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EXT. LUCIEN'S HOUSE, MARSEILLES - DAY Lucien opens the door of his house and steps outside holding a small flight bag. A moment later Lucien's wife, MARIE, who is pregnant, and their three kids, between the ages of nine and twelve, come out and surround him. MARIE
CHILD
#2 & #3 LUCIEN MARIE LUCIEN MARIE LUCIEN MARIE LUCIEN KIDS DISSOLVE:
An Aero Mexico DC-2 prop plane lands at the Guatemala City Airport in Guatemala, in Central America. David Ferrie, wearing a straw hat and shorts, steps up and meets Lucien, Andre, and Marcel at the one and only gate. DAVID LUCIEN DAVID LUCIEN MARCEL DAVID He leads them out of the small terminal. EXT. WOODED LANDING STRIP - DAY In an old Land Rover, David Ferrie drives the three Frenchmen to a remote, hidden landing strip somewhere outside Guatemala City, where he has a small, 4-seat Cesna airplane waiting. DAVID EXT. DESERT LANDING STRIP - DAY The plane lands at a remote desert landing strip outside Dallas. Jack Ruby is waiting in his beat-up 1958 Cadillac. The three men get into the waiting car and drive off. The plane takes back off and flies away. INT. CADILLAC - DAY Jack shakes Lucien's hand in the front seat. JACK LUCIEN JACK LUCIEN JACK LUCIEN JACK Marcel makes the electric window go up and down. MARCEL EXT. DEALY PLAZA, DALLAS - DAY Jack drives the three men, all of whom are now smoking, through Dealy Plaza along the route the president's motorcade will be taking. They pass beneath the book depository building. JACK Lucien turns to Marcel. LUCIEN MARCEL Jack sniffs the thick smoke in the car and winces. JACK Marcel pulls out a pack of Gitane Cigarettes. MARCEL JACK Jack drives slowly up Elm St. past the Grassy Knoll, which is backed by a cement wall and a picket fence, under several large trees. Lucien points to the Grassy Knoll. Jack drives them past the Grassy Knoll and under the triple overpass. ANDRE LUCIEN ANDRE LUCIEN Andre looks disappointed and puffs on his cigarette. Jack waves his hand in front of his face and grimaces. JACK EXT. SMALL SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY Jack pulls up in front of a small, white, utterly nondescript suburban house just a few block from downtown. There is a white van parked in the driveway. Jack hands Lucien a set of keys and a piece of paper.
LUCIEN The three Frenchmen get out of the car and Jack drives away. The men step up to the front door, unlock it and go inside. INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY The house is pretty much empty except for three army cots, a beat-up wooden table and chairs, and a TV set. All of the windows have thick curtains. On top of the table is a four-foot by one-foot wooden box. Marcel takes out his pocket knife and pries the box open. Inside are three brand-new Mauser rifles with scopes and several boxes of shells. Marcel shrugs. MARCEL LUCIEN MARCEL LUCIEN MARCEL They look around and see hanging on hooks are
a policeman uniform, a railroad worker outfit, and a custodian's outfit.
MARCEL LUCIEN ANDRE They all drink. A title reads: "November 22, 1963, 8:30 AM, Forth Worth Airport." EXT. FORT WORTH, TEXAS AIRPORT - DAY (STOCK SHOT) The presidential jet, Air Force One, lands at the Fort Worth Airport where it is gray and raining, but there's still a large crowd waiting to cheer John and Jackie as they step off the plane. EXT. STREETS OF FORT WORTH - DAY (STOCK SHOT) The presidential motorcade drives through the
rainy streets of downtown Fort Worth, where people have lined up in
spite of the weather. And even though it is raining, John and
Jackie smile and wave at the crowd with the convertible top down and
no plastic covering. This is a small rooming house at 1026 North Beckley, in the lower-middle class Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. A man in a car across the street wearing SUNGLASSES sits looking at the house. He sees a Dallas Taxi Cab pull up in front of the rooming house and honk its horn. INT. LEE'S ROOM - DAY Lee Oswald is finishing getting dressed for work. He lives alone. The room is a mess, with copies of The Daily Worker and The Militant newspapers strewn all over the place, as well as dirty dishes and dirty laundry. He wears khaki work pants, black work shoes, a white button-up shirt, and a khaki windbreaker. He suddenly picks up the receiver of the telephone and dials. Lee hangs up. He takes a .38 snub-nose pistol out of a drawer and puts it into an inside pocket of his jacket. He then takes his brown bag lunch and a hardcover book, "The Guns of August," and leaves. EXT. LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S ROOMING HOUSE - DAY Lee comes out the side door of the house, gets in the taxi and they drive away. A moment later the man in the car wearing sunglasses pulls forward until he's directly in front of the rooming house. INT. LEE'S ROOM - DAY The man with the sunglasses breaks into Lee's room. He is wearing gloves and goes straight to the closet where he pulls out Lee's 6.5 caliber Mannlicher-Carcano carbine with a loose scope and a "Fair Play for Cuba" button on the leather strap. The man has a thin blanket under his arm, which he snaps open, wraps around the rifle, then quickly leaves. EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY The man with the sunglasses pulls up in front of the suburban house where the three Frenchmen are staying. He hastily gets out of the car while holding a long cardboard box and goes to the front door. He sets the box against the door, rings the bell, turns and leaves. When the door knob turns the car is already driving away. Lucien, who is in his shorts, opens the door and the box falls inside. He quickly shuts the door. INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY Lucien opens the box and finds Oswald's rifle and a plastic bag of shell casings. Marcel and Andre step up in their shorts. Without touching anything, Lucien sticks his nose to the chamber of the rifle and sniffs. LUCIEN MARCEL Lucien and Andre laugh and shake their heads. MARCEL INT. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING, FORT WORTH - DAY (STOCK SHOT) A title reads, "10:00 AM, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce meeting." John and Jackie Kennedy are attending a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Fort Worth, where it's still raining. Jackie is wearing a pink suit with a pink pillbox hat. The MAYOR of Fort Worth, who stands at the podium, hands John Kennedy a white cowboy hat. MAYOR The audience laughs. John Kennedy stands, takes the cowboy hat, but doesn't put it on. JFK The audience laughs again. JFK waves and smiles, sits down beside Jackie and sets the hat on the table. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY - DAY Lee Oswald hauls boxes of books on a dolly around
the large book warehouse. It's just another day as far as he's
concerned. As he passes the windows he glances outside and can
see people lining up on the streets holding cameras. A title reads:
"10:30 AM." Sal Marcello has a plantation-style house in
New Orleans, with thugs wandering the grounds. INT. CADILLAC - DAY Waiting for Sal in the backseat of the car is David Ferrie. The car pulls away. SAL DAVID SAL DAVID SAL DAVID SAL EXT. FORT WORTH AIRPORT - DAY (STOCK SHOT) John and Jackie Kennedy get back on the presidential airplane, waving at the crowd. The plane taxies away from the terminal, goes down the runway and takes off into the gray rainy sky. A title reads: "10:50 AM." INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY LUCIEN Lucien fills the eye-dropper with mercury. He brings the eye-dropper to the hollowed-out bullet head and fills it with mercury. He then drips one tiny drop of solder into the hole, sealing it. ANDRE MARCEL LUCIEN He takes the bullet out of the vice. He unclamps the little vice from the table and puts it back in his bag. He unplugs the soldering iron, then looks at his watch and sees that it's 11:00. He stands. LUCIEN They all start moving. EXT. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C. - DAY We see the imposing structure of the U.S. Justice Department building in Washington, D.C. A title reads: 11:30 AM." INT. HALLWAY, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT - DAY Stenciled on a frosted glass door of an office is "Justice Department: Organized Crime Unit." Sitting at the end of the conference table is a 35-year old man, handsome, very pushy, with a distinct Boston accent. A subtitle reads: "ROBERT F. KENNEDY, Attorney-General of the United States." Seated around the conference table are six young, white, male attorneys, as well as two women. Robert Kennedy holds a file that he's looking at. RFK All of the attorneys at the table look slightly horrified, glancing back and forth at one another. There are several loud coughs, and a lot of paper shuffling. RFK Finally, one young, white, male attorney, ROSENBLATT, hesitantly raises his hand. Kennedy points him. RFK ROSENBLATT RFK All the attorneys all look at each other again. RFK ROSENBLATT RFK One of the female lawyers, MISS SMITH, raises her hand. Robert points at her. RFK MISS
SMITH RFK MISS
SMITH RFK Another white, male lawyer, HARRIS, raises his hand. RFK RFK Everyone stands. RFK leaves, then everyone else turns and looks at each other with quizzical, perplexed expressions. INT. U.S. DISTRICT COURT OF NEW ORLEANS - DAY The U.S. District Court of New Orleans is in session. Sitting at the defendant's table is Carlos Marcello, his lawyer, and David Ferrie. The JUDGE speaks. JUDGE The HEAD JUROR, a white, middle-aged male in a dark suit and black-rimmed glasses, stands and speaks. HEAD
JUROR JUDGE The Judge bangs his gavel. DAVID SAL DAVID Sal and David both exchange a knowing glance, then both of them look at their watches-it's 11:45 AM. EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY Andre, wearing a railroad worker's outfit and hard hat, comes out the front door. He opens the garage door, then gets into the white van and backs into the garage. Once inside, Andre gets out of the van and closes the garage door. INT. GARAGE - DAY Lucien, who is now dressed as a Dallas policeman, and Marcel, who is dressed as a custodian, load the three Mauser rifles into the van. They roll them in blankets, then put them in a box, then put some other boxes on top of it. EXT. LOVE FIELD AIRPORT, DALLAS - DAY (STOCK SHOTS) It's a sunny and beautiful day in Dallas. Air Force One lands at Love Field Airport where a very big crowd awaits them. John and Jackie come down the steps out of the plane waving and smiling. Right behind them are Governor Connally and his wife, also waving and smiling. A title reads: "Love Field Airport, Dallas, 12:00 Noon." Among the crowd of people at the airport is Jack Ruby, standing beside a pay phone. He goes to put a dime into the phone and is shaking so badly he drops it. He looks around, quickly picks up the dime, puts it in the slot and dials the phone. INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY The phone rings. Lucien dressed as a cop answers it. Jack Ruby's voice says . . .
Lucien hangs up the phone. He looks at the other two and nods. LUCIEN
They both sigh and nod back. EXT. THE CAROUSEL CLUB - DAY Jack pulls up in front of his club in his old Cadillac, a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. He gets out of the car and just stands there for a minute with his hat in his hand. He sighs and shakes his head, mumbling to himself. JACK Jack goes inside. INT. CAROUSEL CLUB - DAY Several black men are busily cleaning the club, which is still a mess from last night. Jack steps up to the bar and asks the middle-aged BARTENDER . . . JACK BARTENDER JACK BARTENDER
Jack starts to leave. BARTENDER JACK BARTENDER JACK The Bartender goes to the cash register and opens it. BARTENDER JACK The Bartender gives him a handful of dimes. Jack puts them in his coat pocket. As Jack leaves the club he takes a little plastic bag out of his pocket that contains one single lead bullet head. Jack sighs, puts the bag back in his pocket, then checks his watch-12:10. INT. VAN - DAY Andre sits at the wheel of the van which is still
parked in the garage, but the garage door is open. LUCIEN Andre pulls the van out of the garage, down the driveway and up the street. John and Jackie's motorcade makes it's way through the crowded, sunny street of Dallas. There's a big turn-out, and everyone is showing their enthusiastic support. People solidly line both sides of the street. John and Jackie look happy and pleased, waving and smiling. Also in the car with John and Jackie are Governor and Mrs. Connally. In the car behind the president is Vice-president Lyndon Johnson, his wife, Lady Bird, and Senator and Mrs. Yarborough. EXT. THE BOOK DEPOSITORY - DAY There is a crowd of expectant people gathered in front of the book depository, many holding cameras, awaiting the president's arrival. EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BOOK DEPOSITORY - DAY The white van with Andre driving stops in the alley behind the book depository. The side door opens and Marcel gets out holding a four-foot-tall box marked "Books." He and Lucien and Andre all exchange a look, nod, and Lucien closes the van door. The van drives away and Marcel with his box heads into the back door of the book depository. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ LOBBY - DAY Marcel comes in the back door and crosses the lobby. There are many people crowded into the doorway of the book depository, all expectantly facing out to the street. Marcel crosses behind them and goes straight to the stairway with the box blocking his face. No one sees him and he starts up the stairs. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SECOND-FLOOR - DAY Lee Oswald sits in the book depository dining room by himself eating lunch and reading his book. He's the only one there. He hears footsteps on the stairs and glances over. Lee sees a guy go by with a box marked "Books," but pays no attention and returns to his reading. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SIXTH-FLOOR - DAY Marcel arrives on the sixth-floor, crosses to the farthest windows in the south-east corner, and sets down his box, which he immediately opens. He puts on a pair of thin leather gloves, then he removes Lee's Italian carbine rifle and scope with the "Fair Play for Cuba" button on the strap. Marcel looks around, then takes a few steps and sets it off to his left, near the wall, and behind some boxes. Marcel reaches out with his gloved hand and very slowly opens the window up to half way. EXT. THE BOOK DEPOSITORY - DAY From outside we can see the window slowly opening on top floor and far right side of the book depository. As our view widens we can see the book depository's position on Elm St., where many people stand waiting, cameras in hand, all peering to the right. EXT. RAILROAD YARD PARKING LOT - DAY Andre pulls the white van into the railroad yard parking lot, directly behind the Grassy Knoll. As he pulls in he sees a secret service man in a dark suit, sunglasses and a walkie talkie leaning against a cement post near the overpass, obviously hung-over. The secret service man doesn't even notice the van pull in. Andre drives the van across the lot and parks under a big tree beside a wooden picket fence which is against a brick wall. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SIXTH-FLOOR - DAY Marcel takes his Mauser rifle and scope out of the box and sets it flat on the floor. He pushes the safety latch so it's armed and ready to fire. Marcel looks out the half open window and there are quite a lot of people out on the street with their cameras, anxiously waiting. EXT. DALLAS STREETS - DAY (STOCK SHOTS) John and Jackie's motorcade continues to snake it's way through the crowded streets of Dallas. People still line both sides of the street. John and Jackie keep waving and smiling. A title reads: "12:25 PM." EXT. RAILROAD YARD PARKING LOT - DAY Andre gets out of the van, circles all the way around to make sure it's clear, then opens the side door. Lucien steps out dressed as a Dallas cop, with sunglasses. Lucien walks deliberately to the picket fence and looks over it, past the Grassy Knoll, to Dealy Plaza.
We can see Lucien's face peering over the picket fence. Lucien sees a middle-aged man with a movie camera standing on a cement embankment with a younger woman holding onto his coat. A subtitle reads: "ABRAHAM ZAPRUDER, eyewitness and cameraman." With him is his secretary, MARILYN SITSMAN. Lucien also sees another man to his right in a military uniform with a movie camera, plus many other people strewn around the Grassy Knoll, as well as on the other side of Elm St. facing back toward him. EXT. RAILROAD YARD PARKING LOT - DAY Lucien turns around, then scrutinizes the railroad yard parking lot. There are a few people wandering around, and there appears to be a watchman in a tower across the lot. Lucien glances at Andre, who is standing at the open door of the van. They exchange a lift of the eyebrows. Lucien looks at his watch --12:27. EXT. PARKLAND HOSPITAL - DAY Jack Ruby pulls up across the street from Parkland Hospital. Not much is happening, it's pretty quiet. Jack lights one cigarette off another and takes several deep puffs. He looks down at the lead bullet in the little plastic bag in his hand. He puts the bag in his coat pocket. Jack opens the door, puts on his gray hat, and heads into the hospital while puffing away on his cigarette. EXT. DEALY PLAZA - DAY (STOCK SHOTS) President Kennedy's motorcade enters the east side of Dealy Plaza, makes a hard right turn to go around the bottom of the plaza, slowing all of the cars down to less than 20 miles-per-hour. The crowd all around Dealy Plaza becomes excited and begins turning around and taking pictures. A title reads: "12:30 PM." INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SIXTH-FLOOR - DAY Marcel sees the presidential motorcade enter the plaza, coming toward him up Elm St. He picks his rifle up off the floor and rests it on his lap. He takes a deep breath. EXT. RAILROAD YARD PARKING LOT - DAY Lucien turns from the fence and nods to Andre
at the van. Andre reaches into the van and removes the Mauser
rifle, which he places flat up against the front of his body as he walks
quickly over to Lucien at the fence. They both look over the fence into the plaza. EXT. GRASSY KNOLL - DAY Abraham Zapruder begins to roll film with his secretary Marilyn holding onto the back of his coat for support. Everyone else with a camera raises it up to their eye to be ready. ZAPRUDER FILM - EXTREME SLOW-MOTION (STOCK) President Kennedy's motorcade turns left in front of the book depository and begins heading north on Elm St. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SIXTH-FLOOR - DAY Marcel raises his rifle and sights in on President John Kennedy. The smiling, waving president enters the cross-hairs of Marcel's scope. Marcel inhales deeply and holds it. EXT. RAILROAD YARD PARKING LOT - DAY Lucien raises the rifle and sights in on the empty stretch of Elm St. in front of him. Andre glances all around behind them making sure all is clear. INT. BOOK DEPOSITORY/ SIXTH-FLOOR - DAY Marcel watches John and Jackie and Governor and Mrs. Connally complete the hairpin turn through the cross-hairs of his scope, and when their speed has dropped to about 10 miles-per-hour, Marcel's finger pulls the trigger. In extreme slow-motion the bullet fires out the end of the barrel of the rifle . . . We see the bullet travel through the air, across Dealy Plaza . . . |
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