SCENE 7
EXT. ANOTHER STREET, STEPS OF THE CITY BANK—DAY
Newt, intrigued by the noise of shouting, approaches a rally of the New
Salem Philanthropic Society.
Mary Lou Barebone, a handsome midwestern woman in a 1920s version of
Puritan dress, charismatic and earnest, stands on a small stage at the steps to
the City Bank.
Behind her stands a man parading a banner emblazoned with the
organization’s symbol: Hands proudly grasping a broken wand amid bright
yellow and red flames.
MARY LOU
(to the assembled crowd)
. . . this great city sparkles with the jewels of man’s invention! Movie
theaters, automobiles, the wireless, electric lights—all dazzle and bewitch us!
Newt slows down and watches Mary Lou as he would observe a foreign
species: No judgment, simply interest.
Nearby stands Tina Goldstein, hat low on her head, upturned collar. She is
eating a hot dog, mustard smeared on her upper lip. Newt accidentally
bumps into her as he makes his way to the front of the rally.
