MovieChat Forums > Salem's Lot (1979) Discussion > Script Notes on Salem's Lot

Script Notes on Salem's Lot

posted 8 years ago by elmadman_99
20 replies | jump to latest

This post is a more detailed version of one that appeared last year on the IMDb board. The original post has long since dropped off the board.

I hope you will enjoy it.

A number of years ago I bought an original shooting script for Salem’s Lot on Ebay, from someone who lived in LA, and had picked it up at a yard sale.

The shooting script reflects pretty much what is shown in the 183 minute miniseries. However I thought it would be both worthwhile and interesting to make some notes on anything that was different – or in fact any extra material – shown in the shooting script, which wasn’t shown in the broadcast of the miniseries.

Credits page for the script reads:

From the novel by
Stephen King

Executive Producer
Stirling Silliphant

Producer
Richard Kobritz

Writer
Paul Monash

Director
Tobe Hooper

Property of:
Warner Bros. Television
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, California 91522

Shooting Script
June 11, 1979

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

The script is 195 pages long and the differences – from the broadcast 183 minute miniseries - are as follows:

Page 10
An extended conversation between Gillespie and Crockett about Ben Mears coming to Salem’s Lot.

Gillespie
‘Afternoon, Larry.

Crockett
(pausing) Parkins. How’s the missus?

Gillespie
Complaining. Car’s from Colorado.

Crockett
Is that where?

Gillespie
Long way from Maine. What did he want?

Crockett
Rent a house. Something fishy about him.

Gillespie
What?

Crockett
Can’t say. Think he lived here before. Knew Railroad Street.

Gillespie
He did? Summer visitor?

Crockett
Can’t say. Can’t put my finger on him. Looks alright, but still. Can’t rightly say. Sent him to Eva’s

Gillespie
Well?

Crockett
Getting warm.

Page 24-25
Extended conversation between Ann and Susan Norton about life in a small town and a comparison between Ben Mears and Ned Tebbets.

Ann
What is his book about?

Susan
His latest is about two men.

Ann
Not one of those?

Susan
It’s very beautifully written.

Ann
Goes into a lot of detail, I suppose.

Susan
Well, that’s what sells books, Mother. People want a lot of explicit…

Ann
(sharply)
I don’t

Susan
I mean most people.

Ann
I’m not ‘most people.’ How does he know about those things?

Susan
I don’t know, Mother. He just knows. But you’ve got to admit, Mother he does seem manly.

Ann
That’s a matter of opinion. I thought you were seeing Ned Tebbets.

Susan
I’ve seen Ned Tebbets.

Ann
He seems serious about you.

Susan
Mother, even if I stay in the Lot for the rest of my life. I’m not going to marry Ned Tebbets.

Ann
You could do worse. He’s bought some land with Larry Crockett, is going to build…

Susan
Mother!

Ann
Women have to be practical, Susan.

Ann, back straight, attitude rigid, is starting for the kitchen. Susan stops her with:

Susan
Mother, Ben’s book…

Ann
I won’t read it.

Susan
I was teasing you. It’s about a man and a woman.

Ann
That can be just as bad.

Okay, Susan, you can’t win.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 28-29
Extended talk between Susan and Ben about Ned Tebbets.

Susan
In high school he was BMOC. Three letter man – football, basketball, hockey.

Ben
And you were a cheerleader?

Susan
Right.

Ben
Twirled a baton?

Susan
Still can. Want a demonstration?

Ben
Not while I’m driving. (moment) So you and Ned Tebbet…

Susan
Tebbets. And the answer is yes. And then I went to college, and the answer became, no.

Page 31
Extended talk between Susan and Ben in Ben’s car about Ned Tebbets, and the possibility of them getting into a fight over Susan.

Ben
Let’s go in there.

Ben’s headlights flashpaint the other cars and then Ned Tebbets’ panel truck.

Ben
Better not?

Susan
No, I have a right. But…

Ben
He might bust me up?

Susan
Tell me you’re a black belt.

Ben
Hey, if you have a fantasy about two grown men beating each others brains out over you…

Susan
I don’t.

Ben
It’s not going to happen. Because I don’t like to fight. I’m am not a coward but…

Susan
You don’t have to explain.

Ben
I’m not hooked into the macho game. Is there anywhere else?

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 33
Extended talk between Susan and Ben at the lake about the Marsten House and the nature of evil.

Susan
Why the Marsten House?

Ben
I’ve always had this feeling about it. Evil. My aunt worked there, came in every day to keep house for Hubie Marsten. You know about him?

Susan
I’ve heard he was suspected of something… children disappearing and such. And he died there… suicide?

Ben
Some people say he fell down the cellar stairs. Others claim he hanged himself. I came back here to find out about it.

Susan
Why?

Ben
I don’t know. Something. You ever feel… something.

Susan
I feel something now.

Page 35
Scene between Ned and Susan in school where Ned tells Susan she was seen at the lake. She replies ‘This is a small town.’ The scene is left unresolved.

Susan
Hello, Ned. What are you doing here? Are you coming back to enrol?

Ned
Only to see you, teacher.

Susan
That’s not a good idea.

Ned
What’s going on with you, Susan?

Susan
What’s going on?

Ned
Where did you go last night?

Susan
You have no right to ask that.

Ned
I don’t have to ask. You were down at the lake. You were seen there.

Susan
This is a small town.

The door opens. A couple of kids are drifting in.

Susan
(continuing: quickly)
Can we talk about it later?

Ned
I’ll wait for you after school. I’ll wait outside.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 44
Scene between Bill Norton and Ann about Susan and the nature of her relationships with artistic men who do not work 9 to 5 jobs.

Ann
He’s the kind of man who unsettles her. A writer.

Norton
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Longfell…

Ann
Please be serious.

Norton

I am. Writing is an honorable profession, even in New England.

Ann
I don’t know why she’s attracted to these artistic types.

Norton
Because she’s one herself.

Ann
What about the one in New York? The painter? Do you want her to go through that again?

Norton
It was part of her growing up.

Ann
That’s the way you look at it?

Norton
Not entirely, but women do have painful love affairs.

Ann
She’s your daughter.

Norton
She’s a woman.

Ann
You could try to protect her…

Norton
Stop drawing up a whole bunch of particulars against this man. Alright he doesn’t have a nine to five job, and he does pound at a typewriter for a living – something that’s mysterious to most of us –

Ann
There’s no security.

Norton
Honey, she doesn’t have to marry a doctor. She doesn’t have to marry a plumber. She doesn’t have to marry. She’s free – and let’s accept that. (moment) Alright? (moment) Alright?

Ann
(finally) Ask him to stay for dinner.

Norton
Thank you.

Page 52
Extended discussion between Ned and Mike at the docks about moving the crate.

The warehouse is almost empty. Most of it is in shadow. But the light does splash on an upright wooden crate with a brown invoice envelope taped to the side. Mike and Ned are staring at it when suddenly Mike leaps into the air, kicking and screaming.

Ned
What…?

Mike
Rat! Damned rat!

Floyd [Ned] laughs at him

Ned
Just give him the boot.

Mike
Hear ‘em? I hate ‘em!

Ned
C’mon, let’s get this done.

He slits open the invoice envelope.

Mike
What’s it say?

Ned
Heroin. Two hundred pounds…

Mike
Gimme that.

He grabs the invoice.

Mike
(reading)
Sideboard. Circus 1780.
Hellpewhite. What’s that?

Ned
Kind of antique. Let’s move it. C’mon, c’mon.

They struggle with the crate

Watchman (O.S.)
You all right there?

Ned
Everything’s under control.

Mike
Want to help us, man?

Watchman
Ha, ha!

Ned
(muttering as they manoeuvre the crate)
Works for the government. What can you expect?

Page 57
More dialogue about the crate. Ned says: ‘Stop the truck we’ll open the damned thing.’

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 65 to 66
More dialogue between Ned and Mike outside the Marsden House bore the crate is delivered.

Mike
You see any lights at all?

Ned
No. Nothing.

Mike
Creepy place.

Ned
You should be used to this, digging all those graves and all.

Mike
Hey, I do that in the daytime. See that bulkhead?

Ned
That it over there?

Mike
Think so. Let me swing around.

Between page 90 and 91
In the movie there is an unscripted scene of Mike finding Faithful his dog dead with a look of resigned horror on his face.

Page 100 and101
Contains the scene of Mike finding his dog.

Page 104 to 106
An extended discussion between Ben and Eva. Eva tells Ben she was married to Weasel and Ben says he remembers her from his childhood days in the town.

Ben
Can I get some coffee?

Eva
There it is. Help yourself.

As Ben does so:

Eva
(continuing) You know I was married to Weasel?

Ben
I heard that.

Eva
I was once a big loud broad who turned men’s heads… Can you believe that?

Ben
I believe it.

Eva
I turned heads. Now look.

Ben touches her gently

Ben
You’re beautiful. And I remember you.

Eva
You do?

Ben
I remember when you’d visit with my aunt. You kissed me once. And held me.

Eva
You remember that?

Ben
I remember how I felt. In fact, that’s part of what I’m writing about.
(small hug) And if Weasel reads that, he’ll go crazy with jealousy.

Voice (O.S.)
Ben Mears. Telephone!

Ben
(up) Coming!

Eva
You’ve made my day.

He exits the kitchen. Eva looks after him with a sad affection.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 115
An extended discussion between June and Ted Petrie on Mark’s reaction to the death of Danny Glick

June
Do you think it’s affected him, Ted?

Ted
Hard to tell. (lights his pipe) He’s got a hell of a poker face.

June
Still waters run deep, though.

Ted
(drawing) Never do know just what he is thinking.

June
You have talks with him.

Ted
Yeah, but still you never know. He never shows much of anything. Or tells.

June
I wonder why.

Ted
Nothing to worry about. Some people are like that. Don’t forget this is Calvin Coolidge country, just about.

June
Well, Mark isn’t Calvin Coolidge.

Ted
No, and he isn’t going to become President either.

June
We don’t know about that.

Ted
I’m willing to give up that part of the American dream.

June
Mark must feel something. The Glick boys were on their way back from seeing him. And now… did you look at him during the funeral?

Ted
He keeps his feelings in hand.

June
I don’t want him going in the woods anymore.

Ted puts his pipe away.

Ted
I’m going to see him. (at foot of stairs) Sometimes I think his being an only child…

June
(some acerbity) It’s not for lack of trying.

The look between them tells their history and Ted continues up the stairs.

Page 120 to 121
An extended discussion between Ben and Jason on the Marsten House and how it inspired nightmares in Ben as a child.

Jason
Have you ever been inside?

Ben
No. But I’ve dreamed about it.

Jason
And…?

Ben
Nightmares.

Jason
Such as?

Ben
Blood. Being chased.

Jason
By whom? What?

Ben
Great formless things. Shapeless things. Nightmare things.

Jason
All your subconscious fears…

Ben
Tuned into that house.

Jason
Did your aunt ever tell you anything that would… well, make you afraid?

Ben
Of the house? No, she said it was furnished in a perfectly ordinary way. Hubie Marsten liked everything neat, clean, orderly. And that’s the way she kept it except for the cellar.

Jason
Except for the cellar?

Ben
He never let her go into the cellar.

Jason
And she never sneaked down there?

Ben
She was too afraid of Hubie.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 132 to 133
An extended scene where Ben enters Jason’s house, and they discuss the possibility of Mike’s death and what it implies for the town, before going up to Mike’s room.

Jason faces Ben. Ben takes the crucifix out of his pocket.

Ben
It’s Eva’s

Ben’s eyes fall on two peculiar items on the hallway table: an old-fashioned clasp Bible and a .38 revolver.

Ben
(continuing) What’s the matter?

Jason
Thank God you’re here.

He picks up the revolver.

Ben
Hey, don’t play with that thing. Is it loaded?

Jason
Yes, it’s loaded. Although I don’t think it would do any good.

He sets the revolver down.

Ben
You look awful. What’s up?

Jason
There’s a dead man upstairs.

Ben
Mike Ryerson?

Jason
Yes. Dead.

Ben
Are you sure?

Jason
I am in my guts. Although I haven’t looked in on him. I haven’t dared. Because in another way, he might not be dead at all.

Ben
Jason, you’re not talking sense.

Jason
Don’t you think I know that? I’m talking nonsense and I’m thinking madness. But, remember, Danny Glick died of pernicious anemia and Mike fell asleep after burying him and didn’t wake up until morning. And you saw Mike.

Ben
(weakly) This is today. New England. Small town. This isn’t…

Ben stops, looking at Jason. He fingers the crucifix.

Ben
(continuing) Alright. Madness. Let’s go upstairs and have a look. Take this.

Jason takes the crucifix as they start up the stairs.

Page 153 to 156
An extended scene between Ben and Father Callahan on the possibility of a vampire infestation and how Father Callahan can assist.

Ben
Drive me to St. Jude’s. I want to see a priest.

Susan
Father Callahan?

Ben
Father Callahan

Susan sits quietly in the corner of the room while Ben talks with Callahan

Ben
Well, do you believe me?

Callahan
You seem a reasonably balanced young man…

Ben
Do you believe me?

Callahan
I believe you believe what you say

Ben glances at Susan, before:

Ben
Then you don’t believe me.

Callahan pours himself a short drink.

Callahan
Well, I am in the business of dealing with the supernatural. But I am an agent of the Holy Catholic Church. And, you see, the overall concept of evil in the Catholic Church has undergone a radical change in this century.

Ben
Influence of Freud

Callahan
Partly, Evil with a small ‘e.’

Ben
Satan with a small tail. No witches, incubi…

Susan
(from the shadows)
… vampires.

Callahan
Vampires?

Ben
In Salem’s Lot.

Susan
Father, have you noticed anything out of the way, peculiar…?

Callahan
To do with vampires?

Ben
With anything.

Callahan studies them.

Callahan
Well, the Molloys weren’t at Mass this morning, and Mrs. Molloy never misses. And Mrs. Glick – but she’d suffered a terrible blow.

Ben
Ned Tebbets. Mike Ryerson.

Callahan
And the McConnell baby. You think this Straker is a vampire. Seriously?

Ben
Not a vampire, a vampire’s helper. Barlow – whoever he is – Barlow is the vampire.

Callahan
And Barlow is here?

Ben
Barlow is here. Possibly in the Marsten House, although that seems obvious. Possibly hiding somewhere else. But Barlow is here.

Another pause.

Callahan
What do you want me to do?

Ben
First, prepare holy water. Then go to the hospital, sprinkle it over Jason Burke’s bed. And pray for him.

Callahan
And then?

Ben
Help us in every way you can – through prayer, spiritual power…

Telephone rings. Callahan takes the call.

Callahan
St. Jude’s… Yes, this is he… Yes, I will. I’ll come over.

He hangs up.

Callahan
That was one of my parishioners. It seems his son Mark is telling a wildly imaginative story.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

Page 167
Extended dialogue between Ben and Susan after the Marjorie Glick / morgue scene.

Ben
Marjorie Glick rose and joined the Undead.

Susan
The Undead?

Ben
She’s become a vampire too. Soon the whole town of Salem’s Lot… You’ll have to go.

Susan
Mother and Dad?

Ben
Your father’s going to help me destroy this creature. But you take your mother, tomorrow, during daylight…

Susan
What about the others?

Ben
Would they believe us? Before we could make everyone believe, they’d all be among them.

Susan
Can’t you get help? The county or the state police…

Ben
Or the FBI Vampire Squad? No one would believe this is happening.

Susan
But you say it is happening.

Ben
It is happening.

He puts his arms around her.

Ben
(continuing) You’ll have to be out of town before sunset tomorrow. Take your mother with you anyone else you can persuade. And when this is over…

He kisses her. And they lock into an embrace more desperate and despairing than passionate.

I hope that was interesting and informative. If you have any questions on the script notes, just post.

Cheers and respect.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 8 years ago

That was really good.

I could see a lot of stuff that was directly from the book.

I'd love to see more of the interaction between Ben and Jason when Ben arrives at Jason's house. (I suspect that scene was filmed but deleted.)

The part about Father Callahan getting the call from the Petries is interesting. It showed why Callahan went for his crucifix when Barlow attacked the Petries. Of course, it doesn't say why Mark felt he could actually tell his parents that and expect they'd believe him.

[–] gary_overman 8 years ago

That was really good.

I could see a lot of stuff that was directly from the book.

I'd love to see more of the interaction between Ben and Jason when Ben arrives at Jason's house. (I suspect that scene was filmed but deleted.)

The part about Father Callahan getting the call from the Petries is interesting. It showed why Callahan went for his crucifix when Barlow attacked the Petries. Of course, it doesn't say why Mark felt he could actually tell his parents that and expect they'd believe him.

I agree with Toronto here. Thanks for posting it.

[–] Cultfilmfeverforever 8 years ago

Thank you SO MUCH. I love, love, love The Lot. I thank you so much for sharing this. Sheds a lot of light on a lot of different things, especially the relationship between Susan and her mother. I would love to see an unedited DVD with deleted scenes and some commentary (if there's not already one; I'll have to check for it). Commentary from cast AND crew. Some of the greatest, wildest anecdotes I've heard have come from crew members. Most of them have always been great company, good people. Thank you again.

[–] elmadman_99 8 years ago

If anyone has any questions on the script notes, then please feel free to post.

Cheers for now.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TheSolarSailor 8 years ago

That was really interesting. It is always cool to get extra little tidbits about this great flick. Thank you for sharing!

- - - - - - -
I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

[–] Jefbecco-1 7 years ago

Good stuff. I always had a feeling the scene where Susan and her mother were talking about Ben and his writing had been cut short.

[–] elmadman_99 (56) 7 years ago

Thanks to Jim @ Movie Chat we could be back in business after the silly decisions of IMDb.

Hat's of to Jim. I hope the other frequent posters will drop by here soon.

Cheers to all.

[–] Strannger (2007) 7 years ago

I wish you guys and Gary had stuck around. We seemed to be booming for awhile. The bad thing is good people are gone. So many posters I miss.

[–] Gary O. (997) 7 years ago

Hey folks, just in case anyone missed me, I'M BAAAAACK!

My old Dell was still on XP and t wouldn't let me on here, so I finally got a new laptop.

[–] Strannger (2007) 7 years ago

Hey Gary. Glad too see you joining us again. I hoped you would have. Like I told you Jim has done a good job upgrading and having some of the regulars back is wonderful.

Also Gary, I'm curious about your thoughts on Salems lot. Did you enjoy it like the stand?

[–] Gary O. (997) 7 years ago

I liked SL, but The Stand was (and is) still my favorite SK story, both book and movie.