Not even a radio?
CHANG
It’s always been a source of deep regret,
but the mountains surrounding us have
made reception almost impossible.
? 509 ?
GEORGE
In that event, we better make arrangements
to get some porters immediately. Some
means to get us back to civilization.
CHANG
Are you so certain you are away from
it?
GEORGE
As far away as I ever want to be.
CHANG
Oh, dear.
LOVETT
Of course, the porters will be very
well paid – that is, within reason.
CHANG
I’m afraid that wouldn’t help. You see,
we have no porters here.
LOVETT
No porters here!!
CHANG
No.
BARNARD
What about those men we met this morning?
CHANG
Yes. Those are our own people. They
never venture beyond the point where
you were met this morning. It is much
too hazardous.
148. CLOSE SHOT – CONWAY
To intercut with above speech.
He has remained quiet throughout the
scene, apparently interested only in
a paper in front of him, upon which
he has been writing.
INSERT: What has been occupying Conway’s
interest. It is a picture of Chang which
he has been listlessly drawing.
BARNARD
How do you account for all this? Who
brought it in?
149. FULL SHOT
They all turn to Chang expectantly.
CHANG
Oh, yes. There is a tribe of porters
some five hundred miles from here. That
is our only contact with the outside
world. Every now and again, depending
upon favorable weather of course, they
make the journey.
GEORGE
How can we get in touch with them?
? 510 ?
CHANG
In that respect, you are exceedingly
fortunate. We are expecting a shipment
from them almost any time now—
LOVETT
What exactly do you mean by “almost
any time now”?
CHANG
Well, we’ve been expecting this particular
shipment for the past two years.
BARNARD
Two years!?
CHANG
Yes.
Barnard and Lovett look shocked. George
starts to say something, but the words
choke in his throat.
CHANG
But I can assure you, gentlemen, if
there is a prolonged delay, Shangri-La
will endeavor to make your stay as pleasant
as possible.
(rising)
And now if you will excuse me, it is
getting late. I do hope you all sleep
well. Good night.
The servants move his chair back. Before
he goes, however, he turns to Conway.
CHANG
Good night, Mr. Conway.
Conway, a little surprised at the distinction
in his behalf, nods.
CONWAY
Good night, sir.
Chang exits. There is a hushed silence
following Chang’s departure.
LOVETT
That’s what I mean – mysterious. Mr.
Conway, I don’t like that man. He’s
too vague.
GEORGE
(concerned)
We didn’t get much information out of
him, did we Bob?
CONWAY
It seems to me we should be grateful.
We were in a bad mess this morning.
(a wave of his hand)
After all, this is quite pleasant. Why
not make ourselves comfortable until
the porters do arrive?
While he was speaking, the muted strains
of a violin float into the room. Conway
rises.
? 511 ?
150. MEDIUM SHOT
As Conway crosses to a balcony door.
BARNARD
That’s what I say. What do you say to
a rubber of bridge? I saw some cards
in the other room.
CONWAY
Not for me, thanks. No, I’m too weary.
He disappears onto the balcony. George
watches him go.
BARNARD
(slightly effeminate)
How about you Lovey? Come on. Let’s
you and I play a game of honeymoon bridge.
LOVETT
(distractedly)
I’m thinking.
BARNARD
Thinking? What about some double solitaire?
LOVETT
As a matter of fact, I’m very good at
double solitaire.
BARNARD
No kidding?
LOVETT
Yes.
BARNARD
Then I’m your man.
(starts away)
Come on, Toots.
Lovett detests the pet names, but follows.
George thinks a moment – and crosses
to balcony.
EXT. BALCONY
151. MEDIUM SHOT
Conway is listening moodily to the soulful
music. George wanders in beside him.
CONWAY
Hello, George.
(looking out)
Cigarette?
GEORGE
Thanks.
(lights the cigarette – after a pause)
I suppose all this comes under the heading
of adventure.
CONWAY
We’ve had plenty of it the last few
days.
? 512 ?
GEORGE
It’s far from over, from what I can
see. This place gives me the creeps,
hidden away like this – no contact with
civilization. Bob, you don’t seem concerned
at all.
CONWAY
Oh, I’m feeling far too peaceful to
be concerned about anything.
(moodily)
I think I’m going to like it here.
GEORGE
You talk as though you intend on staying.
CONWAY
(turns to him)
Something happened to me, when we arrived
here, George, that – well – did you
ever go to a totally strange place,
and feel certain that you’ve been there
before?
GEORGE
What are you talking about?
CONWAY
(back to earth)
I don’t know.
GEORGE
You’re a strange bird. No wonder Gainsford
calls you the man who always wanted
to see what was on the other side of
the hill.
152. TWO SHOT – CONWAY AND GEORGE
Conway’s point of view, studying George.
CONWAY
Don’t you ever want to see what’s on
the other side of the hill?
GEORGE
What could there be except just another
hill? In any event, I’m not curious.
At the moment, it seems to me we should
be concerned about getting home. I’d
give anything to be in London right
now.
CONWAY
Of course you would. If ever we get
out of this place, the thing for you
to do is to take that job with Helen’s
father.
GEORGE
What do you mean if we should get out?
CONWAY
(evasively)
Did I say “if”?
? 513 ?
GEORGE
(interrupting)
That’s what you said.
CONWAY
Well – I mean—
GEORGE
What’s on your mind, Bob? You talk as
though we’re going to have trouble getting
out of here.
153. CLOSE TWO SHOT – FAVORING CONWAY
CONWAY
George, I’ve been putting things together.
Do you notice the resemblance between
those natives and the pilot? And why
did those clothes materialize so conveniently
when they met us at the plane? Chang
himself just said that they never venture
beyond that point. What brought them
there? Unless it was to meet us?
GEORGE
(catching on)
Chang’s first question was about the
pilot.
CONWAY
Uh-huh.
GEORGE
There must be some connection between
the plane and this place. They must
have deliberately brought us here. Why,
Bob? What reason could they have for
doing a thing like that?
CONWAY
That’s what’s on the other side of the
hill.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN
EXT. OF VALLEY – DAY
154. LONG SHOT FROM A TOWER ROOM
Shooting over shoulders of two men in
f.g.
We see a beautiful picture of the valley
below. There is a tranquility here that
is beatific. CAMERA PULLS BACK. The
two men are revealed as Conway and Chang.
They stand on a terrace of one of the
tower rooms.
CHANG
It’s three thousand feet, practically
straight down to the floor of the valley.
The Valley of the Blue Moon, as we call
it. There are over two thousand people
in the Valley besides those here in
Shangri-La.
CONWAY
Who and what is Shangri-La? You?
CHANG
Goodness, no!
CHANG
So there are others?
? 514 ?
CHANG
Oh, yes.
CONWAY
Who, for instance?
CHANG
In time you will meet them all.
155. CLOSE SHOT – THE TWO – FAVORING
CONWAY
He watches Chang’s face searchingly,
then smiles.
CONWAY
For a man who talks a great deal, it’s
amazing how unenlightening you can be.
CHANG
(laughs)
There are some things, my dear Conway,
I deeply regret I may not discuss.
CONWAY
You know, that’s the fourth time you’ve
said that today. You should have a record
made of it.
CHANG
(evasively)
Shall we go inside? I should so like
to show you some of our rare treasures.
INT. A TOWER
156. FOLLOW SHOT WITH GEORGE
On a spiral staircase. Looking surreptitiously
around, he backs his way up. CAMERA
FOLLOWS HIM as he reaches the top of
the landing. Here he stops and glances
around the corner down a corridor.
INT. CORRIDOR
157. MEDIUM SHOT
CAMERA FOLLOWS GEORGE as he peers into
several rooms searchingly. He finally
arrives at one and enters.
INT. A ROOM
158. FULL SHOT
George enters and looks around. It is
dimly lit and apparently unoccupied.
He crosses to a desk and picks up several
objects, scrutinizing them closely.
159. CLOSE SHOT OF THE GIRL, MARIA –
IN ALCOVE
She sits, a tapestry board on her lap,
watching George with keen interest.
160. CLOSE SHOT – GEORGE
He opens a book and glances at its contents.
161. MED. SHOT TO INCLUDE BOTH
Maria surveys his back appraisingly.
MARIA
Good afternoon.
George wheels around, startled, and
stares at her intently.
? 515 ?
GEORGE
(starts backing out)
Excuse me–
MARIA
(appealingly)
Please don’t go.
George hesitates at door.
MARIA
Tea will be served any moment.
162. CLOSE SHOT – GEORGE
He watches her with grave speculation
for a long moment, then slowly moves
toward her.
MARIA
(a winning smile)
Won’t you come in?
George still maintains a serious mien,
as their eyes meet.
MARIA
My name is Maria. Won’t you sit down?
INT. LIBRARY
163. FULL SHOT
It is a huge room. The walls are lined
with impressive tomes. Chang is showing
Conway around.
164. MEDIUM SHOT
Conway has just finished browsing through
one of the books.
CONWAY
By the way, what religion do you follow
here?
CHANG
We follow many.
A look of surprise spreads over Conway’s
face.
CHANG
(thoughtfully)
To put it simply, I should say that
our general belief was in moderation.
We preach the virtue of avoiding excesses
of every kind, even including—
(he smiles)
—the excess of virtue itself.
165. CLOSER SHOT – THE TWO
CONWAY
That’s intelligent.
CHANG
We find, in the Valley, it makes for
better happiness among the natives.
We rule with moderate strictness and
in return we are satisfied with moderate
obedience. As a result, our people are
moderately honest and moderately chaste
and somewhat more than moderately happy.
? 516 ?
CONWAY
How about law and order? You have no
soldiers or police?
CHANG
Oh, good heavens, no!
CONWAY
How do you deal with incorrigibles?
Criminals?
CHANG
Why, we have no crime here. What makes
a criminal? Lack, usually. Avariciousness,
envy, the desire to possess something
owned by another. There can be no crime
where there is a sufficiency of everything.
CONWAY
You have no disputes over women?
CHANG
Only very rarely. You see, it would
not be considered good manners to take
a woman that another man wanted.
CONWAY
Suppose somebody wanted her so badly
that he didn’t give a hang if it was
good manners or not?
CHANG
(smiling)
Well, in that event, it would be good
manners on the part of the other man
to let him have her.
166. CLOSE SHOT – THE TWO – FAVORING
CONWAY
CONWAY
That’s very convenient. I think I’d
like that.
CHANG
You’d be surprised, my dear Conway,
how a little courtesy all around helps
to smooth out the most complicated problems.
167. MED. CLOSE SHOT – THE TWO
Chang smiles. Conway scarcely hears
the last speech, for his attention has
been caught by the playing of a piano.
He stops to listen. Chang has walked
out of scene.
168. MEDIUM SHOT
Conway locates the direction whence
the music comes, goes to a doorway where
he stops.
169. CLOSE SHOT – CHANG
He realizes Conway did not follow him
and turns. When he sees Conway, his
face clouds – and he starts toward him.
170. CLOSE SHOT AT DOOR
Conway watches someone through door
with grave interest. Chang enters scene
and follows his gaze.
? 517 ?
INT. MUSIC ROOM
171. FULL SHOT
From doorway. It is a spacious, high-ceilinged
room, oddly shaped, and except for a
piano, a harp and several chairs, is
otherwise sparsely furnished. At the
extreme end, the room is set off by
an alcove of stained glass extending
from the ceiling to the floor, where
it finishes with a deep window seat.
At the piano we see an old man – and
by his side is the girl Conway saw last
night. They finish playing and both
laugh heartily.
172. CLOSE SHOT AT DOORWAY
Conway finds her laughter infectious
– and smiles.
173. CLOSE SHOT – GIRL AND MAN AT PIANO
In the midst of her laughter, the girl
sees Conway, off scene, and her face
sobers – self-consciously.
174. CLOSE SHOT AT DOORWAY
Chang quickly takes Conway by the arm.
CHANG
At some time in the future you will
have the pleasure of meeting her.
Conway turns for one last glimpse of
the girl, and then turns to Chang, looking
up at his face, puzzled and amused.
CONWAY
Some man had better get ready to be
very courteous to me.
175. CLOSEUP – THE GIRL
She continues to stare off toward the
door, her eyes alight with a keen interest.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CORRIDOR
176. FOLLOW SHOT WITH CONWAY AND CHANG
CONWAY
But Mr. Chang, all these things – books,
instruments, sculpture – do you mean
to say they were all brought in over
those mountains by porters?
CHANG
They were.
CONWAY
Well, it must have taken–
CHANG
Centuries.
CONWAY
Centuries! Where did you get the money
to pay for all those treasures?
CHANG
Of course we have no money as you know
it. We do not buy or sell or seek personal
fortunes because, well, because there
is no uncertain future here for which
to accumulate it.
? 518 ?
INT. A ROOM
177. CLOSE SHOT – THE TWO
They have arrived in a small room, where
they pause. Chang reaches into a bowl
of large nuts, cracks one, and hands
the nut to Conway. Then he does the
same for himself. During the following
scene, both are eating nuts from the
bowl.
CONWAY
That would suit me perfectly. I’m always
broke. How did you pay for them?
CHANG
Our Valley is very rich in a metal called
gold, which fortunately for us is valued
very highly in the outside world. So
we merely . . .
CONWAY
—buy and sell?
CHANG
Buy and – sell? No, no, pardon me, exchange
.
CONWAY
(chuckling)
I see. Gold for ideas. You know Mr.
Chang, there’s something so simple and
naive about all of this that I suspect
there has been a shrewd, guiding intelligence
somewhere. Whose idea was it? How did
it all start?
CHANG
That, my dear Conway, is the story of
a remarkable man.
CONWAY
Who?
CHANG
A Belgian priest by the name of Father
Perrault, the first European to find
this place, and a very great man indeed.
He is responsible for everything you
see here. He built Shangri-La, taught
our natives, and began our collection
of art. In fact, Shangri-La is Father
Perrault.
CONWAY
When was all this?
CHANG
Oh, let me see – way back in 1713, I
think it was, that Father Perrault stumbled
into the Valley, half frozen to death.
It was typical of the man that, one
leg being frozen, and of course there
being no doctors here, he amputated
the leg himself.
CONWAY
(shocked)
He amputated his own leg?
? 519 ?
CHANG
Yes. Oddly enough, later, when he had
learned to understand their language,
the natives told him he could have saved
his leg. It would have healed without
amputation.
CONWAY
Well, they didn’t actually mean that.
CHANG
Yes, yes. They were very sincere about
it too. You see, a perfect body in perfect
health is the rule here. They’ve never
known anything different. So what was
true for them they thought would naturally
be true for anyone else living here.
CONWAY
Well, is it?
CHANG
Rather astonishingly so, yes. And particularly
so in the case of Father Perrault himself.
Do you know when he and the natives
were finished building Shangri-La, he
was 108 years old and still very active,
in spite of only having one leg?
CONWAY
108 and still active?
CHANG
You’re startled?
CONWAY
Oh, no. Just a little bowled over, that’s
all.
CHANG
