Angle on Brody, nervously watching the beach

 

He is studying everything, trying to make sure he has it

covered as well as possible. He almost doesn't hear the

approaching roar of a small helicopter until it settles down

behind him, and a Flying Officer gets out, starched, pressed

fatigues, a flawless fatigue baseball cap, and slick dark

aviator's sunglasses. The Steve Canyon of Amity. He presents

Brody with a clipboard.

 

OFFICER

Martin Brody?

(Brody nods)

I'll need your signature here...

here... and here.

 

BRODY

What is this?

 

OFFICER

Authorization for direct payment of

flight expenses not directly connected

to a normal mission of this command.

(Brody doesn't

understand)

You pay for the gas.

 

Brody signs. The Officer shakes his head as Brody makes an

error.

 

BRODY

I signed on the wrong line...

 

OFFICER

Just erase your signature and initial

your erasure.

 

Brody complies, shaking his head. The Officer snaps him a

salute, jogs lightly back to his idling copter, buckles in,

and gives Brody a "thumbs up" as he lifts off in a flurry of

sand and ice-cream wrappers.

 

EXT. BEACH PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING

 

And this is it -- the Dawn Patrol, the only forces that the

frantic phone calling produced. Hendricks, and the regular

summer extra deputies. The lifeguards. Half a dozen state

troopers. Some deputies from neighboring towns, and a Coast

Guard ensign with a handful of regulars in work dungarees.

 

Some of Hooper's friends from the institute.

 

Brody and Hooper, badly in need of sleep, are watching the

crew straggle in. Already the first of the holiday beach-

goers are piling out of their cars in a brightly colored

cascade of beach balls, umbrellas, blankets, portable bar-b-

ques, radios, sun visors, reflectors, rafts, balls, tubes,

and newspapers.

 

Hooper watches one such group: A Family of Ten getting out

of a camper-van. He watches in dismay as the family bumbles

onto the beach for a day of fun in the sun.

 

Brody addresses his troops, such as they are.

 

BRODY

I want to thank you guys from local

agencies for cooperating, and I hope

we won't actually be needing your

services. But I'm glad to have you

here.

 

The Men ad lib responses: "Happy to do it," "Any time,"

"When's lunch?" "I hate holidays," etc.

 

ENSIGN

I want to get our lines and repellent

out, so we better shove off.

 

He nods to his men, who head for some Boston Whalers (or

similar boat with surf-riding capability) and push off into

the surf to patrol the swimming areas.

 

BRODY

(a last caution)

We're all on one channel, so let's

keep radio traffic to a minimum,

okay?

 

Everyone kind of nods acknowledgment.

 

HOOPER

I hope we get some more help.

 

BRODY

I wish it would rain...

 

EXT. BEACH - AMUSEMENT AREA - CLOSE OF SHARK MACHINE

 

In a shed near the bandstand, a half-dozen pinball and arcade

machines sucking quarters from holiday beach-goers. A

mechanical shark traverses the screen, is hit with an electric

harpoon and red "blood" blossoms from its side, indicating a

hit.

 

Sounds of electronic gadgetry, people having fun. Meadows is

there writing it all up for the paper. A move away from the

screen of this particular machine reveals the arcade, the

parking lot, and, finally, the beginnings of the panorama of

the beach that July 4th has created.

 

EXT. SOUTH BEACH - THE FOURTH OF JULY

 

four foot surfer's swell curls and crashes on shore,

riderless. The broad sandy beach is a mosaic of summer color

as one thousand vacationers practice fun in the sun, but not

in the water. Hot dog stands and ice cream vendors are

everywhere.

 

ANGLE - LIFEGUARD STATIONS

 

A half-dozen lookout lofts. As many handsome lifeguards with

Walkie-Talkies strapped to their trunks and loud-hailers at

arm's reach. Bored, two of the hot dogs train their binoculars

on some local color.

 

ANGLE ON TV MOBILE UNIT

 

A TV Mobile Unit Van is setting up: cables snaking to cameras,

a camera with a big sports zoom sitting on the platform atop

the truck, a spiffy announcer-type in a blazer with his

station's call letters on the pocket. Inside the darkened

control room, we can see the pale blue squares of monitors

in a mosaic against one wall, facing the switcher.

 

AT SEA

 

Hooper is methodically patrolling in his boat. Tactically

flanking a three-hundred-yard apron of black repellent are

four small watch-boats. A tiny pleasure boat darts around

the repellent line. Farther out, crossing back and forth,

are patrol boats. To top it all off, a Coast Guard helicopter

hovers and patrols three hundred feet above.

 

INT. TELEVISION MOBILE UNIT

 

At least eight monitors, reflecting the outputs of three

cameras and two tape machines, as well as line, preview, and

effects monitors.

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 1: Holding on a group of happy citizen-bathers

as they unpack their gear, wave to camera, run into the water.

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 2: The Repellent Line, set in place by Coast

Guardsmen in small boats, setting out floats, dumping

repellent into the ocean.

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 3: Close on the Bandstand, where Amity's

band is playing lilting patriotic airs.

 

After we've seen this activity, we can take a look at what's

going on: the preparation of the tape segment for the six

o'clock news.

 

TV DIRECTOR

Put 1 on the line. In five. 4. 3. 2.

1. Roll.

 

On the "Tape 1" and "Line" monitors, we see Vaughn being

interviewed by the Announcer in the blazer.

 

ANNOUNCER

...and with me is the Mayor of Amity,

Lawrence Vaughn. Mr. Vaughn, how

about those rumors?

 

VAUGHN

How about them indeed. I'm pleased

and happy to repeat the news that we

have, in fact, caught and killed a

large predator that supposedly injured

some bathers here. As you can see,

it's a beautiful day, the beaches

are open, and the folks here are

having a wonderful time. Amity,

y'know, means 'Friendship.'

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 1: As Vaughn speaks to us on the monitors,

the monitor for Camera 1 pans over to show a Sightseeing Bus

pull up in the parking area, and a horde of media vultures

spilling out, carrying cameras with long lenses and tripods,

telescopes, sunshades and parasols, all the equipment of the

curious and none of the equipment of the holiday bather or

swimmer.

 

TAPE 1 AND LINE MONITORS: Close on the Announcer, Vaughn out

of the picture.

 

ANNOUNCER

Also here today is a Marine Biologist

and Research Fellow from the

Oceanographic Institute, Matthew

Hooper. Mr. Hooper, what've you heard?

 

HOOPER

What I've heard and what I've seen

are two different things. I believe

there is a large Great White Shark --

Carcharodon Cacharias - in the waters

off this very beach, that he has

killed and that he will kill again...

 

Hooper's voice fades off as someone at the mixer panel dials

his mike off, and brings up the Announcer's lavalier.

 

ANNOUNCER

(moving into center

frame)

And there you have it -- two different

opinions, by men of good will. The

holiday crowd here at Amity seems to

be making up its own mind...

 

The camera pans off him to a happy family headed for the

beach.

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 3: Zooms in on the puffing face of the tuba

player.

 

MONITOR: CAMERA 2: Brody and the Announcer.

 

MONITOR: TAPE 1 and LINE: Back on the Announcer, his lips

moving, but his sound turned off. We hear, instead, the sound

from Monitor Camera 2, Brody and the same Announcer.

 

BRODY

I'm sorry, I just don't have the

time.

 

TV DIRECTOR

Recue the machines. 2, pan off the

Chief and show me some tits and ass.

1, get me some cute kids. 3... see

if you got a shot at the water.

 

MONITORS: CAMERAS 1, 2 and 3: The cameras seek out the

appropriate activity as the Director calls for it.

 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

(holds up stopwatch)

Mayor, 43 seconds, Biologist 45

seconds. That's equal time, right?

 

DIRECTOR

Right.

(he presses "Talkback"

button to his

announcer)

Jerry, come on in and look at this.

(to his headset)

Roll 2. In five, 4. 3. 2. 1.

 

TAPE 2 - MONITOR:

 

Starts showing us the assembled interview segment we've just

seen, starting with the Announcer's opening remarks.

 

ANNOUNCER (V.O. MONITOR)

Amity Island is famed for its clear

air and white sand beaches. But a

cloud appeared...

 

His voice is dialed under as the Announcer himself appears

in the control room to watch himself on the monitors.

 

ANNOUNCER (LIVE)

Look at that shine on my nose. It's

a beacon.

 

DIRECTOR

Close enough for remote.

 

As Vaughn begins his spiel again, the other monitors show us

the action on the beach.

 

VAUGHN (V.O.)

...I'm pleased and happy...

 

DIRECTOR

Think we ought to stick around?

 

ANNOUNCER

What else you got?

 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Teachers' strike downtown.

 

CAMERAMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Christenson, this is Al. Union says

time for Engineering Five.

 

DIRECTOR

That's five minutes, guys. Coffee.

 

ANGLE ON THE BEACH

 

Vaughn is in his shirtsleeves, having slipped out of his

jacket.

 

He mops his brow, and surveys the beachfront. At this moment,

there's nobody swimming. He approaches a familiar Selectman,

nods hello, and squats beside him on the sand.

 

VAUGHN

Why don't you get in the water?

 

SELECTMAN

I don't want to wash off my suntan

lotion. I'll get a burn...

 

VAUGHN

(some urgency)

Nobody's going in!

 

On an adjoining blanket, a spirited Ruth Gordon type is

sitting, watching brightly as her manservant, a polished

Eric Harrison type, prepares some tea from a thermos.

 

WOMAN

Is there nobody going in? What a

shame. Arthur, should I be going in?

 

ARTHUR (THE BUTLER)

(pouring tea)

If you'd like.

 

He puts down the tea service, and leads her towards the water.

 

At the edge of the sea, she stops, and he walks in.

 

ARTHUR

(as he enters the

waves)

It's very nice. Not too cold... Quite

refreshing... Very pleasant....

 

He ducks his head under for a final look around. His dripping

head rises triumphantly from the surf.

 

ARTHUR

No sharks, m'lady.

 

She starts into the water, he takes her parasol, escorting

her the rest of the way into the ocean.

 

WOMAN

This is marvelous! Arthur, I want to

come back to this very spot. Will

you make a note of where we are?

 

WIDE - ON THE BEACH

 

Encouraged by the sight of the Woman and Arthur, and Vaughn's

quiet urgings, people begin to wander into the surf, a few

at first, and then a rush, as people plunge in and begin

enjoying the pleasures of ocean bathing. The Selectman goes

in, his family follows, Vaughn watches it all, beaming.

 

BOAT #7

 

Hendricks is on the radio while a Coast Guard spotter works

the sonar.

 

HENDRICKS

Anything? Thought I saw a shadow.

Over.

 

Pan to the water.

 

UNDERWATER

 

As before, 400 pairs of enticing, yummy swimmers' legs,

kicking like animated hors d'oeuvres.