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University

ABSTRACT

A TELEVISION PRODUCTION OF
DOUGLAS MOORE'S OPERA THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER

by M. Scott Mampe

From the very beginning of television, people interested
in opera have recognized the possibilities of transmitting
opera to large audiences via this new medium. Much has been
done in the relatively short history of television in the
field of opera, but the operas produced have been mainly from
the standard repertoire. This means, of course, that the
opera of America has been seriously neglected.

There is no doubt that this part of American culture
should be brought to the public, but the problems of opera
production are many and complex. Opera directors and tele-
vision directors both are aware of the problems in their re-
spective areas, but little has been written about these prob-
lems when the two media are combined. Even if the technical
problems are overcome, there are very few television adapta-
tions of opera that unite the capabilities of television and
the artistic integrity of the opera.

In an attempt to fill this need, this thesis, a televis-
ion adaptation of Douglas Moore's opera, The Devil and Daniel
Webster, presents the problems involved in a TV production

of this opera and at least one solution of them. Besides a

brief discussion of the general problems in opera production

M. Scott Mampe

for television, the specific problems encountered in this
particular opera in the sets, lighting, orchestra placement,
orchestration, singers, special effects, motivation of camera
shots, and'combination of musical score and non-musical script,
are presented. The aim is not to establish rigid rules for
opera production, but simply to provide a guide for the pro-

duction of The Devil and Daniel Webster or any other similar

 

opera. While the interpretation of the opera is set forth
in the production script, the actual production of the opera,
_ itself depends on the artistic values of the individual

director.

A TELEVISION PRODUCTION OF
DOUGLAS MOORE'S OPERA THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER

 

By

M. Scott Mampe.

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
Department of Television and Radio

196A

Approved ///L //{L\‘

Major Professor

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank Florence Bednarski for the time and
patience she devoted to translating my rough verbal sketches
into the drawings included in this thesis. She and her art
work have given me much inspiration. I also wish to thank
Warren Happel, Chief Television Engineer at WMSB-TV, for his
wonderful technical assistance in special effects. Finally,
my deepest gratitude to Mr. Arthur Weld, a creative and
understanding advisor whose high standards provided challenge
and direction from which I have greatly benefited.

»
--M. Scott Mampe

ii

CONTENTS

Page
INTRODUCTIONOOIOOOOOOOOO00.00.00.010OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO000.001

PROBLEMS IN PRODUCTIONOOOIOOICOCOOOOOOCCOOOOCOOOOOOOO00.0.09
THE PRODUCTION OF THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER............13

 

PRODUCTION SCRIPTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.000....0.0.0.00000000000061
BIBLImRAPHYOI.00.00.00..OOOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOOOOOOO00.0.0000128

111

INTRODUCTION

Television, being an aural and visual medium, is well-
suited for the presentation of opera, regardless of the
difficulties involved. This television adaptation of the
opera The Devil and Daniel Webster by Douglas Moore and
Stephen Vincent Benet, is an attempt to present not only the
problems encountered in a TV production of this opera and at
least one solution of them, but also a discussion of the place
of American opera in television production.

The absence of serious American music from our broadcast
media and our concert halls is partially responsible for the
average American's unawareness of his own music. While he“
may hear one composition written by an American during a
two-hour program, it is more likely that American music will
be bypassed in favor of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Tchaikov-
sky, Debussy, Ravel, or a host.of other European composers
whose works comprise the standard concert repertoire. Although
the music of these composers deserves a place in our concerts,
there is no excuse for the small amount of performance given
our native music.

When we review the history of American music, we find

that our early composers were heavily influenced by their

1

European brothers, and that to attain any degree of success
in the musical world it was necessary to study in Europe.
This was true not only for composers but also for performers.
As America developed as a nation, her cultural life became
more independent of Europe's until in the twentieth century
the art of America was accepted by Europe. The problem re-
mains, however, for this native art has not been accepted

by Americans themselves. At the present time, America has a
wealth of excellent music schools, composers, and performing
artists who have relatively few outlets for their creativity
in their own country and who find it necessary to gain a
reputation abroad before venturing on an artistic life in
the United States.

If the prospects for American music in general are not
good, the prospects for American opera are even worse. Since'
the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1883,
almost all of the opera staged in America has been written by
Europeans, and even today it is a rare event when an opera
composed by an American is produced in this country. Yet
the American opera composer is not alone. The majority of
American opera stars performing here today have found European
training and performing experience almost a necessity for
entrance into American opera companies. In recent years the
growth of community and college sponsored opera companies
has alleviated the problem somewhat, but in general, the sit-

uation still needs improvement.

With the advent of radio, some thought was given to the
presentation of opera through this medium, and in 1931 the
first Metropolitan Opera broadcast occurred. These broad-
casts, which are still carried on today, have become extremely
popular and have brought opera to millions of people. The
fact remains, however, that opera is an aural ang_visual art,
and to be properly understood and enjoyed it must be viewed
as well as heard.

It was natural, therefore, that opera and television
should be linked from the beginning. Although TV sets were
rare in the early 1940's and the audience necessarily very_

small, the first act of Pagliacci was presented on March 10,

 

1940, by NBC, and the General Electric television station in
Schenectady, New York, began producing operas in 1943. In
1944, Herbert Graf began producing operatic scenes and con-
densed versions of operas for NBC.1 Thus, NBC took and held
the lead in operatic production for television.

While all this work in opera for television was certainly
commendable, little was done for the American composer. CBS

presented Menotti’s Old Maid and The Thief in 1949, and al-

 

though Menotti is not American born, he is so closely connected
with American opera that no real distinction can be made.

Then in April 1951, Rudolf Bing, manager of the Metropolitan
Opera House, announced that the Met would prepare operas

especially for television in English to be performed in TV'

_._
j_._

1Herbert Graf, Producing Opera for America (Zurich/New
York: Atlantis Books, 1961), p. 148. .

studios. Mr. Bing's purpose was to present both new and old
works and to encourage contemporary composers and young

2 The idea was excellent but it never materialized.

singers.
The first decisive step was taken by the television in—
dustry in 1951 when NBC commissioned Menotti to write an opera

expressly for television. The result was Amahl and The Night

 

Visitors produced in December of the same year. In April of

 

1952, NBC President, Joseph H. McConnell announced that NBC
would present two or three operas by American composers dur-
ing the 1952-53 season.3 The NBC Opera Company, begun in
1949 and headed by Samuel Chotzinoff, was becoming firmly
established and held great promise for young composers and
performing artists.

The next season was filled with plans for televised operas
in various forms. November 1952 saw the production of Leonard

Bernstein's Trouble In Tahiti written for television. The

 

Metropolitan Opera was considering pay TV for opera audiences
and actually signed with ABC to televise its stage production
of Carmen in December 1952, via closed circuit in theaters

throughout the country.l‘l CBS produced 135th Street by Gershwin

 

in March 1953.
1954 proved an unproductive year for American opera in

network television, but in 1955 the networks made amends.

*

2New York Times, May 3, 1951, 1:2.

 

3New York Times, May 27, 1952, 89:1.

“New York ijea, November 14, 1952, 1:4.

The Mighty_Casey_by William Schuman was shown on CBS in March,

 

Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street appeared on NBC in May,

 

and Lukas Foss' Griffelkin, commissioned by NBC was premiered

 

in November. Only one American opera appeared in 1956: The

Trial at Rouen by Norman Dello Joio in April on NBC.

 

February 10, 1957 was an exciting day for opera fans

with television sets. ABC presented The Ballad of Baby Doe

 

by Douglas Moore, and NBC gave its production of La Grande

 

Breteche, the opera it had commissioned from Stanley Hollings-

 

worth. Following the pattern that seemed to be evolving,
1958 was a year of rest.
In 1959 another Menotti opera commissioned by NBC

appeared. Premiered in Brussels, Maria Golovin was seen on

 

television in March. An exciting new step was taken this
year. WAVE in Louisville, Kentucky, commissioned Leo Hoiby
to write an opera for the opening of its television—radio

center. The result, Beatrice, was premiered on October 23,

 

and although the production was successful it does not appear

that other stations have followed the practice.5 Three more

television productions of American opera have occurred in the
last four years. NBC presented Deseret by Leonard Kastle in

1961, and Menotti's Labyrinth in 1963, and ABC televised Ell-

 

stein's Thief and The Hangman in 1961.

 

During the period from 1940 to 1963, many operas were

Prepared for production on television, but the operas chosen

__‘

5William Mootz, "Hoiby Opera Launches Louisville TV
Station", Musical America, November, 1959, 79:7.

 

followed the pattern of the opera houses in the United States
in that they were mostly written by European composers before
1900. Some contemporary operas were used, but Verdi, Puccini,
and similar composers remained the favorites. The prohibitive
cost of producing a full length opera did not encourage the

television industry to take a chance with new works regardless
of the prestige involved. (The cost of NBC's production of

The Magic Flute ran $140,000, not including the cost of net-

 

work time on Sunday afternoon.6) It is understandable that,
with the cost being so high, few local stations have produced
operas.

There have been a couple of notable exceptions. In May
1959, "The Catholic Hour", a weekly half—hour program on NBC,

presented four original operas: The Juggler, The Cage, The

 

Decoration, and £91cedo.7 The other organization that was

 

brave enough to enter the field of opera for television was
the National Television and Radio Center, commonly known as
NET. In 1957 NET distributed "Opera for Today", a series of
six thirty—minute programs discussing various aspects of opera
with illustrations, produced by WQED in Pittsburgh. This

was followed the same year by "Opera for Tomorrow", a series
of ten programs of a similar nature also produced by WQED.
Both programs made use of the talents of Boris Goldovsky,

long an outstanding figure in the opera world, especially

in New England.

6Ibid.

Q

7"Catholic venture in TV", Newsweek, May 4, 1959, 53:67.
(N0 composers were listed for these four operas.)

‘

In 1961 NET released three programs, one hour in length,
entitled "Opera and Art". While the series included full
performances of two operas and a survey of contemporary art,
the works of American composers were not present. In 1963
NET released several videotaped performances of operas which
were enjoyed by opera fans throughout the country, but again
the works of American composers were excluded.8

To many, the above may imply an unfair criticism of
television, for it is apparent that the majority of TV viewers
are not interested in opera, European or American, old or
new. However, this situation may be due to the viewer's
small exposure to the art and not to a natural dislike of
it. The small number of opera companies in the United States
does not allow the average person to become acquainted with
opera; and television provides a medium through which opera
can be presented to millions. There is no reason why opera
should be limited to those people who have access to stage
performances of it.

Although,

in the field of opera, television
has barely scratched the surface,...it is
not surprising that few sponsors wish to
expend large sums of money merely to tickle

the fancy of the country's brotherhood of
opera-lovers.9

 

8A11 information concerning NET productions was obtained
from the files of NET in Ann Arbor, Michigan, through the
services of Jack Caldwell.

9Eugene V. Epstein, "The Future of Opera on TV", Opera
News, February 4, 1961, 25:31.

In view of this situation, it seems that television could
turn to the Metropolitan Opera Company for assistance, but
such is not the case, for in reality the situation in tele-
vision is representative of the state of music in general in
the leading musical organizations in the United States. On

December 29, 1963, in his column in the New York Times, music

 

critic Harold Schonberg issued an emphatic accusation against
the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.

Both organizations should be cultural leaders.
Far from leading the way, they are trooping
well in the rear, apparently quite happy to
adhere to the status quo and determined to do
nothing to rock the boat.10

Mr. Schonberg went on to say that

until the Metropolitan Opera gets a con—
sistently better brand of singing and con-
ducting and until its repertory shows at
least a trace of imagination, it will re-
main an expensive but culturally negligible
organization, one that is a long way from
filling its responsibilities.11

Mr. Eugene Epstein stated in Opera News that "by virtue of

 

its unique position in the United States, the Metropolitan
should be the vanguard in exploring the uncharted realms of
opera on television."12 Needless to say, this responsibility

has not been fulfilled.

10Harold C. Schonberg, "Happy New Year," New York Times,
December 29, 1963, II, 13:1.

 

l11bid., 13:2.

12Epstein, loc. cit.

 

PROBLEMS IN PRODUCTION

So much for the past. What concerns us now is the future
and it is in this direction that we must focus our attention.
Before advancing, we must determine if opera can be performed
successfully on television, and if so, what problems are in-
volved in a successful production. 'According to Herbert
Graf, an opera director with a long association with tele-
vision,
the new medium of television, at least in
its present stage of development, transmits
realistic action and intimate scenes very
successfully. Opera as an absolute art form,
however, and particularly opera on a large
scale, appears to much less advantage. A
great part of the operatic literature, in-
cluding Wagner, does not seem suited to
this medium as it now exists.13

Because of Mr. Graf's experience in the field, it would be

safe to assume that operas such as AIda, Die Gdtterdammerung,

 

and Samson et Dalila would be extremely difficult if not

 

impossible to stage for television due to the spacious set-
tings and large casts needed to make them effective.
That opera can be done successfully on television can

be proven by some of the American Broadcasts and certainly

 

l3Graf, op. cit., p. 68.
9

10
by the European broadcasts. The Italian TV Network produces
full-length operas in its Milan studios. Since 1946 the BBC
TV Servicr has produced sixty-five operas with between one-
fourth and one—third of the eighteen million viewers in Great
Britain tuning in to these broadcasts at present. France
presents opera occasionally as do Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland.1u‘

That problems should arise in opera production for
television is inevitable. The late Mr. Samuel Chotzinoff,
past music director for NBC and producer for the NBC Opera
Company, was faced with most of these problems and overcame
many of them in his many years of experience with opera on
television. According to Mr. Chotzinoff, simplicity in pro-
duction was the key word and "anything that detracts from
the Opera's story-line must be ruthlessly eliminated".15 He
felt that opera was not popular in the United States because
it was in a foreign language. In order to give his television
productions of opera a fair chance, he spent much time and
energy securing a good English translation of each foreign
opera NBC presented.

In 1952 Chotzinoff foresaw "the next decade as one in
which opera will become as natural to American life as Broad-

way Theater of the movies."16 It is unfortunate that his

 

141hid., p. o6.

15Samuel Chotzinoff, quoted in George Gent, "Good---But
Not Grand", New York Times, October 23, 1955, II, 11:8.

 

16Arthur Gelb, "Future of Video Opera", New York Times,
December 28, 1952, II, 10:1.

 

11 "

vision did not come true, but perhaps the next decade will
be more rewarding.

Chotzinoff was familiar with the problems that faced
the singers in TV studios. Acting on the stage of a large
opera house does not have to be extremely realistic or con-
vincing, and it must be done in a grand manner to be seen by
the audience. In television, the merciless eye of the camera
demands that the singer stay in his role at all times and
that his acting be convincing. There are many sections of
each opera, especially in the older ones, that are devoted
to description and exposition. The possibility of close-ups
with the TV camera eliminates the necessity for much of this.
"If the TV audience gets a good look at a performer's face
on the screen, you can, for instance, dispense with those
sections of the opera which describe the face."17 This does
not mean, of course, that all sections that have no real
practical or dramatic value should be eliminated. It simply
means that an opera written for the stage must undergo some
modifications for a TV performance because the two media are
different in some ways. The adaptation of the work for TV
can make the original more compact and give it more dramatic
believability.

The physical limitations of the TV studio must be taken
into consideration. It is almost impossible to place an
orchestra in the average studio along with sets, TV cameras,

crew, singers, chorus, and the rest of the paraphernalia

17Ibid.

12

necessary for the production. One solution of this problem
is the pre-recording of the music. The singers then simply
mouth the words, the music being fed into the studio during
the program. While this technique is fairly acceptable for

one or two musical numbers that appear in an otherwise non-

musical production, it becomes quite noticeable in an extended

musical production and destroys the dramatic impact and
illusion. Mr. Chotzinoff solved this problem by placing the
orchestra on a separate floor in a different studio. The
movements of the conductor were relayed to the studio with
the singers by television, and sub-conductors watched TV
monitors, giving the singers the cues from them.18 Although
this system is not ideal, so far it is the best one devised.
The final problem we shall discuss is faced by every
opera house when it stages a new production of an old opera,
but which is even more serious in a television production of

an old opera. An opera such as The Magic Flute or Carmen,

 

or a host of others has been performed hundreds of times all
over the world. In those productions a tradition has grown
up around the opera, setting a relatively rigid pattern for
productions to come. Therefore, any new production of these
works is open to criticism from opera-lovers, but-the tele-
vision production, because of the many adaptations absolutely
necessary for the medium, is an even wider target for the

comments of the traditionalists.

 

18Mootz, loc. cit.

THE PRODUCTION OF THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER

 

The Devil and Daniel Webster, rarely performed but of

 

high quality, is an excellent opera for television, and since
it is written in English, the problem of procuring a good,
working translation does not arise. This opera was composed
by Douglas Moore and the libretto was written by Stephen
Vincent Benet in 1938 and 1939. As it is a folk opera, there
is a great deal of spoken dialogue rather than extended reci-
tatives and it deals with historical figures from our past.
These characteristics add to its suitability for television.
The familiarity of the characters and the use of dialogue

to carry the plot will make acceptance of the opera easier
for those in the audience whd are not acquainted with this
form of music.

In order to adhere to the composer's intentions as much
as possible, there have been no cuts or changes in the actual
score of the opera. The only major change in the entire
opera is in the setting. While neither Mr. Moore nor Mr.
Benet actually specified where the opera was to take place,
the libretto seemed to indicate that the entire action took
place inside Jabez Stone's house. However, the difficulties

in attempting to create a realistic interior that was large

13

1 1.1

enough to accomodate the number of singers and dancers needed
in the opera induced me to place the opera outside in front
of and along the side of the house. This gives both the
cameras and the cast considerably more freedom of movement.
In line with this change, I have made several small changes
in the text to give unity of place to the opera so as to
avoid confusion for the viewers.

As the opera takes place in the evening in the 1840's,
the moving of the action from the interior to an exterior
brings up the problem of lighting. At this time in history
the only effective means of lighting an outdoor event was
through the use of large torches soaked in oil. It is not
possible, however, to place this type of torch in a TV studio
because of the sensitivity of the camera lens to brilliant,
concentrated lights and also because of fire regulations.

To achieve a realistic lighting effect without danger, I
would suggest the following method.

Large torches with hollow center can be constructed out
of wood. In the center, two small lamps, a small fan with
motor and batteries to provide power, should be placed in
the manner shown in the diagram on the next page. Thin strips
Of cellophane ribbon or vinyl yarn, uneven in length, should
be attached to the top of the torch. Air vents on the side
of the torch will allow air to enter the center of the torch,
and when the fan and lamps are turned on, the moving strips
of material reflecting the light from the lamps will simulate

fire.

 

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Three of these torches placed at the spots in the set as in-
dicated in the floor plan on page 17 will give a realistic
touch to the scene, and by having them battery operated,
there are no wires to restrict either their placement or the
camera movement. Care has been taken, to avoid placing them
in spots where they would appear in a camera closeup, for at
a close distance the fire will not appear real. The remainder
of the lighting should be of the Chiaroscuro type with strong
modeling lights illuminating the actors at key spots in the
sets.

The sets themselves are relatively simple. 0n the right
side of the studio is the main set which consists of the home

of Jabez Stone, two trestle tables with benches, and a large

l6

tree. The house is white frame with dark trim such as is
often seen in New England. Although the second story windows
can be seen, the actual roof of the house is not necessary as
it does not appear in any of the camera shots. A white pic-
ket fence marks the back of the set as far as the actors are
concerned, but a painted backdrop showing the fields behind
the house is needed for the camera's eye. On the left side
of the studio, but facing the right wall, is the courtroom
set. As this scene is played in limbo, the only background
necessary is some type of dark curtains. The remainder of
the set is made up of the jury box, the witness stand, the
judge's chair, and the clerk's desk, all of which can be
constructed out of wood, or materials that look like wood on
camera. Towards the front of the studio in front of the

dark curtains, a small area must be set aside and lit for
Mary. During the trial of Jabez Stone, Mary's head and shoul-
ders are superimposed above the heads of the jury, and for
this she must be lit and shot against a dark background.

(See drawings of sets on following pages.)

The equipment needed for the production of The Devil

 

and Daniel Webster is that which is normally found in a

 

medium-sized television station except for one item. The
camera shots I have called for in several places require the
use of a camera mounted on a Houston Dolly. The other two
cameras needed must be mounted on standard pedestals that
allow some up and down motion. The fourth camera is used
only for the special effect in the moth scene which is ex-

plained later.

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20

As mentioned earlier, there are several ways to handle
the problem of sound in a musical production. After some
consideration, I feel that the only way to achieve precise
ensemble singing and realistic drama on the screen lies in the
technique employed by Chotzinoff in his NBC Opera Theater
productions. To review this method, the orchestra is placed
in a separate studio and the conductor's directions are re-
layed to the studio with the cast via TV monitors. Sub-
conductors view this monitor and give these directions to
the singers. At least two monitors and sub—conductors will
be necessary for The Devil and Daniel Webster and possibly a
third, depending upon the singers. This technique was not
only proven successful in the NBC productions, but it was
also utilized successfully in the 1961 RCA Victor recording
of Aida in the Rome Opera House. I

Needless to say, all the technical facilities and assist-
ance available will not compensate for poor singing, so care
must be taken in casting to procure good singers who also
work well in ensemble groups. The timing and balance so
essential for good theater are even more important in opera
where the company must combine good acting with good singing.
A split second delay in a musical entrance can be fatal.

The music itself presents no problems. In the score,
which can be obtained from Boosey and Hawkes, Inc., in vocal
and orchestral forms, Douglas Moore calls for the following
orchestration: two flutes, one interchangeable with piccolo;

two oboes, one interchangeablewith English horn; two Clarinets,

21

one interchangeable with bass clarinet; two bassoons, one
interchangeable with contrabassoon; two horns; two trumpets;
one trombone; harp; timpani; percussion; and strings. If
this size orchestra is larger than a particular studio can
handle, a score for small orchestra with electric organ is
also available. However, the full orchestra is preferable
since in this production the orchestra will be placed in a
separate studio, I have chosen to use the larger one.

The problems of casting an opera for television are
many. Not only must the person have the proper voice for
the role, he must also be an excellent actor who "looks the
part". Many compromises have to be made in the casting
process in order to have a balanced cast, and to do this
successfully the producer and director must have a clear
picture in mind of the image they wish each character to
project in the opera. The following pages contain a brief
description of each character and his costume with an artist's

interpretation of the character.

22

At the time of the opera, Daniel Webster is about sixty
years old. He is tall and well-built....a solid figure that
represents the solidarity of the ideas for which he stands.
He is more than a man; he is a symbol of the United States
and her beliefs, and as such he is the dominant character
in the opera. His clothes are simple, but more dressy than
those of the other members of the cast. His dark gray dress
coat sets him apart from the cast and its color distinguishes
him from Scratch who is dressed in black. While his lines
at times present him as somewhat overbearing, his very human
enjoyment of his "ten-year 01d Medford" makes him a very

likeable person.

 

 

 

 

24

Mr. Scratch (the Devil) is a universal figure, but in

this opera his evil designs are tempered by humor. He is

a shrewd man, solely intent upon collecting what is due him,
but at the same time intrigued with the prospect of dealing
with the paragon of virtue and righteousness, Daniel Webster.
He is about medium height and very slender with a feline
grace to his movements. His coat is black with pointed tails
and his trousers are very tapered, giving him a continental
look amongst the New Englanders. His dark hair and extreme
widow's peak along with his neat goatee and slanted eyes
accentuate his sinister look, and his elegant black clothes

finish his deveilish appearance.

 

 

 

26

Jabez Stone is perhaps the weakest member of the cast.
Torn between his innate goodness and his love of material
success, his conflict does not assume noble proportions.
He faces the devil only because he has no other choice, and
but for Webster, would give up quite readily. His only
moment of real courage comes when he begs Webster to leave
so the Devil won't get him too. Altogether, Jabez is an
average man, in feelings, looks, and character. He should
appeal to the audience, but he is dominated throughout the
opera by Webster, Scratch and his wife. .About 30, he is
dressed in the clothes of the period with a patterned vest

to distinguish him from the male members of the chorus.

 

 

 

 

 

28

Mary Stone, although sweet and young, is a girl with
character. Her deeply felt beliefs in God and her sincere
love of Jabez refuse to allow her to accept this bargain
with the Devil. She has more courage than Jabez, and even
though Webster does not allow her to participate in the
trial, she is far more willing to do so than Jabez is. As
this all takes place on her wedding day, her dress is white
(or a pastel color that will appear as white on camera) and
more elegant than those of the other women, and she has

flowers and ribbons in her hair.

 

 

30

The Fiddler acts as a catalyst in the dramatic story
that begins with the opening of the Devil's collecting box.
He is an old New England musician to the core; taciturn,
skeptical, and proud of his position in the community. His
discovery of the moth in the box comes not from curiosity,
but wounded pride. One of the older members of the cast,
he adds an air of sobriety to the happy wedding festivities
that open the opera. His long hair and baggy frock coat
set him apart from the average person in the cast, but do

not put him on the same level as Scratch and Webster.

 

 

32

Justice Hathorne, one of the judges who presided over
(the Salem witch trials, is well-suited to his task and en-
joys himself immensely throughout the trial of Jabez Stone.
Dressed in the black robes and powdered wig of a justice,
he sincerely believes in his past and present work, and

carries out his present task with a business-like enthusiasm.

 

 

 

34

As the minor characters in the opera have very few
lines, sung or spoken, it is not essential to describe their
personalities in any great detail. The sketches on the
following pages are presented in order to give some idea of
their physical appearance. All members of the jury are seen
only in a sitting position, as they enter in semi-darkness.
Therefore the lower parts of their costumes are not impor-
tant and dark slacks would be best so as to make them more
invisible during their entrances and exits.

Simon Girty, a renegade who sided with the Indians in
their fight against the pioneers, is'a man of violence. His
face is scarred and his buckskin shirt is spattered with
blood.

Walter Butler, a man dedicated to the King during the
Revolution, is the only member of the jury to speak. 1A1-
though violent in his actions, he is not altogether evil as
his closing speech demonstrates. Dressed in Revolutionary
costume, his hand is burned from the many firebrands he
carried.

The Indian Chief, King Philip is a man who loved his
people and because of this, he led them into many bloody
battles. Killed in a great fight, he bears the scar upon
his head.

Blackbeard Teach, the pirate, is known for cruelty on
the high seas. His pirate hat and black patch distinguish
him from the rest of the jury, but his love of evil sets him

apart from some of the others.

 

 

 

 

 

/ :f‘" KING PHLIP

 

 

39

Smeet the strangler, like Blackbeard Teach, is innately
evil, although his methods were not extremely violent. A
minister in New England, he wears a clerical garb with a
cross, which he fingers with his long, thin hands.

Governor Dale, unlike the other jury members, was wealthy
and had a love of fine clothes. He is cruel and sadistic,
having broken men upon the wheel in his lifetime. His dress
is the most elegant and fussy of the jury.

Morton, a cavalier, is well-dressed in somewhat plain
clothes. His appearance is neat, even elegant, but his deft
handling of the sword and love of violence, make him an evil
and sinister man.

The court clerk is much impresSed with his tasks and
thoroughly enjoys the nature of his work. Somewhat pompous,
he is almost comical in his manner.

Mrs. Banks, the Old Woman, is about sixty—five years
old and severe and puritanical.l She-keeps a close check on
her husband, never letting him out of her sight. She is
rather tall and thin and dressed plainly. Her mark of dis-
tinction is her hat, she being the only woman in the cast
wearing one. Along with her husband, Henry, she provides

comic relief in the opening of the opera.

 

 

 

Mia-'1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45

Mr. Banks, the Old Man, is also about sixty-five years
old, but he enjoys life, at least whenever his wife lets him.
He is fond of "apple cider" and likes looking at the young
girls. Short and a bit paunchy, he is humorous not only in
his lines, but also in his looks. He does, however, hint at
the first suspicion that all is not well when he wonders "where
Jabez got it all".

The female chorus members and dancers are in various
colored dresses, all somewhat alike. They can be made up to
look different ages, but it is not necessary.

The male dancers and members of the chorus are all
dressed alike, with loose trousers and full-sleeved shirts
and no vests. Again the colors can be various shades of
gray, although black should be avoided in order to accentuate

the leading members of the cast.

 

 

 

 

 

49

There are three special effects that occur in The Devil

 

and Daniel Webster that need some explanation. In the opera

 

the Devil, or Mr. Scratch, as he is called, commands a jury
of the damned and dead to appear for the trial of Jabez
Stone. As we follow his pointing finger to the spot where
the jury arises, that section of the set is shrouded in mist,
out of which the twelve men appear. Television studios have
long had a problem with this effect. The combination of dry
ice, boiling water, and a fan is the most common way of pro-
ducing fog or mist, although atomized oil is sometimes used.
However, dry ice is sometimes unpredictable and it quite
often either fills the studio so completely that the cameras
and actors cannot see, or it swirls and billows so much that
it looks like smoke. Since this can ruin the entire production,
it would be best to prepare this effect beforehand with the
use of film. Sometime after one of the last camera rehearsals
the dry ice should be prepared on the trial set. By this
time the action that takes place during the mist effect will
have been well-rehearsed and timed, and the lighting for the
scene will have been established. By coordinating the light-
ing and the release of the mist onto the set, a film can be
made of the empty, misty set from the same position as that
of the camera to be used in the program. During the actual
production the film will be superimposed over the actors'
movements on the TV screen. When it is time for the mist to

disappear, the film can simply be faded out of the picture.

SO

The second special effect also utilizes dry ice. When
Mr. Scratch comes to claim the soul of Jabez Stone on page 100
of the script, he pours a drink from Webster's jug. Webster
and Stone have already poured from this jug, and yet, when
Mr. Scratch does so, the liquor steams. In order to bring
about this effect, a very small piece of dry ice must be
placed in Scratch's glass at the last possible moment. Then,
when the water is poured over it, the liquor will steam, and
at the same time, be drinkable for Mr. Scratch. Ordinarily,
boiling water is necessary to produce any large amount of
mist or steam from dry ice, as the ice will freeze cold water
upon contact. If, however, the piece of ice is small enough
and the water lukewarm, I think the desired effect will result.

The final effect occurs earlier in the opera during the
expose of Jabez Stone. The Fiddler releases a small moth
from Mr. Scratch's collecting box and the moth flies around
the set. But this moth is not really a moth: it is the lost
soul of Miser Stevens and as such it reveals the true identity
of Mr. Scratch and the bargain that Jabez Stone made with
him. Although only a moth, it has an important role in the
opera. The voice of the moth which must come from offstage
can be produced by placing one of the jury members in front
of an off-camera microphone.

The real problem comes in producing a "lost soul moth"
on the TV screen. This can be done in the following manner.
A distorted figure eight pattern that looks like a moth in

motion can be achieved on an oscilloscope by placing the

51

oscilloscope horizontal sweep on sixty cycles, and setting
the input to the oscilloscope vertical amplifier at 120
cycles. By feeding the audio signal from the microphone
used for the moth's voice to an audio amplifier and then to
the oscilloscope as shown in the diagram below, the focus of
the oscilloscope will modulate, thus causing the "moth" to

fluctuate slightly as it sings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUDIO OSCILLOSCOPE.
AMPLWWER-
&
Auouo
OSCILLATOR
' VERTICAL7 ° . so CYCLES.
I20 CYCLES

By focusing a camera on the oscilloscope and supering the
image on the cameras that are following the stage action,
the moth can be made to fly around the set in the directions
required by the song. While the moth will not be completely
realistic, the concept of a lost soul appearing as a moth is
not exactly realistic either.

A problem arises with this effect when it is necessary
to change camera shots with the moth appearing in both shots
but in different positions and sizes. Obviously a closeup
of the moth and a long shot of the set with the moth in it

will present the moth in different perspectives and the same

52

image on the oscilloscope cannot be used. If the change in
the moth's size comes about because the camera dollies in or
back, the camera on the oscilloscope will simply do the same
thing. However, when the change of size occurs from cutting
to one camera from another, the camera on the oscilloscope
would not be able to move fast enough.

There are two ways of handling this problem. It is
possible to change the size of the moth on the oscilloscope
by reducing the input to the oscilloscope vertical amplifier
to sixty cycles. With a great deal of wiring and time, the
change of the moth's size on the actual oscilloscope can
be synchronized with the switching unit, thus making the change
automatic when changing camera shots. Although this would
be simplest in some respects, it would not make re-position-
ing of the moth in'the shot possible. The other method, and
the easiest for the station pressed for time, would entail
the use of two oscilloscopes, one with a large moth image and
one with a small moth image. The studio would have to be
equipped with a five-bus switching system to allow the director
to cut from one superimposure to another and to preview them
before putting them on the air. With this setup, each camera
can place the right size moth in exactly the right spot on
the screen before the shot goes on the air.

The remainder of the technical problems encountered in
the production script which follows do not, I believe, need
any explanation. I will at this point, however, describe in

detail two scenes from the opera for several reasons. (1) For

53

the person who is not familiar with a television production
script, these explanations will assist an understanding of
the final product. (2) The scene which uses the moth is rather
complex and needs more explanation than can be given in the
script itself. (3) Even though the reader may be familiar
with television production, there are several problems en-
countered only in music productions of which he may not be
aware. (4) Although it is difficult to explain exactly "why"
a certain sequence of movements and camera shots was used in
a particular scene, a description of Webster's final speech
in the trial scene will provide an example of the planning
that goes into such a production.

In producing an opera on television, the music presents
some difficulties. Although the director must be extremely
familiar with the score, it would be almost impossible for
him to follow the score during the production as it would
require too much of his attention. Yet there may be occasions
in the opera where it is necessary to change shots on a music
cue rather than a verbal one. For instance, in the script
following on page 63, the camera is asked to pull back into
a long shot for the dance. Now, if the camera waited until
the dance began to pull back, part of the dance would be
missed. Therefore, the cue for the camera to move is on
page 5, measure 9 of the vocal score thus giving the camera
plenty of time to get into position for the dance.

In The Devil and Daniel Webster, and in all operas,

 

there are places where an instrumental interlude reflects

the drama so well that a change of shot is absolutely neces-
sary to maintain the integrity of the opera. This occurs in
two places in this opera: pagesEQ and H8 of the script, and
page 32, measure 5 and page 78, measure 4 in the vocal score.
In both these spots the music changes in spirit and tempo,
acting as a prelude to the vocal section to come. There is
a definite change of mood at both these points and rather
than wait until the singers start, I have changed the camera
shots on a music cue.

Although a feeling for the music is necessary at all
times in an opera production, these three places are the
only spots in this particular opera where there is no verbal
or action cue for a change of shots. Because of this, I felt
it was unnecessary to include the score with this adaptation.
This lack of music cues, then, explains the form of the pro-
duction script which is simply a reduction to script form of
« the entire libretto. The words, blocking, and camera shots
presented in standard television script form are all that
the director needs during the production of the opera, and
the inclusion of anything else would be superfluous. However,
since there are three places where the camera shot is changed
on a music cue, it is obvious that a score is needed in the
control room. It would be simplest for a production assistant
to follow the score and alert the director to the upcoming.
music cues. The presence of the score will also help to

eliminate any mishaps in the production.

While this type of script is enough for the director
who has rehearsed this opera for many days, the entire pro-
duction cannot be placed in it. Complex movements with
close coordination between singers and cameras must be worked
out in the studio itself. The moth scene which begins on
page 79 is a good example.

As the Fiddler opens the box, the camera shows a close-
up and the electronic moth on another camera is supered, and
the moth is then seen hovering in front of the Fiddler.

When the Fiddler speaks, the picture changes to a medium

shot of the Fiddler, and as Mary and Webster give their lines,
the moth flies in front of them, the camera following the
movement of the moth. In this manner the moth leads us
throughout the scene to the person speaking, placing that
person in conflict with the moth which is the most important"
character onstage during the scene. Each one of the major
characters must react to the moth and what it represents so
that the development of these people in the following scenes
will seem logical and not completely unexpected.

At the entrance of the men's chorus, the shot changes
to a more inclusive medium shot and we see the crowd nearest
the Fiddler who backs away from the moth on his line "But it
ain't no common mothl". This is the first indication we have
that the moth is more than it appears to be, and we want to
see more than just one person's reaction. When the Fiddler
says "It sounds like Miser Stevens and you had him in your

box", the shot reveals the Fiddler who is the discoverer of

56

the secret, Jabez, who is realizing fate all too well, and
Scratch, who is trying to catch the moth to keep it quiet.
No one else is very important at this moment because they
are not really aware of the situation.

When the chorus enters on "Miser Stevens, soul of Miser
Stevens”, however, they are beginning to understand at least
who Scratch is and the fate of Miser Stevens. We see them,
therefore, backing away from the moth as it approaches them
with Scratch after it. They are somewhat frightened. As
the moth cries "Help me, neighbors, help mel", the dramatic
emphasis shifts from the chorus to the moth and Scratch as
he at last catches the moth, so the camera dollies in to a
tighter shot of the moth and Scratch. As Scratch catches
the moth with his handkerchief, the super of the moth is
quickly taken out. Needless to say, the timing and cooper-
ation between the two cameras will have to be exact.

On the moth's last words which are sung after it dis-
appears, the picture changes to include the entire cast for
we now want to see the people's reaction to Jabez who has
sold his soul to the devil. They are grouped in such a
way so as to isolate Jabez in the center although Mary stays
by him. Mary's line "Tell them, dear, answer them", is a
cue for a closeup of Jabez and Mary to show his concern and
her bewilderment. We return to the group shot on the women's
line, "Who's your friend in black?", as the music and words
emphasize the people once again, only to go to an extreme
closeup of Jabez on his plea "Help me, neighbors! Help me!%

an echo of the moth's words.

57

As the music changes in tempo and meaning to a more
challenging nature, we see the entire cast. The people are
angry at Jabez...he has taken advantage of their ignorance
of his bargain with the Devil and let them elect him to the
State Senate. They advance towards Jabez who cries out "But
neighbors, I didn't know, I didn't mean---oh, help me!". We
see a closeup of Jabez on this line to emphasize his anxiety
and fear, and then we return to the people. They are not in
a helping mood, and they back away from Jabez and rush out
of the set. The camera pulls back as they draw back, but
begins to dolly in on Jabez, Mary, and Webster as they are
left alone to continue the battle against the Devil.

Although the moth scene has enough complexity to warrant
spending precious studio rehearsal time on it, most scenes
must be almost perfect the first or second time cameras are
used in rehearsal. All camera shots, therefore, must be
planned beforehand. Each director would plan his sequence
of shots somewhat differently, according to his tastes and
feelings about the opera. In order to give some idea of the
thoughts and emotions that went into the development of my
sequence of shots, I will discuss the climax of the trial
scene beginning on page 116.

When Webster begins his eloquent defense of freedom,.
humanity, and Jabez Stone, the situation in the opera is as
bad as it could be for Jabez. There is really no hope.

As Webster shouts, "Be Still!” to the jury, we see a medium
closeup of him with some of the jury in the background to

bring out his strength and what he will have to contend with

58

in the next few minutes. This shot is held until Webster be-
gins to draw the jury into his speech on "You have judged

this man already with your abominable justice", and then the
camera pulls back to include all of the men (or demons)he is
speaking to.

On Webster's line "Of common things I speak", we return
to a medium closeup of Webster because he is once again the
complete center of interest and the things he is talking
about are small and intimate. The camera pulls back to pre-
sent a wider view as Webster develops these small things into
the grandeur of the idea of freedom and the struggle that
Americans underwent to obtain it. Throughout this entire
scene Webster must be visible at all times, for in his de-
fense of Jabez and freedom, he becomes more a symbol of the
United States than just a man.

When Webster begins his appeals to the individual mem-
bers of the jury, he walks toward them and the camera follows
him, showing each man that he speaks to. Now that he has
the attention of the jury, Webster turns hi§_attention to
Jabez as a representative of the common man, and we see him
cross to Jabez in a medium shot on "Now here is a man with
good and evil in his heart”. In order to keep Jabez in mind
without detracting from Webster and the jury, on the line
_"It's for all of you", the next shot is taken over Jabez'
shoulder in the foreground and shows Webster in the center‘
and the jury in the background. As Webster walks over to

the center of the set, the camera loses Jabez and follows

 

 

 

 

60

Webster who is again concentrating exclusively on the jury.

By the time Webster reaches the line "When the whips of
the oppressors are broken", however, no one matters except
Webster. He becomes the embodiment of good and righteousness,
and the ideals of the United States, and we therefore see
only him. When he finishes, the climax of the opera has been
reached, even though the verdict has not been given. There
is only one way the jury can decide and that decision and
the conclusion of the opera are soon delivered.

It may seem from the foregoing that the complexity of
opera production plus the special techniques and problems
encountered in television are not worth the final product.

If the results should be.bad, then the effort is indeed not
worth it. But if the result should be good, then the time,
patience. money, and hard work that went into the production
are well worth it for the crew and cast, and especially for
the audience. Opera, being a combination of music and drama,
is difficult, and requires extreme devotion on the part of
every person connected with it. It is hoped that this dis-
cussion of the problems in opera production for television
of not only The Devil and Daniel Webster, but also opera in
general will enable anyone interested in producing opera on
television to form a realistic idea of the problems ahead of
him and to have his production achieve that perfect balance
‘between the idea which the composer wishes to express and the

expressive medium: television.

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER

 

VIDEO

 

OPENING SHOT: ELS OF
HOUSE SET WITH TREE
IN LEFT FRONT OF SHOT.

SUPER WHITE TITLES
OVER OPENING SHOT:

l)"THE DEVIL AND
DANIEL WEBSTER"

2)”MUSIC BY DOUGLAS
MOORE...STORY AND
LIBRETTO BY STEPHEN
VINCENT BENET”

DOLLY IN, FOLLOWING
THE DANCERS BACK
TOWARDS THE HOUSE.

2 MS INCLUDING MID-
DLE OF STEPS &
FIRST TABLE. SHOW
WOMEN AS THEY SING
TO MEN.

’STANDINC AT PORCH CORNER.

AUDIO

 

ORCHESTRAL INTRODUCTION....PLAY FIRST
12 MEASURES AND REPEAT. DURING THIS
TIME FIDDLER IS PLAYING AND 3 COUPLES
ARE DANCING IN FRONT. OLD WOMAN IS
SITTING ON PORCH AND OLD MAN IS LEAN-
ING AGAINST PORCH RAILING. 2 MEN
DANCERS
DANCE TOWARDS CAMERA AND BACK TOWARDS
CAMERA AND BACK TOWARDS HOUSE AT END
OF THIS SECTION OF INTRODUCTION.

CONTINUE WITH LAST 8 MEASURES OF
INTRODUCTION. 2 WOMEN COME OUT OF
HOUSE, BRINGING FOOD TO THE TABLES.

FOLLOWING DIALOGUE IS SUNG AS WOMEN
PASS MEN ON WAY TO TABLES WITH THE
FOOD.‘
lST WOMAN: Right nice wedding.

lST MAN: Handsome couple

2ND WOMAN: Oysters for supper.

2ND MAN: And layer cake, layer cake.

62

I TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
OLD MAN AND OLD
WOMAN

2 MS OF FIDDLER

1 MS OF 2 WOMEN AS
THEY REACH MEN.

PULL BACK QUICKLY IN-
TO LS. CAMERA MOVES
WITH DANCERS.

53

OLD MAN: Makes me feel young again!

Oh, by jingo!

OLD WOMAN: Henry, Henry, you've
been drinking cider! (LEANS OVER
PORCH RAIL ON THIS LINE)
FIDDLER: Set to your partners!
Dosy do!
2 WOMEN ARE COMING BACK FROM TABLES...
PAUSE AND SING AS THOUGH CARRYING ON
CONVERSATION WITH MEN AT PORCH CORNER.

WOMEN: Mary and Jabez.

MEN: Jabez and Mary.

BOTH: Mary, Jabez, Mary. Jabez,

Mary, Jabez, Jabez, Mary.

8 MEASURES OF MUSIC....GENERAL DANCE
EXCEPT OLD MAN AND WOMAN.

WOMEN: Knew her when she was.

MEN: Knew him when he was.
SOPRANO: She's a good housekeeper.
TENORS: He's a thriving man.

OLD MAN: Young again, young again,

that's the way I feel!

OLD WOMAN: Henry, Henry, careful

of your rheumatiz!

2

1

LS OF GROUP AT
PORCH. OLD MAN
IN CENTER

LS....CAMERA
STARTS TO DOLLY
BACK IMMEDIATELY.

6h

FIDDLER: Pick up your heels and bow
to your lady!
8 MEASURES OF MUSIC...MARY AND JABEZ
ENTER DANCERS AND DANCE TOWARDS
CAMERA. OTHERS CLAP HANDS. OTHER
DANCERS MOVE UPSTAGE AND CAMERA
RIGHT. SINGERS GROUPED NEAR PORCH
CORNER.

3RD WOMAN: Pretty as a picture.
3RD MAN: Fine herd of cattle.

OLD MAN: Wonder where he got it

all. Stones was always poor.

OLD WOMAN: Henry, Henry, don't you

start to gossip!
WOMEN: Gossip's got a
BASS: But it can't touch them.
TENOR: Some day he'll be governor.

MEN: Wonder where he got it, but

that's his business.

ALL MOVE OUT AND DANCE AGAIN.
CHORUS: Nothing like a wedding.
Wedding in the summer.
And the long grass growing, grass
growing..

Fine haying weather.

65

Bee balm weather.
Weather for the bridegroom
Weather for the bride.

Bee balm weather for the bride.

FIDDLER: Left and Right! Grand

chain!

26 MEASURES OF MUSIC....GENERAL DANCE.
MS OF MARY AND GRAND CHAIN MARY AND JABEZ TO BACK OF
JABEZ AS THEY'RE SET NEAR TABLES.
GRAND CHAINED TO
TABLES AND FOLLOWS

THEM. FIDDLE SQUEAKS AND STOPS. DANCERS
MOP THEIR BROWS AND MOVE TOWARDS
TABLES.

lST MAN: Whew! Ain't danced like
that since I was kneehigh to a

grasshopper.

2ND MAN: Play us "The Portland

Fancy", Fiddler!

3RD MAN: No, wait a minute, neigh-
bors. Let's hear from the happy

pair! Hey, Jabez!

4TH MAN: Let's hear from the State
Senator!
MEN PUSH JABEZ UP ON BENCH.

OTHERs: Speech! Speech!

l

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
OLD MAN AND WOMAN

MS...SAME SHOT
AS PREVIOUSLY
HAD ON 2 AT END
OF DOLLY.

MEDIUM 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND MARY.

O b

OLD MAN: Might as well. It's the
last time he'll have the last

word.

OLD WOMAN: Now, Henry Banks, you

ought to be ashamed of yourself.
OLD MAN: Told you so, Jabez.

OTHERS: Speech. (FIDDLER GIVES A
FLOURISH ON HIS FIDDLE.)

JABEZ: (GIVES SPEECH TO CROWD IN
FRONT OF TABLES, MARY STANDS BY
HIM ON GROUND TO CAMERA RIGHT.)
Neighbors---friends---I'm not
much of a speaker--—spite of

YOU? 'lecting me to State Senate---

CROWD: That's the ticket, Jabez.
Smart man, Jabez---I voted for
ye. Go ahead, Senator, you're

doing fine.

JABEZ: But we're certainly glad to
have you here, me and Mary. And
we want to thank you for coming

and---
A VOICE: Vote the Whig ticket!

ANOTHER VOICE: Hurray for Dan'l

Webster!

MS OF JABEZ AND
CROWD.

MS OF JABEZ AND
MARY IN CENTER OF
CROWD. (CAMERA IS
NEAR PORCH STEPS)
FOLLOW THEM TO TREE.

67

JABEZ: And I'm glad Hi Foster said
that, for those are my sentiments,
too. Mr. Webster has promised
to honor us with his presence

tonight.

CROWD: Hurray for Dan'l! Hurray

for the greatest man in the U.S.!

JABEZ: And, when he comes, I know
we'll give him a real New Hamp-

shire welcome.

CROWD: Sure we wi11~--Webster for-
ever! And to hell with Henry

Clay!

JABEZ: And meanwhile, well there's
Mary and me——-and, if you folks
don't have a good time, well, we
won't feel right about getting
married at all. Because I know
I've been 1ucky---and I hope she
feels that way, too. And, well,
we're going to be happy or bust
a trace. So there.

JABEZ JUMPS DOWN FROM BENCH. JABEZ

WIPES HIS BROW TO APPLAUSE AND TAKES

MARY”s HAND. THEY LOOK AT EACH

OTHER. THEY DRIFT DOWNSTAGE AND

CAMERA LEFT NEAR TREE AMIDST HAND-
SHAKING, ETC.

68

l MEDIUM 2-SHOT OF JABEZ:
JABEZ AND MARY AS
THEY ARRIVE AT
TREE. MARY:

JABEZ:

MARY:

JABEZ:

MARY:

JABEZ:

MARY:

JABEZ:

DOLLY IN ON MARY MARY:

Mary.
Mr. Stone.

Mary.
My husband.

That's a big word, husband.
It's a good word.

Are you happy, Mary?
Yes. So happy I'm afraid.
Afraid.

(SONG) My young days,nw'

young ways,

My prim and narrow room,

The straight long seam I sewed,

the maiden seam.

I muSt give up to be

Plowed earth and flowering tree,

Welcome but strange to me,

Strange as a dream.

DISSOLVE TO JABEZ:
3 MCU OF JABEZ OVER
MARY’S SHOULDER

(SONG) I know how much you

give,

The lilac and the bloom,

Your young days, your young ways,

DISSOLVE TO
2 CU OF MARY

DISSOLVE TO
3 MCU OF JABEZ OVER
MARY'S SHOULDER

‘ DISSOLVE TO
3 MS OF JABEZ AND
MARY

(POLLY BACK TO INCLUDE
31?“? AND CROWD BEHIND so
inAT CHORUS IS VISIBLE
ON ENTRANCE.

69

And

The

yet I swear,
m0untain and the pine

themselves

Shall be the sign that love's a

Thing divine and worth the care..

MARY:
The
The
Yet

Are

My mornings, my cool eyes,
quiet thoughts I had,

dreaming, half-afraid,
wishful too.

changed within my breast

To wonder and unrest

I know that this is best

Yet

JABEZ:

Although the joys you've

Your mornings,

this is new.

Yet must I hold you fast
had

your cool eyes

Were dear to you.

For
The
And

Our

MARY:

JABEZ:

MARY:

love's the summer kind,
harvest and the wind
every year shall find

love's more true.
For love's the summer kind
The harvest and the wind

The fiddler and the dance.

CAMERA FOLLOWS JABEZ
AND MARY AS THEY RE-
JOIN CROWD.

1 MS OF GROUP. WEB-
STER ENTERS SHOT
IN BACK. CAMERA
DOLLIES BACK AS
WEBSTER APPROACHES
CROWD. HOLD SHOT
FOR WEBSTER'S OPEN-
ING SPEECH.

7O
MARY AND JABEZ WALK BACK TOWARDS
CROWD DURING THIS CHORUS NUMBER.
CHORUS: The bridegroom and the bride.
We'll dance the night away, boys,
Till morning brings the day, boys,
And then we'll cut the hay, boys,
For we're New England's pride.
New England's pride. New England's
pride.

CROWD STARTS LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION
OF WEBSTER'S ENTRANCE.

VOICE: Dan'l!
VOICE: Black Dan'l! He's come!

VOICE: Three cheers for the great-

est man in the U. S.

VOICE: Three cheers for Dan'l

Webster!
WEBSTER APPEARS FROM ALONGSIDE PORCH.
CHORUS: New England's pride!

WEBSTER: Neighbors---old friends---
it does me good to hear you.
But don't cheer me---I'm not
running for President this
summer.

(A LAUGH FROM THE CROWD.)

2

2 MS OF FIDDLER,
MARY, WEBSTER
AND JABEZ.

1 MS OF WEBSTER,
MARY, AND JABEZ
OVER HEADS OF
CROWD. (CAMERA
0N UPSTAGE SIDE
OF TREE)

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND WEBSTER

71

WEBSTER: I'm here on a better

errand---to pay my humble respects

to a most charming lady and her
very fortunate spouse--—
SCRATCH ENTERS FROM UPSTAGE CENTER
ALONG SIDE OF HOUSE...UNNOTICED.
THERE'S A TWANG OF A FIDDLESTRING
BREAKING AND A MUFFLED ”TARNATION"
FROM THE FIDDLER. WEBSTER BLINKS
AT THE INTERRUPTION, BUT GOES ON.
WEBSTER: We're proud of State
Senator Stone in these parts---
we know what he's done. Ten
years ago he started out with a
patch of land that was mostly
rocks and mortgages—-and now--
well, you've only to look around
you. I don't know that I've

ever seen a likelier farm---not

even at Marshfield---and I hope,

before I die, I'll have the privi-

lege of shaking his hand as

Governor of this State. I don't

know how he's done it---I couldn't

have done it myself. But I know

this. Jabez Stone wears no man's

collar.

AT THIS STATEMENT, THERE'S A DIS-
CORDANT SQUEAK FROM THE FIDDLE, AND
JABEZ LOOKS EMBARRASSED. WEBSTER
KNITS HIS BROWS.

l MS...SAME AS SHOT
PREVIOUSLY SEEN
ON 1

2 2—SHOT OF WEBSTER
AND FIDDLER. JABEZ
AND MARY IN BACK-
GROUND. SCRATCH,
UNNOTICED BY CROWD
SHOULD BE VISIBLE
IN BACK OF CAMERA
SHOT.

72

And what's more, if I know Jabez,
he never will. But I didn't come
here to talk politics---I came

to kiss the bride.

DOES SO AMONG GREAT APPLAUSE.
SHAKES HANDS WITH JABEZ.

EH

Congratulations, Stone---you're
a lucky man. And now if our
friend in the corner will give
'us a tune on his fiddle.

PAUSE

WEBSTER: (A TRIFLE IRRITATED) I
said, if our friend in the corner
would give us a tune on his
fiddle.

FIDDLER: (PASSIONATELY THROWING
THE FIDDLE DOWN) Hell's delight-~-
excuse me, Mr. Webster. But the
very devil's got into that
fiddle of mine. She was doing
all right up to just a minute
ago. But now I've tuned her and
tuned her, and she won't play a
note I want.

AT THIS POINT SCRATCH SLIPS THROUGH

THE FRONT RANK OF THE CROWD AND

STEPS FORWARD TO THE FIDDLER.

SCRATCH: Maybe you need some rosin

on your bow, fiddler.

3

TIGHT 2—SHOT OF
JABEZ AND SCRATCH.

4-SHOT OF JABEZ,
MARY, WEBSTER AND
SCRATCH. SHOT MUST
BE WIDE ENOUGH TO
SHOW SCRATCH PUTTING
Box ON TABLE.

73

FIDDLER: Maybe I do, and maybe I

don't. But who are you? I don't

remember seeing you before.

SCRATCH: Oh, I'm just a friend---a

humble friend of the bridegroom's.
TURNS TOWARD JABEZ APOLOGETICALLY.
I'm afraid I came in the wrong
way, Mr. Stone---you've improved
the place so much since I last

saw it, that I hardly knew the
front gate. But I assure you, I

came as fast as I could.

JABEZ: (OBVIOUSLY SHOCKED) It---

it doesn't matter. (WITH GREAT
EFFORT) Mary,---Mr. Webster---
this is a--a friend of mine from
Boston---a legal friend. I didn't

expect him today, but---

SCRATCH: Oh, my dear Mr. Stone---an

occasion like this---I wouldn't
miss it for the world. (HE BOWS)
Charmed, Mrs. Stone. Delighted,
Mr. Webster. But—-don't let me
break up the merriment of the
meeting---(TURNS AND PUTS COLLECT-

ING Box ON TABLE)

TIGHT 2-SHOT 0F
FIDDLER AND SCRATCH,
AS SCRATCH RETURNS
To GROUP FROM TABLE.
(CAMERA ON DOWNSTAGE
SIDE OF TREE)

MS OF JABEZ, MARY
SCRATCH AND
FIDDLER.

71+

FIDDLER: (WITH A GRUDGE, TO SCRATCH)

Boston Lawyer, eh?
SCRATCH: You might call me that.

FIDDLER: And what have you got in
.that big, tin box of yours? Law

papers?

SCRATCH: Oh-—-curiosities, for the

most part. I'm a collector, too.

FIDDLER: Don't hold much with Boston
curiosities myself. And you know
about fiddling, too, do ye?

Know all about it?
SCRATCH: Oh----

FIDDLER: Don't shrug your shoulders
at me--I ain't no Frenchman.
Telling me I need more rosin!

MARY: (TRYING TO STOP THE QUARREL,
STEPS FORWARD PUTTING HERSELF BE—
TWEEN JABEZ AND SCRATCH.)

Isaac---please -----

FIDDLER: Sorry, Mary---Mrs. Stone.
But I been playing fiddle at
Cross Corners weddings for 25

years. And now here comes a

CAMERA ADJUSTS, INCLUD-
ING WEBSTER IN SHOT
AND EXCLUDING FIDDLER.

75

stranger from Boston and tells

me I need more rosin.
SCRATCH: But my good friend---

FIDDLER: Rosin indeed! Here---
play it yourself then and see
what you can make of it!:
(THRUSTS FIDDLE INTO SCRATCH'S
HANDS)

SCRATCH: (WITH FEIGNED EMBARRASS-
MENT) But really----I----(BOWS
TOWARD STONE) Shall I---Mr.
Senator?

JABEZ MAKES A HELPLESS GESTURE 0F

ASSENT AND TURNS AND TAKES A STEP

AWAY FROM GROUP. MARY FOLLOWS,

PUTTING MARY, WEBSTER AND JABEZ

SLIGHTLY APART FROM SCRATCH.

MARY: (TO JABEZ) Mr. Stone---Mr.
Stone---are you ill?

JABEZ: No--no---but I feel---it's

hot---

WEBSTER: (CHUCKLING) Don't you fret,
Mrs. Stone. I've got the right
medicine for him.

(PULLS A FLASK FROM HIS POCKET)
Ten-year-old Medford, Stone---I
buy it by the keg, down in Marsh-

field. Here---(TRIES TO GIVE
SOME RUM TO JABEZ)

76

3 CU 0F JABEZ JABEZ: No---Mary---Mr. Webster.
(WITH A BURST) Oh, let him play---
let him play! Can't you see he's
bound to? Don't you see there's
nothing we can do?

2 MS OF SCRATCH AND RUSTLE OF DISCOMFORT AMONG GUESTS.

GROUP. \ SCRATCH DRAWS BOW ACROSS STRINGS IN
HORRIBLE DISCORD. FOLLOWING DIALOGUE
OVER MUSIC.

CAMERA PULLS BACK AND FIDDLER: I told you so, stranger.

CROWD DRAWS AWAY. .
' - The devil's in that fiddle.

SCRATCH: I'm afraid it needs special
tuning. (TUNES....2 MEASURES)
There, that's better. And now
for this happy---this very happy
occasion--in tribute to the bride:
and groom-~I'll play something

appropriate--a song of young

love.
.3 MEDIUM 3-SHOT OF MARY: 0h, Jabez-~Mr. Webster—--stop
JABEZ, MARY, AND
WEBSTER. him! Do you see his hands? He's
2’ MCU OF SCRATCH'S playing with gloves on his hands.

HANDS. DOLLY BACK

AS HE STARTS TO SING.
CROWD DRAWS BACK A STEP OR TWO AS
SCRATCH BEGINS TO SING. SCRATCH
IS A BIT FURTHER DOWNSTAGE NOW.

SCRATCH: (SONG)
Young William was a thriving boy.
Listen to my doleful tale.

77

Young Mary Clark was all his joy.
Listen to my doleful tale.

He swore he'd love her all his life.,

She swore she'd be his loVing wife.
Listen to my doleful,tale.

3 MCU OF A CHORUS ' But William found a gambler's den,

MEMBER....PAN 2
OR 3. . Listen to my doleful tale.

And drank with liv'ry stable men.

Listen to my doleful tale.

2 MCU OF SCRATCH He played the cards, he played
the dice,

He would not listen to advice.

And when in church he tried to

pray,
The devil took the words away.

3 CU 0F JABEZ The deVil's got him by the toe
Listen to my doleful tale.
And so, alas he had to go.
Listen to my doleful tale.

"Young Mary Clark, young Mary
.Clark,
I now must go into the dark".

Listen to my doleful tale.

78

MS OF SCRATCH, MARY Young Mary lay upon her bed,
JABEZ, AND WEBSTER

AND GROUP ON EDGE Listen to my doleful tale.
OF SHOT.

"Alas, my William is dead".
Listen to my doleful tale.

He came to her a bleeding ghost---
\ WEBSTER STEPS FORWARD AND INTERRUPTS.

SCRATCH BREAKS OFF WITH A MOCKING
LAUGH. THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR VIEW
OF THE TABLE AND THE BOX ON IT.
WEBSTER: Stop! Stop! You miserable

wretch--can't you see that you're

frightening Mrs. Stone?

(WRENCHES FIDDLE OUT OF SCRATCH'S
HANDS AND TOSSES IT ASIDE.)

And now, sir--?away frOm here!
FOLLOWING DIALOGUE FOLLOWS MUSIC...
FIDDLER IS FOOLING WITH BOX ON
TABLE.

SCRATCH: You're a bold man, Mr.
Webster. Too bold for your own
good, perhaps. And after all,”
you know-—-it wasn't my fiddle.

It belonged to—--(TO FIDDLER)

MCU OF SCRATCH WITH Idiot, what are you doing with
FIDDLER AT TABLE IN

.BACKGROUND. CAMERA my collecting box? (WALKS BACK
FOLLOWS SCRATCH TO .

trABLE. TO TABLE TO STOP HIM.)

_FIDDLER: Boston lawyer, eh? Well,
I don't think so. I think you've
got something in that box of yours
<3II 0F Box. you're afraid to show. And by jingo--

79

SUPER ELECTRONIC MOTH HE OPENS BOX....A WHITE MOTH FLUTTERS

EFFECT AND HOLD UNTIL OUT. CROWD HOLDS POSITION...SCRATCH

SCRATCH CATCHES IT. FOLLOWS MOTH AROUND TRYING TO CATCH
IT. CROWD DRAWS BACK WHENEVER
SCRATCH AND MOTH COME NEAR THEM.

l MCU OF FIDDLER Why t'aint nothing but a moth.
AND MOTH
MOTH FLIES UP IN FRONT OF FIDDLER.
THEN FLIES IN FRONT OF MARY.

ICAMERA FOLLOWS MOTH . MARY: (SUNG) A white moth-~a flying
{TO MARY.

thing.
(JAMERA FOLLOWS MOTH WEBSTER: A common moth...te1ea
'I‘ O WEBSTER.
polyphemus.
22 MS OF GROUP MEN: (SUNG) A moth, just a moth,
a moth.

I MOTH FLIES BACK TO FIDDLER AND HE
‘ BACKS AWAY.

FIDDLER: But it ain't no common
moth! I seen it! And it's got

a death's head on it!

VOICE OF MOTH: (SUNG) Help me,

neighbors! Help me!

WEBSTER: What's that? It wails
like a lost soul.

MARY: (SUNG) A lost soul.

CHORUS: (SUNG) A soul lost in dark-

ness, in the darkness.

3-SHOT OF JABEZ,
SCRATCH AND FIDDLER.
SCRATCH IN FORE-
GROUND FOLLOWING
MOTH.

MS OF GROUP

80
MOTH: (SUNG) Help me, neighbors!

FIDDLER: It sounds like Miser

Stevens.
JABEZ: Miser Stevens.

CHORUS: (SUNG) The Miser---Miser

Stevens. A lost soul, lost.

FIDDLER: It sounds like Miser
Stevens--and you had him in
your box. But it can't be!

He ain't dead.

JABEZ: He ain't dead---I tell you
he ain't dead. He was just as
spry and mean as a woodchuck,

Tuesday.

CHORUS: (SUNG) Miser Stevens, soul
of MiSer Stevens. But he ain't
dead, ain't dead.

SCRATCH FOLLOWS MOTH BACK AND FORTH

ACROSS SCREEN AND CROWD MOVES AWAY
WHENEVER THEY APPROACH.

SCRATCH: Listen.

MARY: (SUNG) The bell, the church
bell, the bell that rang for my

wedding..

CAMERA MOVES IN ON
S CRATCH AND MOTH.

CAMERA TIGHTENS ON
SCRATCH AND MOTH AS
HIE CATCHES IT.

1. MS OF GROUP.
CAMERA UPSTAGE
OF TREE.

3 TIGHT 2-SHOT
CH? JABEZ AND
D1ARY

81.

WEBSTER: (SUNG) The church bells.

The passing bell.
JABEZ: The funeral bell.

CHORUS: (SUNG) The church bell,
the passing bell. Miser Stevens

dead.

MOTH: (SUNG) Help me, neighbors:_
Help me! I sold my soul to the
devil. But I'm not the first
or the last. Help me. Help

Jabez Stone.

SCRATCH: Ah, would you! (SCRATCH
CATCHES MOTH NEAR PORCH AND STUFFS

IT BACK IN HIS POCKET. CROWD
RUSHES TO OTHER SIDE OF SET.

MOTH: (SUNG) Lost—--all lost.

'CROWD TURNS TO JABEZ, ISOLATING HIM

IN THE CENTER OF THE STAGE. MARY
STAYS BY HIM. FOLLOWING ENSEMBLE

IS SUNG.

MARY: Tell them, dear, answer them---

you are good, you are brave, you

are innocent.

2 MS OF GROUP
ON WOMEN'S
LINE "WHO'S
YOUR FRIEND
IN BLACK?"

.1. ECU OF JABEZ

2 MS OF GROUP

82

ITII-EN: Jabez Stone, answer us, answer
us,

Jabez Stone, Jabez Stone, Jabez
Stone.

Jabez Stone, where did you get
your money, Jabez Stone?

Jabez Stone, answer us, answer us.

 

L__

 

“WOMEN: Jabez Stone, answer us, -—T

answer us, Jabez Stone. Who's
your friend in black, Jabez )

Stone?

 

 

WEBSTER: Answer them, Mr. State

Senator.

I

JABEZ: Help me, neighbors! Help

me!

WOMAN: He's sold his soul to the
devil!

MAN'S VOICE: To the devil!

MEN: To the devil!.

ALLEGRO MAESTOSO AT MEASURE 5,
PAGE 32.

CROWD MOVES TOWARD JABEZ. HE TAKES

A FEW STEPS BACKWARD. ‘ '

CHORUS: He's sold his soul to the
devil!-

J. MCU OF JABEZ OVER
TOP OF CROWD.

'. DOLLY BACK

82

For that he must atone.

He may sigh and grieve,

He may weep and pray.

But the man who has sold his soul.
away

Must burn in flame till the Judg-
ment Day!

God help you, neighbor Stone!

God help you, neighbor Stone!

JABEZ: But neighbors, I didn't know

I didn't mean---oh, help me!

WOMEN: He's sold his soul to the
devil!

SCRATCH: To the devil! (SCRATCH

NOW SLIPS AWAY UNNOTICED AS HE
CAME IN THE ENSUING EXCITEMENT.

_ MEN: To the devil!

CHORUS: He's sold his soul to the
devil
For that he must atone!
He has blotted his name with an
‘iron pen I
From the Godly record Of Christian

men

DOLLY BACK FURTHER
DOLLY IN ON JABEZ

3 MS OF JABEZ, MARY
AND WEBSTER. LET
WEBSTER WALK OUT
OF SET.

2 CU OF JABEZ WITH
MARY IN BACKGROUND

83

And none shall look on his face
again!
God help you neighbor Stone!
God help you, neighbor Jabez
Stone!
CROWD RUSHES OUT CAMERA LEFT. OLD
MAN AND WOMAN GO OUT CAMERA RIGHT.
JABEZ TAKES A FEW STEPS AFTER THEM
AS THOUGH TO CALL THEM BACK. THEN
SITS ON BENCH. WEBSTER WALKS TO
JABEZ, PUTS HAND ON HIS SHOULDER
AND THEN EXITS UPSTAGE LEAVING MARY
AND JABEZ ALONE.
FOLLOWING DIALOGUE OVER MUSIC.
MARY COMES TO JABEZ AND PUTS HAND
ON SHOULDER.
MARY: My dear, my dear.

JABEZ: (STANDING)It's all true,

Mary, All true. You must hurry.
MARY: Hurry?
JABEZ: (TURNING FROM MARY AND FAC-
ING DOWNSTAGE CAMERA LEFT.) Hurry
after them--back to the village---
to your folks. Mr. Webster will
take you--you'll be safe with
Mr. Webster. You see, it's all
true and hell be back in a minUte.
The other one. I've got until
l2--that's the contract.- But

there isn't much time.

84

MARY: Are you telling me to run

away from you, Mr. Stone?

JABEZ: (TURNING To MARY) You don't
understand, Mary. It's true.
(TURNS AWAY)

\ MARY: We made some promises to each
other. Maybe you've forgotten
them. But I haven't. I said it's
for better 0r worse. It's for
better or worse. I said in
sickness and health. Well, that
covers the ground, Mr. Stone.

3 TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND MARY. JABEZ: (TURNING TO MARY) But Mary---

I command you---you must.

MARY: (SUNG) "For'they people
shall be my people, and they God
my God." (SPOKEN) That was Ruth
in the Book. I always liked the
name of Ruth--—Always liked the
thOught of her. I always thought---
I'll call a child Ruth sometime.
I guess that was just a girl's
notion. But, oh, Jabeze-why?

2 MCU OF JABEZ WITH JABEZ: (FACING AWAY FROM MARY TO-
MARY IN BACKGROUND. WARDS CAMERA) (SUNG)

85

I wanted clothes from a city
store,

And a big white house with a big
front door.

I wanted to be State Senator.

I worked like time but I had no
chance

Not even a pair of Sunday pants,

And the stones boiled up from
the middle of hell

In the hard scrabble fields that
I knew so well.

You could work all day 'till you
broke your bones

But the only crop was a crop of

. stones.

The horse got colic, the plow got
stuck, I

And the woodchuck ruined the
garden truck,

Till all I could think of, ev'ry
night,

Was fever and ague and bugs and
blight,

(TURNING TO MARY)

3 TIGHT 2-SHOT OF And Mary, Mary back in the town,
JABEZ AND MARY '
With her hair put up where it

used to be down,

2

3

MS OF JABEZ AND
MARY

MCU OF MARY WITH
JABEZ IN THE BACK-
GROUND

86

Grown a woman and walking proud

As the wind that walks with a
summer cloud,

The kind, warm weather, that grows
the corn

(TURNS AWAY AGAIN)

Well, a man gets tired of it,
day on day,

And a man gets wishing he wasn't
born,

And a man talks wild, when he

feels that way.

MARY: (STEPPING TOWARD HIS BACK)

If you'd only said--if you'd

only said!

“(TURNS SLIGHTLY AWAY)

You must have thought me a
featherhead!

If you'd only told--if you'd
only told!

(JABEZ TURNS TOWARD HER)

I'd have kept your house in the

. mire and cold.

I'd have redded the rooms and.
swept the floor,

I'd have asked no more-~I'd have

asked no more.'

3

2

MCU OF JABEZ WITH
MARY SEEN OVER HIS
SHOULDER

MS OF JABEZ AND
IWARY

87

(TURNING T0 JABEZ)

I'd have fed the chickens and
stroked the cat

And seen you wiped your shoes on
the mat!

I wouldn't have asked for more

than that!

JABEZ TAKES A STEP AWAY AND TURNS
FROM MARY

JABEZ: Well, that was a day just

like any day,

A kind of average you might say,

But a mean east wind and a mean,
small rain

And the only cow gone dry again.

I stubbed my toe on a broken

stick

I said it then, and I said it
quick,

"I'd sell my soul for about 2

cents!"

It was my offense! It was my
offense!

(TURNING T0 MARY)

Said it and meant it, Mary, too.

But I didn't mean it to come true.

88

But that was the trouble. He
came that night.
Very polite, oh, very polite!
Slick as a whistle, I guess you'd
SEY:
Th0ugh the dog looked at him and
ran away.
.I pricked my thumb with a silver
pin
And I signed the paper and did
the wrong
And I knew in my heart it was
mortal sin,
But I'd waited long, oh, I'd
waited long!
And it's all come true now, it's
. all come true.
I've got the riches and married
you,

(TURNING AWAY AND RAISING HANDS
IN DESPAIR)

MS 0F JABEZ AND And oh, God Almighty, what shall

MARY WITH MARY
SEEN OVER HIS I do?
SHOULDER
MARY: ' (STEPPING TOWARD HIM)

Let us run away! Let us creep‘

and hide!

89

JABEZ: (TURNING TOWARD HER)

CAMERA PULLS BACK You can't lose him on the moun-

AND ARCS RIGHT
tain side.

Miser Stevens, I think he tried.

MARY: Let us pray, let us pray that

we shall not part!

JABEZ: I'd pray if I could, but I
can't start,
For there's something burning

about my heart.

MARY: But you must not go--you
must not go!
I say that I will not have it so!
I'll get the judge from the I
county town.
WEBSTER ENTERS SHOT AT THIS POINT

ALTHOUGH HE REMAINS IN THE BACK-
GROUND. COMES ALONG SIDE OF HOUSE

FROM GATE.
.JABEZ: Who'll face the devil and
face him down?
Who'll face the devil and do
him brown?

There isn't a lawyer knOWltO Man!

3 MEDIUM 3-SHOT OF .
JABEZ, MARY, AND FOLLOWING DIALOGUE OVER MUSIC

WEBSTER AS WEBSTER
.ARRIVES NEAR THEM

90

WEBSTER: Good evening, neighbors!

MARY AND JABEZ JUMP...STARTLED AND
TURN TOWARDS HIM.

Perhaps I can!
MARY: Mr. Webster!
JABEZ: 'Dan'l Webster! But I thought---

WEBSTER: You'll excuse me for leav-
ing you for a moment. I was tak-
ing a stroll in the cool of the
evening. Fine summer evening,

too.

JABEZ: Well it might be, I guess,
but that kind depends on the
circumstances.

WEBSTER: H'm. Yes. I happened
to overhear a little of your con-
versation. I gather you're in

trouble, Neighbor Stone.
JABEZ: Sore trouble.

WEBSTER: Sort of law case, I under-

stand.

JABEZ: You might call it that, Mr.
Webster. Kind of a mortgage

case, in a way.

MS...WEBSTER FACES
CAMERA, JABEZ' PRO-
FILE IN FOREGROUND,
AND MARY SEATED IN
CENTER.

91
MARY: Oh, Jabez!

WEBSTER: Mortgage case. Well, I
don't generally plead now, except
before the Supreme Court, but this
case of yours presents some very
unusual features, and I never
deserted a neighbor in trouble.
yet, so if I can be of any assis-

tance---

MARY: Oh, Mr. Webster, will you
help him?

JABEZ: It's a terrible lot to ask,
Mr. Webster, But-~well, you see,
there's Mary. And, if you could

see your way to it---
WEBSTER: 'I will.
MARY: Oh, Mr. Webster! (SHE WEEPS)

JABEZ AND WEBSTER LEAD MARY TO BENCH

AND SEAT HER. JABEZ SITS NEXT TO

HER, COMFORTING HER.

WEBSTER: There, there, Mrs. Stone.
After all, if two New Hampshiremen
aren't a match for the devil, we

might as well give the country
back to the Indians.

92

(STEPS BACK AND TURNS TO JABEz)

When is he coming, Jabez?
JABEZ: The time is getting late.

WEBSTER: Then I'd better refresh
my memory. The-er-mortgage was

for a definite term of years?
JABEZ: Ten years.
WEBSTER: And it falls due?

JABEZ: Tonight. (TURNING AWAY TO
CAMERA 2) Oh, I can't see how

I came to be such a fool!

WEBSTER: No use crying over spilt
milk, Stone. We've got to get
you out of it, now. But tellme
one thing. Did you sign this
precious document of your own

free will?

JABEZ: Yes, it was my own free will.
I can't deny that.

WEBSTER: H'm--that's a trifle un-
fortunate. But we'll see. '
MS OF MARY AND
JABEZ OVER WEBSTER'S
SHOULDER. MARY: Oh, Mr. Webster, can you

save him? Can you?

1 MS OF WEBSTER
ACROSS MARY AND
JABEZ' SHOULDERS.

CAMERA SHOULD BE STAGE
RIGHT OF TABLE ON
HOUSTON DOLLY. WHOLE
OF FOLLOWING SONG ON
THIS CAMERA...SLOW
DOLLY IN ON FIRST 2
VERSES..CAMERA BOOMS
DOWN AND SHOOTS UP.

93

WEBSTER: I shall do my best, madam.
That's all you can ever say, till
you've seen what the jury looks

like.

.MARY: But, even you, Mr. Webster-~-
oh, I know you're Secretary of
State--I know you're a great man--
But it's different fighting the

devil!

WEBSTER: Have you ever seen my'

farm at Marshfield, madam?
MARY: No, sir.

WEBSTER: Well--it's pretty place,

if I do say so myself.

"MARY AND JABEZ SITTING ON BENCH.

WEBSTER FACES THEM.

WEBSTER: (SUNG) I've got a ram,

Goliath.

He was raised on Marshfield grain.

He's got horns like a morning-
glory Vine

And he butts like a railroad
train.

I've got a ram Goliath,

Named for the Philistine.

E) 'I

And I wrestle him ev'ry Thu.)

i've got a bull, ilhg Staph~n,

A hull with a roiling eye.

Whr‘n Iv) :.I.:1m[’):$ his font, HM?
stars come out

And the l:].{_;hi.nih;i, bl Ii'I-ii‘. in 'i:-'
sky. I

J 'vrz g o': a ‘blll]., Iiilng {Sterpihxrl,

WIII1:1 kixflc like I! CHIHNHI PHI L.

iiiit; 11(2 alc:I.:l ] ii;r" ;. :311(:I{;ivl;; I '1] '11:? -
dove

Whrgtn I 130 into “12'. :1I.;1'I__l.

' f .
lié'JliO]

.'"'.-".'.71'.' AI“- III'UI‘I' I'm not, an 31ng10 Ingusartiw-jp,

LAN N“MIV FAVf. AW' '

HUN om fiuhd Authf AND Lot Ihis be said of mo.

37.:‘I-5‘11' [III-‘2 .I {3 "1.71“". :IE'W'EII)

'I-I'III AJIiiIJEVI'V'A 7 ?~ '"I£“I5"- :1 :9:1:: Iliwlftl 1-11 ()1 a! 3]: v1 Ii;ln'i\rtiii I":

f’JI-I All” IVS I‘OUIYZII'. I-(flf thp L‘l'pm.

(Wwvzr: AWAY FW‘I-T Arm r-zARfI-f Art-l
12mm". Iii'i‘ti FACE '.i_i’i'.-*I'.I‘ '1.‘I.)I‘.'f\llix_§ Ciu‘}r..‘?.~"1.

IN 7-3,: Imow rillirnl t : zit-1. Marin} I"; I.“

WIN.‘_I‘e"\/vf:‘.l" the Cilii't‘: flies,

And Lhny know he stands for the
I'Il.i (ill

[\v"I ‘II‘VPflll '1; Eli :allrl I (‘1‘ J_i €‘f5.

3

l

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
MARY AND JABEZ

MS OF MARY

95

Ask at the workman's cottage,

Ask at the farmer's gate!

They know about Daniel Webster,

The pride of the Granite State.

They know about Daniel Webster,

As only neighbors can.

And he'll fight ten thousand
devils

To save a New Hampshire man!

And he'll fight ten thousand
devils

To save a New Hampshire man!

JABEZ: (TURNING TO MARY) You hear,

Mary?

MARY: Yes. And I trust Mr. Webster.
(RISING AND GOING TOWARDS WEBSTER)
But--oh, there must be some way

I can help!

WEBSTER:, (TURNING AND TAKING A

STEP TOWARDS MARY) There is one,
madam--and a hard one. As Mr.
Stone's counsel, I must formally

request your withdrawal.

MARY: No.

3 MS OF JABEZ, MARY
AND WEBSTER ACROSS
WEBSTER'S SHOULDERS

96

WEBSTER: Madam, think for a moment.

You cannot help Mr. Stone---since
you are his wife, your testimony
would be prejudiced. And, frankly,
madam, in a very few moments, this
is going to be no place for a

lady.

MARY: (GOING BACK TO JABEZ WHO HAS
RISEN) But I can't 1eave---I
can't leave him---I can't bear
it.

JABEZ: (PUTTING HAND UNDER HER ARM
AS THOUGH TO PROPEL HER TOWARDS
HOUSE.) You must go, Mary, you

must.

2 MS OF MARY, WEBSTER WEBSTER: Pray, Madam---you can

AND JABEZ ACROSS
JABEZ' SHOULDERS.

help us with your prayers. Are

the prayers of innocent unavailing?

FOLLOW MARY AND WEBSTER MARY: (STARTING TOWARD HOUSE WITH

TO HOUSE AND REMAIN
WITH WEBSTER AT PORCH
CORNER.

WEBSTER ASSISTING HER) Oh, I'll
pray. 'But a woman's more than a
praying machine, whatever men

think. And how do I know?

WEBSTER: Trust me, Mrs. Stone.

97

MARY ENTERS HOUSE AND APPEARS AT

FRONT WINDOW. ORCHESTRA VAMPS UNTIL

SHE IS IN POSITION.

MARY: (SUNG) Now may there be a
blessing and a light betwixt

thee and me, forever.

DISSOLVE TO > For as Ruth unto Naomi, so do I

3

MCU OF MARY AT \
WINDOW cleave unto thee.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart,

As a seal upon thine arm, for love
is strong as death.

Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown
it.

As Ruth unto Naomi, so do I cleave
unto thee.

The Lord watch between thee and
me when we are absent, one
from another.

Amen. Amen. (MOVES AWAY FROM

WINDOW)
DISSOLVE TO .
2 MS OF WEBSTER AT WEBSTER: SUNG) AMEN. (SPOKEN) Amen.
PORCH CORNER. SEE
MARY MOVE FROM (TURNS TO JABEZ AND WALKS TO FAR
WINDOW IN SHOT. TABLE)

PULL BACK AS WEBSTER
MOVES TO TABLE, SO JABEZ: (SITTING AT lST TABLE) Thank
AS TO INCLUDE JABEZ.

you, Mr. Webster. She ought to
go. But I couldn't have made her

do it.

98

WEBSTER: Well, Stone--I know ladies--
and I wouldn't be surprised if
she's still listening. But she's
best out of this night's business.

How long have we got to wait?
. JABEZ: Not long, not long.

WEBSTER: (GETTING JUG AND GLASSES
FROM FAR TABLE AND WALKING T0

DOLLY IN As WEBSTER TABLE WHERE JABEZ IS SITTING.)
APPROACHES NEARER
TABLE AND SITS. ’ Then I'll just get out the jug

with your permission Stone. Some-
how or other, waiting's wonder-
fully shorter, with a jug.

WEBSTER POURS DRINK AND ENJOYS IT.
Ten-year-old Medford. There's
nothing like it. I saw an inch
worm take a drop of it once and

he stood right up on his hind

legs and bit a bee. Come and try

a nip.
JABEZ: There's no joy in it for me.

'WEBSTER: Oh come, man, come! Just
because you've sold your soul to
the devil, that needn't make yOu

a teetotaler.

99

WEBSTER LAUGHS AND PASSES JUG TO STONE,

1 MCU OF JABEZ AS WHO TRIES TO POUR FROM IT. BUT AT
HE TRIES TO POUR THAT MOMENT A CLOCK BEGINS TO STRIKE
FROM THE JUG. THE THREE-QUARTERS AND STONE SPILLSIIT.

JABEZ: Oh, God!

I

WEBSTER: Never mind---it's a nervous
feeling, waiting for a trial to

I begin. I remember my first cases--

2 MS OF JABEZ AND JABEZ: 'Taint that. (JUMPS UP AND
WEBSTER As JABEZ
- JUMPS UP. FACES WEBSTER) Mr. Webster--—Mr.

Webster, For God's sake. Mr.
Webster, harness your horses and
get away from this place as fast

as you can!

WEBSTER: You've brought me a long
way, neighbor, to tell me you

don't like my company.

1 CU OF JABEZ JABEZ: ‘Miserable wretch that I am!
I've brought you a devilish way,
and I see my folly. Let him claw
into me if he wants to---I don't
hanker after it, I must say, but
I can stand it. But you're the
Union's stay and New Hampshire's
pride. He mustn't get you, Mr.

Webster-—he mustn't get you!

1

MS OF WEBSTER

OVER JABEZ' SHOUL-
DER. WEBSTER
SHOULD BE CENTERED
AND GATE IN BACK-
GROUND SHOULD BE
VISIBLE, SO SCRATCH
CAN ENTER.

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND SCRATCH
AS LIQUOR STEAMS.

lOO

WEBSTER: I'm much obliged to you,

neighbor Stone. It's kindly thought
of. But there's a jug on the table
and a case in hand. And I've never
left a jug or a case half-finished

in my life.

SCRATCH HAS ENTERED DURING THIS SPEECH
FROM UPSTAGE CENTER UNNOTICED.

SCRATCH: (NEARING TABLE) Good evening.

JABEZ SITS DOWN WHEN SCRATCH SPEAKS.

WEBSTER: Ah, I thought the clock

was a trifle slow, neighbor Stone.

SCRATCH: Mr. Webster! This_is a

pleasure!

WEBSTER: Attorney of record for

Jabez Stone. Might I ask your

name?

SCRATCH: I've gone by a good many.

Perhaps Scratch will do for the

evening. I'm often called that

in these regions. May I?
SCRATCH SITS AT TABLE AND POURS A
DRINK FROM JUG. LIQUOR STEAMS AS IT
POURS INTO THE GLASS...STONE WATCHES,
TERRIFIED.

MEDIUM 3-SHOT OF
JABEz,~SCRATCH

AND WEBSTER. (CAM-
ERA DOWNSTAGE OF
HOUSE)

CU OF SCRATCH WITH
BLACK POCKETBOOK
AND PAPERS.

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
WEBSTER AND SCRATCH.

2-SHOT OF SCRATCH
AND JABEZ OVER
JABEZ' SHOULDER.

3-SHOT

lOl

SCRATCH: And now, I call upon you,
as a law-abiding citizen, to assist
me in taking p0ssession of my

property.

WEBSTER: Not so fast, Mr. Scratch.

Produce your evidence--if you

have it.

SCRATCH TAKES OUT A BLACK POCKETBOOK

AND EXAMINES PAPERS.

SCRATCH: Slattery---Stanley---Stone.
(TAKES OUT DEED)
There, Mr. Webster. All open and
above board and in due and legal
form. Our firm has its reputation
to consider—-we only deal in the

one way.

WEBSTER: (TAKING DEED AND LOOKING
IT OVER) H'm. This appears-~I
say it appears-~to be properly
drawn. BUt, of course, we contest

the signature.

SCRATCH: (TURNING SUDDENLY ON STONE
AND SHOOTING A FINGER AT HIM) IIs
that your signature?

JABEZ: You know damn well it is.

. WEBSTER: (ANGRILY) Keep quiet, Stone.

CAMERA WHICH IS
DOWNSTAGE OF TREE
AND SHOOTING OVER
STONE'S SHOULDER,
DOLLIES IN TO LOSE
STONE. I

102

WEBSTER: (TO SCRATCH) But that is a
minor matter; This precious docu-
ment isn't worth the paper it's
written on. The law permits no

traffic in human flesh.

\ SCRATCH: Oh, my dear Mr. Webster!

Courts in every State in the Union
have held that human flesh is
property and recoverable. Read
your Fugitive Slave Act. Or shall

I cite Brander versus McRae?

WEBSTER: But in the case-of the
State of Maryland versus Four

Barrels of Bourbon--

SCRATCH: That was overruled, as you
know, sir. North Carolina versus

Jenkins and Co.

WEBSTER: You seem to have an excellent

acquaintance with the law, sir.

SCRATCH: Sir, that is no fault of

mine. Where I come from, we have

always gotten the pick of the Bar.

WEBSTER: Well, come now, sir. There's

Ino need to make hay and oats of a

103

trifling matter, when we're both
sensible men. Surely we can settle
this little difficulty out of
court. My client is quite pre-

pared to offer a compromise.

\ (SCRATCH SMILES)

A very substantial compromise.

(SCRATCH SMILES MORE BROADLY, SLOWLY
SHAKING HIS HEAD.)

Damn it, man, we offer ten thou-
sand dollars! '

(SCRATCH SIGHS "NO")
Twenty thousand--thirty--name your
figure! I'll raise it if I have

to mortgage Marshfield!

CU OF SCRATCH SCRATCH: Quite useless, Mr. Webster.
There is only one thing I want
from you---the execution of my
contract.

CU OF WEBSTER I WEBSTER: But this is absurd. Mr.
Stone is now a State Senator.

The property has greatly increased

in value!

CU OF‘SCRATCH SCRATCH: The principle of caveat
emptor still holds, Mr. Webster.
(YAWNS AND LOOKS AT POCKET WATCH)

1

3-SHOT (CAMERA IN
SAME POSITION AS
IT WAS FOR THE
PREVIOUS SHOT.)

CU OF SCRATCH

104

And now, if you have no further
arguments to adduce--I'm rather

pressed for time---

WEBSTER: (JUMPING UP AND THUNDERING)
Pressed or not, you shall not have
this man. Mr. Stone is an Ameri-
can citizen, and no American
citizen may be forced into the
service of a foreign prince. We
fought England for that in '12,
and we'll fight all hell for it

again!

SCRATCH: (JUMPING UP AND FACING
WEBSTER) Foreign: And who calls

me a foreigner?

WEBSTER: Well, I never yet heard
of the dev--of your claiming

American citizenship.

SCRATCH: IAnd who with better right?
When the first wrong was done to
the first Indian, I was there.
When the first slaver put out for
the Congo, I stood on her deck.

Am I not in your books and stories
and beliefs from the first settle-

ment? Am I not spoken of still,

2 3-SHOT (CAMERA IN
SAME POSITION AS

FOR PREVIOUS 3-SHOT)

3 2-SHOT OF WEBSTER
AND SCRATCH

CAMERA FOLLOWS SCRATCH
AS HE WALKS.

AS SCRATCH STANDS IN
FOREGROUND 0F SHOT,

105

in every church in New England?
'Tis true, the North claims me

for a Southerner and the South

for a Northerner, but I am neither.
I am merely an honest American
like yourself---and of the best
descent--for to tell the truth,

Mr. Webster, though I don't like
to boast of it, my name's older

in the country than yours.

WEBSTER: Aha! Then I stand on the
Constitution! I demand a trial

for my client.

SCRATCH: The case is hardly one for’
an ordinary jury--and, indeed,

the lateness of the hour---

WEBSTER: Let it be any court you
choose, so it is an American
judge and an American jury. Let
it be the quick or the dead. I'll

abide the issue!

SCRATCH: You have said it.

SCRATCH WALKS TOWARD LIMBO SET CAMERA
LEFT AND POINTS FINGER IN DIRECTION
OF JURY Box. MUSIC BEGINS.

LIGHTS SLOWLY COME UP ON THE JURY
SET AND MIST SWIRLS ABOUT.

SUPER MIST FILM OVER
CAMERA 3

FADE OUT MIST FILM
SLOWLY

DISSOLVE TO

1 MS OF SCRATCH'S
BACK AS HE WALKS
T0 JURY BOX AND
TURNS PROFILE TO
CAMERA.

CAMERA FOLLOWS SCRATCH
AND FRAMES EACH JUROR
SCRATCH STOPS IN FRONT
OF.

106

AS SCRATCH SINGS THE INCANTATION THE

JURY MEMBERS FILE IN FROM CAMERA

LEFT. SIMON GIRTY IS FIRST WITH

OTHERS ENTERING IN THE ORDER THAT

SCRATCH CALLS THEM.

SCRATCH: (SUNG) I summon the jury

Mister Webster demands. From
churchyard mould and gallows grave,
Brimstone pit and burning gulf,
I summon them! Dastard, liar,
scoundrel, knave, I summon them!
Appear!

JURY IS ALL IN BY THIS POINT AND

THE MIST BEGINS TO CLEAR.

JABEZ: In God's name, who are these?

SCRATCH MOVES FORWARD INTO THE JURY
SET AND WALKS DOWN IN FRONT OF JURY
BOX AS HE SINGS ABOUT EACH JUROR.
SCRATCH: (SUNG)There's Simon Girty,
the renegade,
The haunter of the forest glade,
Who joined with Indian and wolf
To fight the pioneer.
The blood upon his hunting shirt

is not the blood of the deer.

There's Walter Butler the Loyalist
Who carried a firebrand in his.
fist

Of massacre and shame.

LS OF SCRATCH OVER
JABEZ AND WEBSTER'S
SHOULDERS. (CAMERA
AT JURY SET END OF
TABLE.)

107

King Philip's eye is wild and
bright,

They slew him in the great Swamp
Fight,

But still with terror and affright

The land recalls his name.

Blackbeard Teach, the pirate fell,
Smeet the strangler, hot from hell.
Dale, who broke men on the wheel,

Morton of the tarnished steel.

I summon them, I summon them.
From their tormented flame!
Quick or dead, quick or dead,
Broken heart and bitter head,
(TURNING TO JABEZ AND WEBSTER
WHO HAVE MOVED FORWARD INTO THE
JURY SET....HOUSE SET LIGHTS ARE
OUT.)

True Americans, each one,
Traitor and disloyal son,
Cankered earth and twisted tree,
OutCasts of eternity,

Twelve great sinners, tried and

true,

For the work they are to do.

I summon them! I summon them!

Appear, appear, appear!

108
JABEZ: (SUNG) A jury of the dead!
JURY: (SUNG) Of the dead!
JABEZ: (SUNG) A jury of the damned!

JURY: (SUNG) Of the damned!
~ FOLLOWING DIALOGUE OVER MUSIC

2 MEDIUM 3-SHOT OF SCRATCH: Are you content with the
JABEZ, SCRATCH AND
WEBSTER. (CAMERA Jury, Mr. Webster?

IN POSITION TO PICK

UP CLERK AND JUDGE'S

ENTRANCE.) WEBSTER: Quite content. Though I
miss General Arnold from the

company.

SCRATCH: Benedict Arnold is engaged
upon other business. Ah, you
asked for a justice, I believe.

JUSTICE HATHORNE FOLLOWED BY CLERK

ENTERS ON MUSIC CUE...ANDANTE

LUGUBRE..PAGE 63, MEASURE 7.

Justice Hathorne is a jurist of
experience. He presided at the
Salem witch trials. There were

others who repented of the busi-

ness later. But not he, not he!

3 MCU OF JUDGE HATHORNE: Repent of such notable.
wonders and undertakings? .Nay,

hang them, hang them all!

2

MEDIUM 2-SHOT 0F
CLERK AND JUDGE

MCU 0F SCRATCH
AND WEBSTER OVER
JUDGE'S SHOULDER.

MS OF WEBSTER AND
JUDGE WITH JURY
AND SCRATCH IN
BACKGROUND

109

CLERK: (SUNG) Oyez, oyez, oyez.
All ye who have business with
this court of special session,

this night, come forward!
HATHORNE: Call the first case.

CLERK: (SUNG) The World, the Flesh,

and the Devil versus Jabez Stone.
HATHORNE: Who appears for the plaintiff?

SCRATCH: (MOVING FORWARD TO JUDGE)

I, your honor.
HATHORNE: And for the defendant?
WEBSTER: (MOVING FORWARD TO JUDGE) ,I.

JURY: (SUNG) The case, the case,
hell have little luck with this

case.
HATHORNE: The case will proceed.

WEBSTER: (TAKING ANOTHER STEP FOR-
WARD) Your Honor, I move.to dis-
miss the case on the grounds of

of improper jurisdiction.

HATHORNE: Motion denied.

3

MS OF SCRATCH OVER
HEADS OF JURY.

110

JURY: (SUNG) Motion denied, denied.
WEBSTER: I will take an exception.

HATHORNE: There are no exceptions
in this court.

JURY: (SUNG) No exceptions, no ex-
ceptions in this court. It's a
bad case, Daniel Webster, a losing

case.
WEBSTER: Your honor----
HATHORNE: The prosecution will proceed.
WEBSTER BACKS OFF AND SCRATCH APPROACHES

SCRATCH: Your honor, Gentlemen of
the Jury. This is a plain,
straight-forward case. It need

not detain us long.

JURY: (SUNG) Detain us long.
It will not detain us long.

' SCRATCH: It concerns one thing alone--

the transference, barter,Iand sale
of a certain piece of property,

to wit, his soul, by Jabez Stone,
farmer, of Cross Corners, New

Hampshire. That transference,

111

barter, or sale is attested by
a deed. I offer that deed in

evidence and mark it Exhibit A.

2 MS OF JUDGE, CLERK, WEBSTER: (STEPPING FORWARD As SCRATCH
WEBSTER AND SCRATCH
PRESENTS DEED To JUDGE.) I obJect.

JUDGE HANDS DEED TO CLERK.

HATHORNE: Objection denied. Mark
it Exhibit A.

CAMERA FOLLOWS SCRATCH SCRATCH TAKES DEED FROM CLERK AND

AS HE MOVES WITH DEED HANDS IT TO JURY WHO PASS IT AMONG

TO JURY. THEMSELVES.

JURY: (SUNG) Mark it Exhibit A,
Exhibit A. (JURY EXAMINES IT)

SCRATCH: This deed, as you see,

is properly drawn up and Witnessed.

JURY: (SUNG) We know the deed, the
deed, it burns our fingers.
We do not have to see the deed.»

It's a losing case.

SCRATCH: It offers incontestable
evidence of the truth of the
3 LS OF SET OVER prosecution's claim. (TURNING TO
JABEZ' SHOULDER
JABEZ) I shall now call Jabez

Stone to the witness stand.

CLERK: (SUNG) Jabez Stone to the

witness stand.

2 CU 0F JABEZ

3 LS OF SET

1 MEDIUM 2-SHOT OF
JUDGE AND WEBSTER
WITH JURY IN BACK-
GROUND.

2 LS OF FULL SET.

CAMERA FOLLOWS JABEZ
.AND CLERK TO WITNESS ‘
STAND, ARCING RIGHT.

112

JABEZ LOOKS AT JURY IN TERROR.
JURY: (SUNG) Jabez Stone to the
witness stand.
Jabez Stone he's a fine, fat
fellow,
Jabez Stone. He'll fry like a
batter cake once we get him

where we want him.

WEBSTER: (STEPPING FORWARD TO JUDGE
AGAIN) Your honor, I move that
this jury be discharged for fla-

grant and open bias!
HATHORNE: Motion denied.
WEBSTER: Exception.
HATHORNE: Exception denied.

JURY: (SUNG) Denied, denied. His

motion's always denied.
WEBSTER: Your honor!

CLERK: (SUNG) Jabez Stone to the

witness stand!

JABEZ AND CLERK GO TO WITNESS STAND
WHILE JURY SINGS. WEBSTER TURNS
AWAY FROM JUDGE AND RETREATS.

MEDIUM 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND SCRATCH
WITH JUDGE IN BACK-
GROUND. (CAMERA
PLACED BEHIND JURY)

113

JURY: (SUNG) Jabez Stone, Jabez
Stone, Jabez Stone.

JABEZ TAKES THE STAND.

CLERK: Do you solemnly swear---
testify--and it's no good for we

don't care what you testify.

JABEZ: I do.
CLERK RETURNS TO HIS DESK

SCRATCH: (APPROACHING JABEZ) What's

your name?
JABEZ: JABEZ STONE.
SCRATCH: Occupation?
JABEZ: Farmer.
SCRATCH: Residence?
JABEZ: Cross Corners, New Hampshire.

JURY: (SUNG) A farmer, he'll farm
in hell, we'll see that he farms

in hell.

'SCRATCH: Now, Jabez Stone, answer me.

You'd better know, you haven't
got a chance and there'll be a

cooler place by the fire for you.

MS OF WEBSTER AND
JUDGE WITH JABEZ
AND SCRATCH 0N SIDE
IN BACKGROUND.

MS 0F JURY WITH
WEBSTER IN FORE-
GROUND

MEDIUM 3-SHOT 0F
JUDGE, JABEZ, AND
SCRATCH. CAMERA
IN SAME POSITION
AS FOR PREVIOUS
SHOT.

MS OF SCRATCH

AND JUDGE. SCRATCH
LEAVES SHOT AND
CLERK AND WEBSTER
ENTER.

114

WEBSTER: (RUSHING FORWARD) I

protest! This is intimidation!

This mocks all justice!

HATHORNE: The protest is irrelevant,
incompetent and immaterial. We
have our own justice---the protest

is denied.

JURY: (SUNG) Irrelevant, incompe-

tent and immaterial. We have our

own justice. Oho, Daniel Webster.

WEBSTER BACKS AWAY FROM JUDGE AGAIN

SCRATCH: Did you or did you not

sign this document?

JABEZ: Oh, I signed it! You know I

signed it. And if I have to go
to hell for it, I'll go!

JURY: (SUNG) One of us, one of us

now, we'll save a place by the

fire for you, Jabez Stone.

SCRATCH: The prosecution rests.

(BOWS AND WALKS AWAY.)

HATHORNE: Remove the prisoner.
WEBSTER: (RUSHING FORWARD) But I
wish to cross-examine, I wish to

prove---

CLERK AND JABEZ PASS
BEHIND WEBSTER AS THEY
LEAVE AND CAMERA PULLS
BACK TO INCLUDE JURY
OVER HEADS OF CLERK
AND JABEZ AS THEY SIT.
CAMERA IS ON HOUSTON
DOLLY AND IS BOOMED
DOWN AND SHOOTING UP.

DISSOLVE IN SUPER OF
MARY'SPMAD(PROFILE)

ON 3 OVER 1 ON UPPER
LEFT CORNER OF SHOT.

115

CLERK CROSSES T0 WITNESS STAND AND
REMOVES JABEZ. CLERK RETURNS TO
DESK AND JABEZ SITS ON CHAIR NEAR
CLERK'S DESK.

HATHORNE: There will be no cross-
examination. We have our jus-
tice. You may speak if you like.
But be brief.

WEBSTER TURNS TO JURY.

JURY: (SUNG) Brief, be very brief,
We're weary of earth, incompetent,
irrelevant, and immaterial.

They say he's a smart man Webster,
But he's lost his case tonight.
Be brief, be very brief, we have

our own justice here.

MARY: (SUNG OFFSTAGE) Set me as a
seal upon thy heart, as a seal
upon thine arm, for love is strong

as death. Love is strong.

 

._7

JURY: (SUNG UNDER MARY'S PART)
A seal, ha ha--a burning seal...
ha ha, ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha,
A burning seal.

Death is stronger than love.

 

 

116

Set the seal upon Daniel Webster,
the burning seal of the
lost,

Make him one of us, one of the
damned.

One with Jabez Stone!

. JL__ -- __J

LOSE SUPER OF MARY CLERK ADVANCES TOWARD WEBSTER AS IF
TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY.

 

JURY: Hal

2 MCU OF WEBSTER WEBSTER: (SILENCES ALL WITH A GES-
WITH JURY IN
BACKGROUND. TURE AND DELIVERS MOST OF THIS
SPEECH AND SONG TO JURY.) Be still!
(FOLLOWING SPEECH OVER MUSIC)
I was going to thunder and roar.
I shall not do that.
I was going to denounce and defy.
I shall not do that.
You have Judged this man already
with your abominable Justice.
See that you defend it.
For I shall not speak of this man.
You are demons now, but once you
were men.
I shall speak to every one of you.

3 MCU OF WEBSTER ~ Of common things I speak, of small

things and common.

 

PULL BACK SLOWLY AND
ARC RIGHT TO INCLUDE
JURY....CONTINUE TO
DO SO UNTIL ENTIRE
JURY IS INCLUDED AT
END OF THIS SPEECH.

CAMERA AT END OF DOLLY.

117

The freshness of morning to the
Young.

The taste of food to the hungry,

The day's toil, the rest by the
fire, the quiet sleep.

These are good things.

But without freedom they sicken,

Without freedom they are nothing.

Freedom is the bread and the
morning and the rising sun.

It was for freedom we came in the
boats and the ships.

It was for freedom we came.

It has been a long Journey, a
hard one, a bitter one.

But out Of the wrong and right,

The sufferings and the starvations,

There is a new thing, a free
thing.

The traitors in their treachery,

The wise in their wisdom,

The valiant in their courage---

All, all have played a part.

It may not be denied in hell nor
shall hell prevail against it.

Have you forgotten this?

118

MS OF WEBSTER. WEBSTER: (WALKING TO SIMON GIRTY)
FOLLOW HIM TO
JURY AND FRAME Have you forgotten the forest?

HIM WITH EACH
MAN HE SINGS TO.
GIRTY: The forest, the rustle of

the forest.

WEBSTER: (WALKING TO KING PHILIP)
Have(you forgotten your lost

nation?

PHILIP: My lost warriors, my fires

in the wood, my warriors.

WEBSTER: (WALKING TO TEACH) Have
you forgotten the sea and the way

of ships?

TEACH: The sea, and the swift ships,

sailing the blue sea.

JURY: Forgotten, remembered, for-

gotten yet remembered.

WEBSTER: You were men Once, have

you forgotten?

JURY: Men once, men once, we were
men once. We had not thought of
it nor remembered it. But we
were men.

MS OF WEBSTER AND ALLEGRO MODERATO....PAGE 78, MEASURE 4.
'SIDE VIEW OF JURY

CAMERA FOLLOWS WEBSTER

2 MS OF WEBSTER WITH
JURY IN BACKGROUND.
SHOT OVER JABEZ'
SHOULDER.

CAMERA FOLLOWS WEBSTER

119

WEBSTER: (SPOKEN OVER MUSIC) (FOL-

LOWING LINE DELIVERED WHILE
WALKING TO JABEZ) Now here is a
man with good and evil

in his heart. (FACING JURY)
Do you know him? He is your
brother.
Will you take the law of the
Oppressor and bind him down?
It is not for him that I speak.
It is for all of you.
There is sadness in being a man,

But it is a proud thing too.

_There is failure and despair on

the Journey, the endless
Journey of mankind.
We are tricked and trapped,
We stumble into the pit;
But out of the pit we rise again.
No demon that was ever foaled can
know the inwardness of that,
Only men, bewildered men.

(WEBSTER WALKS TO CENTER STILL
FACING JURY.)

They have broken freedom with their
hands and cast her out from

the nations,

4 Yet shall she live while man lives.

1

CU OF WEBSTER

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF

2 MEMBERS OF THE
JURY AND PAN DURING
THEIR SINGING.

PULL BACK TO INCLUDE
WEBSTER

3

MCU OF JUDGE

120

She shall live in the blood and
?in the heart,

She shall live in the earth of
this country,

She shall not be named in vain.

When the whips of the oppressors
are broken and their names
forgotten and destroyed,

I see you, mighty, shining, liberty,
liberty!

I see free men walking and talk-
ing under a free star!

God save the United States and

the men who have made her

free!

JURY: (SUNG) We were men, We were
free, we have not forgotten.
Our Children, our children shall

follow and be free.

WEBSTER: (TURNING TO JUDGE) The de-
fense rests. (WALKS AWAY.)

DURING THE FOLLOWING SCENE, JABEZ

AND WEBSTER RETURN TO THEIR POSITIONS

AT THE TABLES IN THE HOUSE SET.

HATHORNE: (RAPPING GAVEL) The Jury

will retire to consider its

verdict.

1 MCU OF BUTLER

3 MS OF SCRATCH
CAMERA FOLLOWS SCRATCH

1 MS OF JUDGE, BUTLER‘

AND SCRATCH IN
F OREG ROUND

CAMERA PULLS BACK AND
ARCS LEFT BETWEEN TREE
AND BENCH. SUPER MIST
FILM, DIM LIGHTS.

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN
2 2-SHOT OF JABEZ
AND WEBSTER

SITTING AT TABLE.

3 LS OF MARY ON
PORCH

CAMERA FOLLOWS HER AS
SHE RUSHES TO JABEZ
AND DOLLIES IN AS THEY
MEET.

121

BUTLER: (RISING) The Jury has con-

sidered its verdict. We find

for the defendant, Jabez Stone!

SCRATCH: (RUSHING TOWARDS JUDGE)

Your hOnor!

BUTLER: Perhaps 'tis not strictly
in accordance with the evidence.
But even the damned may salute
the elquence of Mr. Webster.

AS MIST RISES AND LIGHT FADES, SCRATCH F

IS LEFT ALONE IN SMALL SPOT OF LIGHT.

AS PICTURE FADES TO.BLACK, HE IS FREE

TO MOVE CLOSER TO TABLES FOR THE NEXT
SCENE.

JABEZ: They're gone, and 16s morn-

ing! Mary, Mary! (HE RISES)

MARY: I'm here and I'm waiting.
(SHE RUSHES OFF PORCH AND JABEZ
GOES TOWARD HER. THEY MEET AT
PORCH CORNER.)
QUARTET FOLLOW...MARY AND JABEZ

START AND WEBSTER AND SCRATCH COME
IN.

JABEZ: Mary, Mary.

I have you in my arms.

I have you in my heart.
Forever, for the winters and

the summers in my heart.

~

 

MARY: I have you in my arms,

122

Forever in my heart, the glad
days,

ReJoicing in our love,

Our love, our strong harvest,

To the light beyond, light to
the light everlasting.
Forever.

Neighbors, Neigthrs,

Neighbors,‘Neighbors!

All, Neighbors, all!

For the Devil's sly and the devil'53
tough,

But we've seen his cards and we'Ve
called his bluff.

Drive him out, Neighbors, drive

him out!

I have you in my heart.

Forever, forever, for the winters
and the summers, the sorrow
and the gladness, the proud
days,

Our love, our reJOicing, our love,
our rejoicing to the light
beyond,

Light to the light everlasting,

Forever.

 

CAMERA SHOT SHOWS

WEBSTER AND SCRATCH
IN BACKGROUND, AND
THE ENSUING ACTION.

123

Neighbors, Neighbors,
Neighbors, Neighbors!
All, Neighbors all!

For the devil's sly and the devil's
- tough,
But we've seen his cards and we've

called his bluff.
Drive him out, Neighbors, drive

him out!

 

DURING THIS QUARTET SCRATCH TRIES TO

SNEAK OUT PAST WEBSTER(BETWEEN TABLES

AND OFF SET UPSTAGE CENTER THROUGH

GATE) WEBSTER CATCHES HIM AND HAULS

HIM BACK. THEN BRINGS HIM DOWN NEAR

JABEZ AND MARY.

.WEBSTER: But I'll have that deed

and I'll have you!

I'll have your hide and tallow,
too.

You've settled with Jabez, let
him be!

But you haven't settled accounts
with me!

And now we'll give you a Shivaree!

Neighbors! Neighbors!

Come on and see what sort of a
slabsided, lantern Jawed,'
fortune-telling note shaver

I've got by the scruff of

the neck!

 

 

.___ __J

 

CAMERA PULLS BACK AS
DANCERS COME IN FROM
EITHER SIDE...INCLUDES
WHOLE CAST IN SHOT.

124

Bring your kettles and your pans!

Bring your fiddles and your palm
leaf fans

For the devil's sly and the devil's
tough,

But we've seen his cards and we've
called his bluff,

And now, we'll make him holler
enough!

Drive him out, Out of New Hampshire,

 

 

Drive him out!

_

FSCRATCH: Come sir, let me go! i .—T
Ouch, sir, let me go!

Ouch, let me go!

Let me go, ouch!!' Ouch! Ouch!

Oh, sir, no, sir, Oh sir, no sir!

 

 

— fl \
NEIGHBORS RUSH IN FROM BOTH SIDES,
BEATING POTS AND PANS, FIRING GUNS,

. MAKING THE HIDEOUS MERRY RACKET OF

A SHIVAREE. THE 6 DANCERS ALSO ENTER
FROM DOWNSTAGE, CROSSING FRONT OF

THE CAMERA. AS THE FIRST ONE ENTERS,
WEBSTER PUSHES SCRATCH FORWARD AND
lST DANCER CATCHES HIM AND WHIRLS HIM
ON TO THE NEXT DANCER, ETC. THE DAN-
CERS THEN WHIRL HIM BACK UP TO WEBSTER,
WHO GIVES HIM A KICK AND SENDS HIM
RUNNING OFF, UPSTAGE THROUGH GATE.
DANCERS THEN CONTINUE DANCING, WHILE
OTHERS MOVE ABOUT WEBSTER, CONGRATU-
LATING HIM AND JABEZ....ALL THIS DUR-
ING THE FOLLOWING FINALE.

CHORUS: We'll drive him out of New

Hampshire!

DISSOLVE TO

2

TIGHT 2-SHOT OF
JABEZ AND MARY...
PAGE 126, LINE:
”AS RUTH TO
NAOMI..."

125
We'll drive old Scratch away!
He can call on Lowells and Salton-

. stalls!
But he can't come here for his
codfish balls!
We'll drive him out of New Hamp-
shire

We'll drive old Scratch away!

I don't say about Massachusetts,

Vermont I do not say

But he can't come here for his
holidays

We're on to the devil and all
his ways,

And we'll drive him out of New
Hampshire

We'll drive old Scratch away.

Forever and a day, we'll drive
Old Scratch away,

Forever and a day, we'll drive
old Scratch away.

Pie for breakfast, Pie for break-
fast!

Apple, pumpkin, mince, and raisin,

Pie for breakfast, pie!

DISSOLVE TO

3 LS OF SET AND
ENTIRE CAST, THIS
PAGE, LINE: "AS
ESTHER THE LOWLY..."

PULL BACK AND ARC LEFT

UNTIL TREE IS IN SHOT .

CAMERA AT END OF DOLLY
WITH SAME SHOT THAT
OPENED SHOW. HOLD TO
END.

126

Blueberry, cranb'ry, squash and
lemon
Pie for breakfast, pie!
‘ Apple, raisin, lemon, mince for
- breakfast, pie!
New England's fame, Her sons pro-
claim with pie
Apple, pumpkin,mince, raisin,
blueberry, cranb'ry, squash,
and lemon pie.
Pie for breakfast, pie for break-
fast, pie for breakfast, pie!
New England's pride, New England's

pride.

r— ,.--'

MARY: As Ruth to Naomi, So cleave
I to thy side.
As Esther the lowly to kings in
in their pride, I cleave to
thee,

To thee, to thee.

,_ ii.

 

r'J'l'xBEz: The mountains and the pine,
The harvest and the corn, the corn,
The fiddler and the dance

The bridegroom and the bride,

 

The bridegroom and the bride.

 

127

WEBSTER: I've got a ram, Goliath,

 

He can butt through an iron door,
But he acts like a sucking turtle-

dove

 

 

L__ When I go into his stall.

g I

FADE TO BLACK ALL OF THE ABOVE SOLO PARTS END WITH
\ THE CHORUS ON PAGE 93, MEASURE 5.

THE END

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

BOOKS

Benét, Stephen Vincent. The Devil and Daniel Webster. New
York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1937.

 

Benn, Christopher. Mozart On The Stage. New York: Coward-
McCann, 19A6.

 

Bretz, Rudy. Techniques of Television Production. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1953.

 

Dolman, John. The Art of Play Production. New York: Harper
and Brothers, 19A6.

 

Graf, Herbert. The Opera And Its Future in America. New
York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1931.

 

. Opera For The People. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1951.

 

 

. Producing Opera for America. Zurich/New York:
Atlantis Books, 1961.

 

 

Kaufman, William J. (ed.) How To Direct for Television.
New York: Hastings House, 1955.

 

 

ARTICLES AND PERIODICALS

Benet, Stephen Vincent. "Words and Music," Saturday Review,
may 20, 1939’ pp. lO-llo

 

"Catholic Venture in TV," Newsweek, May A, 1959, 53:67.

 

Epstein, Eugene V. "The Future of Opera on TV," Opera News,
February 4, 1961, 25:31.

 

Gelb, Arthur. "Future of Video Opera," New York Times, Decem-
ber 28, 1952, II, 10:1.

 

Gent, George. ”Good--But Not Grand," New York Times, October
23, 1955, II, 11:8.

 

Mootz, William. "Hoiby Opera Launches Louisville TV Station,"
Musical America, November, 1959, 79: 7.

 

New York Times, 1950—1964. (All articles pertaining to the
production of opera on television.)

 

128

129

Schonberg, Harold C. "Happy New Year," New York*TimeS,Decem-
ber 29, 1963, II, 13:1.

 

OTHER SOURCES

 

Moore, Douglas, and Benet, Stephen Vincent. The Devil and
Daniel Webster, Folk Opera in One Act; Vocal Score:
Boosey and Hawkes.

 

 

National Television andeRadio Center. Files on Opera on
television.

«GUM not ONLY

. 'l‘fl
J- Hf).

vv

 

ART BOOKBINDING CO.
PHEADELPHIA. PA.

‘A~\\I\4'\ 7. l _ _

"1111111111111111101111111111111 ES

 

553