A Sign of the Times Excerpt

A Sign of the Times

Screen Play Written by Emil Cicogna

Based on the novel A Sign of the Times

ISBN 9781530423354

FADE IN:

INT. KARL BENZ' WORKSHOP - DAY

SUPERIMPOSE: "Karl Benz' Workshop - Manheim, Germany 1885"

KARL BENZ, 39 years old, approaches his three wheel, one-cylinder internal combustion engine automobile. Behind the seat, below the engine is a large iron flywheel that Benz turns with a strong pull and the ENGINE STARTS LOUDLY.

Benz open the barn doors, sits on the seat, shifts into gear and drives the 'horseless carriage' out of his shop. He drives down the street and waves to people who stop and watch him, some clapping, as children run behind him.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

INT. BLACKSMITH'S FORGE - DAY

Inside a rural forge a BLACKSMITH holds an iron bar atop a black anvil and strikes the bar of glowing iron repeatedly with his hammer as sparks hit the floor. He turns and places the iron bar back on top of the coals in the forge.

He reaches up and pulls on the handle of the bellows. A rush of air breathes upon the coals and the metal glows white-hot. Holding the iron bar in the teeth of long handled tongs he places it back on the anvil, striking it again and again.

He wipes sweat from his face on his sleeve, then turns and plunges what looks like a horseshoe into a tub of water. Steam rises around him in clouds with a LOUD HISS.

From outside can be heard a BOY'S VOICE calling to him.

JAMES

PA! HEY PA!

A large pair of barn doors are open on the opposite wall. In the bright space a ten-year-old boy, JAMES COLLIER, stands.

JAMES

Pa, Mr. Hurley is here. He wants to talk to you.

The blacksmith, WILLIAM COLLIER, nods 'affirmative' and drops the horseshoe onto a pile of a dozen others. He walks from the forge, stops to plunge his arms and face into a water trough, as James runs ahead of him back to their house.

William's older son, JOSHUA, sixteen years old, stands before an old tree stump with a long-handled ax in his hands splitting logs for the fireplace. He looks up at his father with a lift of his chin, William motions him toward the house.

MR. HURLEY dressed in a dark business suit can be seen sitting on the porch cleaning his fingernails with a toothpick. William and Joshua reach the house while William's wife EVELYN hangs clothes on a line.

Their daughter RACHEL, four years old, sits near her mother. Evelyn looks at William as he reaches the house. Mr. Hurley stands at William's arrival and steps down from the porch.

HURLEY

Good-day William.

WILLIAM

'Afternoon Ed, what brings you out here?

HURLEY

I suppose you know they're nearly finished building the new schoolhouse. They delivered the woodstove this morning and they'll be needing the piping put in for the smokestack. Think you'll have time for it? That teacher'd like to see it done as soon as possible.

William looks over at Evelyn who looks back at him as she wrings the water out of a dress.

WILLIAM

Yea, I'll have time for it, I'll be over there tomorra' morning.

HURLEY

Splendid! I'll let the new teacher know you're coming so she can meet you there.

Hurley turns to James who stands near the porch watching him.

HURLEY

Maybe now you can start going to school, you and your brother.

JAMES

I can?! Ma! Can I? Mr. Hurley said I can go to the school!

WILLIAM

We'll talk about that later.

Hurley steps forward, shakes William's hand, then calls over his shoulder as he walks toward his buggy.

HURLEY

I'll tell that schoolteacher you'll be there tomorrow. Good-day William, Evelyn.

WILLIAM

All right Ed.

Hurley climbs onto his buggy, snaps the reins and the horse clip-clops away. Evelyn hangs a shirt on the clothesline, her dark hair hanging damp around her face. She looks at William.

EVELYN

Be nice to get that work at the schoolhouse. You almost finished with those numbers you were making?

WILLIAM

They'll be finished today, I'll drop'em off in town tomorra'.

EVELYN

We'll be needin' a few things.

WILLIAM

Yea, I know.

William turns and starts walking back toward the forge. He call to his older son as he walks.

WILLIAM

Joshua! Fill the wood box, and the water tub.

EXT. SCHOOLHOUSE - DAY

William pulls up in his wagon in front of the new red schoolhouse. There is a carpenter on the roof hammering down wooden roof shingles. He waves to William who waves back.

INT. SCHOOLHOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The SCHOOLTEACHER, MISS PALLAS, is there arranging her desk. She is in her twenties wearing a long skirt with a white shirtwaist.

She looks up at William as he enters the room.

MISS PALLAS

Are you here to put the pipes together for the woodstove?

WILLIAM

Yes Ma'am.

MISS PALLAS

Good, I'm Leanna Pallas, I am going to be the teacher here.

She walks to William and shakes his hand, which surprises William, not expecting a woman to do that.

WILLIAM

William Collier... that the stove you'll be usin'?

MISS PALLAS

Yes, all the pipes are there I believe, you can leave it right where it is.

WILLIAM

All right.

The woodstove sits in the middle of the room between the two sets of rows for the children. William kneels next to the stove and begins fitting the pieces of pipe together.

Miss Pallas continues to arrange things on her desk that include a Bible, a brass bell and several school books.

MISS PALLAS

I understand Mr. Collier, that you have several children of school age at home?

William gives a half-chuckle and looks at Pallas.

WILLIAM

Who's been tellin' you that?

MISS PALLAS

Mr. Hurley. He will be here shortly to pay you for your work.

WILLIAM

That's good. I only got but one child that's school age. The little girl ain't but four years old, and my first boy, I need'em to work with me most'the time.

Pallas looks at William, listening to his poor English.

MISS PALLAS

Don't you think your older son should go to school also? How old is he?

WILLIAM

Sixteen years.

MISS PALLAS

You shouldn't wait any longer for him to start. Surely there is time for him to attend school and help you with your work.

Pallas waits for an answer but to this William says nothing.

MISS PALLAS

The time to teach a child and mold their mind is when they are young. It is already the law in some states that children attend school.

William taps a rivet into place locking two pieces of pipe together. Pallas tilts her head to look more closely at him waiting for a response, William looks up at her finally.

WILLIAM

Well it ain't the law here.

Miss Pallas studies him a moment as William stands and places several assembled pieces of pipe on top of the woodstove. The stillness is broken by Mr. Hurley entering the room.

HURLEY

Good morning Miss, good morning William, I see this task is well under way.

Hurley stops to regard the pieces of pipe extending from the top of the woodstove.

HURLEY

I mentioned to this young lady your two boys are ready to start going to school.

WILLIAM

Thanks Ed.

HURLEY

Yes, I suppose this will be your palace from now on, eh Miss? He He.

Miss Pallas nearly rolls her eyes at Hurley's pun.

MISS PALLAS

Actually, my name isn't spelled that way, it's P-A-L-L-A-S, like the Goddess of Wisdom, Pallas Athena.

Miss Pallas points to a painting above her desk showing Athena in the flowing robes of a Greek Goddess. Hurley looks up at it in wonder.

HURLEY

That so? Goddess of Wisdom? Maybe she's the one who got this whole Suffragette business started, He He.

Miss Pallas looks up at the painting as she speaks. Hurley looks at William who continues assembling the pipes.

MISS PALLAS

You could say that Mr. Hurley. But one day women will gain the right to vote, that is what the suffragette business is all about.

HURLEY

Well, let's pretend for a moment that this really came to pass, tell me Miss, who would you vote for?

MISS PALLAS

The candidate who showed concern for all their constituents, not just private concerns.

HURLEY

He-he, when that person is running for office you tell me who they are so I can make a campaign contribution. I always did like the sound of a penny hitting a tin cup.

Hurley reaches into his pocket and takes out some money that he hands to William.

HURLEY

Much obliged William, thanks for getting the wood stove ready.

WILLIAM

Thanks Ed.

William lifts the sections of pipe that are fitted together and allows the end to go through a round hole in the wall. He places the other end on top of the pipe he had placed on the wood stove and lets the longer pipe drop into place.

HURLEY

Very nice William, good-day to you Miss, my best to the children.

As Hurley walks from the schoolroom Miss Pallas and William look uneasily at each other.

WILLIAM

When will you be openin' the school?

MISS PALLAS

I expect to be ringing the bell for the first time tomorrow morning.

WILLIAM

I better get outside and finish that smoke stack.

MISS PALLAS

Thank you Mr. Collier.

EXT. TOWN OF MERCERVILLE - DAY

A group of men stand in front of a new brick building that has been built in the center of town. Several workmen on scaffolds paint the window frames of the building.

William walks up to the group carrying a rolled-up burlap sack which he hands to a tall man wearing a black derby.

WILLIAM

Here you are Mr. Dawson, now people will be able to find your building.

DAWSON

They won't have much trouble finding this building. It's the tallest building in Mercerville, five stories not including the ground floor. There's not another building like it for fifty miles in any direction in Pennsylvania.

William looks up at the building, there is a smooth rectangular space of cement with narrow grooves running across it between the bricks near the top floor.

Dawson opens the sack and takes out several iron numbers that William made with spikes in the back to hammer them into the grooves in the facade of the building.

Dawson runs his thumb over the spikes, nods in approval and takes out some money and hands it to William.

DAWSON

Thanks Mr. Collier, these will be the finishing touch on the front of this building, how do you like it?

WILLIAM

What d'you need all them floors for?

DAWSON

Progress Mr. Collier, this building can house a bank, a post office, a newspaper, it can be City Hall if we want it to. This is the way of the future.

WILLIAM

I suppose it is if you like climbin' stairs. Thank you Mr. Dawson.

Dawson shakes his head and watches William cross the street. William walks to one of the shops along Main Street.

A painted sign hangs from a signpost in front of the shop: Peter Standlin: Printing. It is where the town newspaper, the Mercerville News is published. William's old friend PETER STANDLIN is inside reading a newspaper as William enters.

INT. NEWSPAPER OFFICE - DAY

PETER

Hello William! Long time, what brings you in here?

Peter stands and extends his hand and William shakes it.

WILLIAM

Just dropped-off the numbers for the front of the new building.

PETER

Yep, she's a beauty.

WILLIAM

I think they're tryin' to make this town look like Pittsburgh. I told that Dawson fella' it was a real nice building if you like climbin' stairs.

PETER

You said that to him? They asked me if I wanted to relocate the newspaper into that building. I told them I wasn't interested in paying more rent right now.

WILLIAM

You got time for a drink?

PETER

For my old friend, sure I do.

Peter plucks his coat from a wooden stand near the door.

PETER

Let's go.

INT. SALOON - DAY - CONTINUOUS

There are not many people in the saloon at that time. The BARTENDER steps over to them as they approach the bar.

BARTENDER

What can I get you Gentlemen?

(Places glasses in front of them)

PETER

Whiskey.

WILLIAM

You seen that new school they built across from the church?

PETER

Yes, it's just about ready to open, I'm supposed to run something in the newspaper about it.

WILLIAM

I just got finished puttin' in the woodstove. Old Ed Hurley's been tellin' the teacher I got school-age kids to send there.

PETER

Your two boys can go if you want, that's why they call it public education. I assure you it's going to be the law soon. In some states it's already the law.

WILLIAM

I heard the same words from that teacher this mornin'.

PETER

I'll bet you did, I heard she's from Massachusetts. They've had compulsory education there for a number of years.

WILLIAM

You know I need Joshua to work with me most'a the time. How am I supposed to start sendin' him to school now?

PETER

You're that busy you need Joshua with you all the time? If you are I'm glad to hear it.

WILLIAM

I don't need'em all the time. He's just gettin' to the age where I can start teachin'em somethin' useful.

PETER

Whether Joshua works with you or not he still should have an education. Don't you want him to learn how to read?