LINES painted on it. 

12(sound cue) juice harp thwacking over crowd noise.

13(cut to a medium wide--shot) on the opposite side of the street as we

witness Buck & his dog walk toward the camera, weaving in & out of

traffic.

14(sound cue) a dog barking, a cat screeching & hissing.

15(medium wide-shot) Buck pausing in the middle of the street.

16(medium close-up) the black dog flushing a tabby-cat out from under

a porch, and the feline racing swiftly into an alley.

17((close-up) Buck: give it hell, Cheewa!

18(cut to medium close-up) back to the dog, stopping after hearing its

Indian name. cocking one ear. 

19(cut to a wide crane shot) behind Buck, traveling with him as he finishes

crossing the street, & moves up onto the Saloon steps. Two of the ever-

present loafers ( the fat man & the bean pole) sat on a bench to the left

of the door. A large ornate sign that read THE CHINA DOLL hung over

the standard swinging doors. Buck enters the establishment, followed 

by the dog.

20(sound cues) crowd noise, saloon piano, rough laughter, & a deck of

cards shuffling.

21(cut to medium wide-shot) inside the saloon, facing the door; Buck is

just inside, with the dog right beside him--showing a splendid contrast

between the smoke-filled shadowy interior & the bright clear mid-morning

outside in the street. 

22(camera dollys backward) to reveal how large & well decorated the Saloon

is, a dozen felt-covered poker tables-more than half of them already busy

with games, wild-eyed dealers puffing on short stogies, assorted saloon girls

on laps, hanging around necks, at shoulders--some at a long well-shined

oak bar girded with a brass rail, several tall copper spittoons lined up along

it, colorful bowls of pickles, rolls, boiled eggs, ham & peanuts dotting the

top of it, a wide stairway over on the right, with two fancy chandeliers on

each side of slow-turning wide fans.

23(medium close-up) a burly saloon guard perched eight feet off the floor

on a bully platform against the wall.

24(close-up) saloon guard: hey, Mister--get that fucking dog out of here!

25(medium shot) Buck noticing the dog, and motioning for it to wait outside.

the dog obeys, and as it exits, its tail strikes open the swinging doors. 

26(medium close-up) the saloon guard grunts, and nods his approval, 

sitting with a long-barreled twin chambered shotgun across his knees.

27(cut to medium wide shot) Buck standing for a moment.

28(sound cue) blues guitar slide.

29(close up) his angry face looking up at the guard.

30(medium shot) Buck measuring the morning menagerie spread out

in front of him, then shrugging & smiling, he began to make his way over

to the bar. 

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over on dVerse Poets OLN121

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