Screenplay from Chimes at Midnight

 The screenplay below is from Orson Welles's film Chimes at Midnight, which combines the series of plays into one movie focusing on Falstaff.  Click on the hyperlinks to see various aspects of a screenplay, noting the differences between a screenplay and a play script.  You should be familiar with this scene, the sort of play-within-a-play when Falstaff pretends to be the Prince, and Hal pretends to be the King.

328.

 

 

 

 The Prince, as in 318.  Women seated in the background applaud.  The Prince moves left until, almost entirely concealed by Falstaff, he reaches to pull him out of his seat.  

PRINCE:  Dost thou speak like a king?  Do thou stand for me.

 
329.

 

 LS:  the Prince and Falstaff stand in front of the table as the Prince, after pulling Falstaff away from the chair, reaches to grasp Falstaff's friar's robe.  

 
330. 

 

 

 

 

 Low angle LS: the Prince and Falstaff, framed by two women and the Page who sit on a bench in the foreground.  Poins and Bardolph stand to the right.  The Prince pulls off Falstaff's robe, grabs his saucepan hat, and begins to climb up on the table.  Poins dashes forward toward the Page and reaches for his hat.

PRINCE:  I'll play my father.
FALSTAFF:  Depose me?//  

 
331.

 

 

 MCU: the Page, as his hat is lifted off his head, raises his hands to his head and laughs.  A
laughing woman is sitting behind him.  

 
332.


 

 

 MCU:  Falstaff puts on the Page's hat.  On the platform behind and above him, the Prince stands with his dark cloak wrapped around him, the saucepan-crown now on his head.  A low crossbeam in the middle of the frame separates the two men.  The Prince sits down on the "throne" as Falstaff turns toward him.  

PRINCE:  Here I am set.

 
333.

 

 

 The Hostess, as in 324.

FALSTAFF (off):  And here I stand.

334.

 

 

MCU:  Falstaff, at the left, turns toward the Prince, who is sitting sideways behind him on the right.

PRINCE (imitating the King's voice):  Now, Harry, whence come you?
FALSTAFF:  My noble lord, from Eastcheap.

335.

 

MCU:  the Prince from the side, his hand covering his eyes in mock despair.

PRINCE:  The complaints I hear of thee are grievous.  

336.

 

 

Falstaff, as in 334.

FALSTAFF:  'Sblood, my lord, they are false.  (He turns to the camera and the tavern
audience, and winks.)  Nay, I'll tickle ye for a young prince.//

337.



MCU:  a woman in the right foreground, with the Page at the left of the screen and other women standing and sitting in the background.  All are laughing and applauding, and the Page cries "Falstaff! "

 

     

             

     

   

           

  

  

            

  

            

     

    

   

    

 

 

 

Shot Number:  This identifies a specific shot, which ends with a cut or other transition to the next shot.

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Stage Directions:  The description in italics notes what the camera is seeing, any action by the characters, and any important detail included in the shot.

 

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Cinematography Directions:  Approximate descriptions of camera angle, focus & location.  Abbreviations as follows:

ELS

Extreme Long Shot

LS

Long Shot

MLS

Medium Long Shot

MS

Medium Shot

CU

Close Up

ECU

Extreme Close Up

 

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Ellipsis:  Indicates that dialogue has been cut from the script.

 

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