"ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES"

Original Screenplay

by

PAUL DEHN

Based on characters created by

Pierre Boulle

FINAL SCREENPLAY
October 28, 1970

APJAC Productions Inc.

-------------------------------------------------------------
REVISED 12/9/70

"ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES"

FROM BLACK SCREEN

SHOCK-CUT TO EXTREME CLOSEUP:

1 THE EXPLOSION OF ROCKETS

as we watch a it speeds away from CAMERA.

CUT TO:

A-l EXT. SPACESHIP (STOCK)

It soars into space.

2 INT. ORBITING SPACESHIP

through whose windows the same light lividly

illuminates three space-suited and helmeted ASTRONAUTS
-- afraid and curiously hesitant at the controls. We
establish a Dual Date Meter showing the year in terms
both of "EARTH TIME" and "SELF-TIME." Both panels
read: 3955.

ASTRONAUT 1 (MALE)
 We made it.

ASTRONAUT 2 (MALE)
So far. But one thing i8 for certain.
Whoever wins the war, there'll be no
place on Earth for us.

ASTRONAUT 3 (FEMALE)
Where are we going?

ASTRONAUT 2 (MALE)
(briskly)
Probably to our death. But just
possibly --

3 P.O.V. SHOT - EARTH'S RIM WHITENS TO INCANDESCENCE

and a soundless explosion sends a column of fire an

mushrooming up towards us.

4 SPACESHIP

Appalled silence. Through the ship's windows the

ASTRONAUTS are watching (and we with them) the nuclear
disintegration of Earth. The incandescence almost
burns through their space helmets. In awed voices:

ASTRONAUT 2
The fools...they've finally destroyed
themselves.

ASTRONAUT 1
My God, the earth is no more.

ASTRONAUT 3
And we've escaped.

The spaceship begins to shudder.

ASTRONAUT 2
We have, if we survive the shock
wave.

The shock wave of the huge, megatonic explosion hits

the spaceship from below.

Chaos and pandemonium inside. We multiply normal air

turbulence a thousandfold and are bashed, buffeted,
whirled, twirled, lifted a hundred miles and dropped
fifty, before slowly flattening out to some semblance
of equilibrium on (presumably) a new orbit. The Date
Meter digits under "EARTH TIME" have begun to click and
race erratically. ASTRONAUT 2 watches intently.

ASTRONAUT 2
The shock must have ... unbalanced
the mechanism. I don't understand.

Now he turns to look at another dial.

5 ILLUMINATED PANEL LABELED "AUTOMATIC RE-ENTRY SEQUENCE"

Across it curves the descending graphline which traces

optimum re-entry path. Now the lights begin to trace
the spacecraft's actual re-entry path, which sometimes
slightly deviates to left or right of the graphline but
always approximately follows its course.

ASTRONAUT 2
We've been forced out of orbit.

ASTRONAUT 1
(looking at panel)
We're descending.

ASTRONAUT 3
But where?

The spacecraft is seared with flames and smoke as it

plummets through space. The windows fog and blacken.
ASTRONAUT feverishly works at controls to no response.

A-5 LONG SHOT - SPACECRAFT (STOCK)

The fiery missile descends on our screen.

B-5 FLAMES AND SMOKE

leap at the windows. Descent is rapid, and suddenly

through the blackened windows the entry is completed
for light can be seen flickering through the charred
cracks.

C-5 SUBJECTIVE P.O.V.

We descend rapidly to be swallowed in a cloud bank.

D-5 INT. SPACECRAFT

SHOOTING across the frozen ASTRONAUTS, we see the Date

Meter spin to a halt.

EARTH TIME
1973

SHIP TIME
3955

E-5 SUBJECTIVE P.O.V. (STOCK)

We are crashing rapidly into the ocean.

F-5 SPLASHDOWN (STOCK)

The spacecraft split the water into churning waves.

Then all is still.

6 EARTH - AERIAL SHOT - THE PACIFIC OCEAN - DUSK

 We are watching it from the P.O.V. of a U.S. Marine
helicopter PILOT flying on normal coastal
reconnaissance duty; and the coast itself as plane
banks to include it) is California. All is peaceful,
empty and deserted. Until...PILOT mildly reacts to an
object beached on the tideline far below. His prop-
blades louden as he goes into a steep, investigatory
dive.

7 FROM PILOT'S P.O.V.

We ZOOM towards the floating and still-unopened

spaceship.

8 INT. PILOT'S CABIN

As he flattens off and reascends:

PILOT
(radio-reporting)
Tower, this is Red Baron Five. I
have an object beached on the tide-
line -- uh -- seemingly one of our
spacecraft. Coordinates are southeast
corner of sector Alpha Charlie. Relay
this to appropriate recovery forces.
I have enough fuel to orbit for forty-
five minutes. Please alert Red Baron
Ops and I'll squawk Channel Two for
radar fix.

CUT TO:

9 INT. OPS ROOM

DUTY OFFICER
(on phone)
Rescue, we have Red Baron Five
report of possible spacecraft
washed ashore in southeast sector
Alpha Charlie. Immediately launch
two choppers to effect pickup and
recovery. Base Radar will vector
them to the location.

He picks up second phone and dials.

DUTY OFFICER
The Colonel, please.

10 EXT. COLONEL'S GARDEN

The COLONEL, among friends, is barbecuing a steak on

the lawn of his private quarters as the garden phone
rings beside him. The roar of the o.s. helicopters
passing overhead and the nature of the phone message
itself distract him from the steak which, during the
brief conversation's course, is burnt to a cinder. As
 the helicopters recede:

COLONEL
I didn't even know we had anything
up. Okay, I'll call Washington.
(seeing burnt steak)
Damn!

11 HELICOPTERS IN FLIGHT

12 OFFICE IN WASHINGTON

3-star GENERAL BRODY stands against wall map of

splashdown area and barks into phone.

BRODY
No serial number? ... Well, it
may have been burnt out on re-entry.
... No, neither did I. I'll check
with Deputy Director, NASA, and
call you back.

He cuts the call to initiate a new one.

13 EXT. HELICOPTER

disgorging FROGMEN at spacecraft. First helicopter

departs.

14 OFFICE AT CAPE KENNEDY

INTERCUTTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR with BRODY in Washington.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR (CIVILIAN)

(patiently)
General Brody, I'm telling you...
We have no spacecraft up.

BRODY
(irritably)
You're telling me that what never
went up can't come down. And I'm
telling you it just has. And now
I'm going to tell the President.

CUT TO:

15 EXT. BEACH AREA

Military vehicles, combat Marines, trucks, jeeps, etc.

swarm.

16 WHITE HOUSE OFFICE

The PRESIDENT is an articulate, unruffled professional

politician with a flair for irony. Into phone:

PRESIDENT
Let us hope and pray that you are
 right, General. But I think we
should be alert to a remoter
possibility: that the Russians
retrieved one of our missing space-
ships and remanned it with astronauts
who have now accidentally splashed
down in our own territorial waters.
If they're alive, you may tell
Colonel Winthrop at El Palomar to
welcome them with caution. Whether
they're alive or not, have NASA go
over that ship with whatever's the
scientific equivalent of a fine tooth
comb. And until we know more, I want
a full security clampdown on the entire
operation.
(dryly)
You understand me, General. This is
not for the networks.

CUT TO:

17 EXT. SPACECRAFT

being towed ashore by cable attached to truck winch.

FROGMEN, swimming alongside, shout orders to truck on
beach.

CUT TO:

18 INSIDE SPACESHIP

Its windows still fogged and blackened; the OCCUPANTS

still helmeted. We hear 0.S. FROGMEN faintly shouting
orders from outside.

ASTRONAUT 2
We are being pulled.

FROGMAN'S VOICE
(0.S.)
How the hell do you hold onto this
thing.

FROGMAN'S VOICE
(O.S.)
Some Frogman you are.

He laughs.

ASTRONAUT 1
They speak our language. At least
they have intelligence.

ASTRONAUT 2
(urgently)
Then at least let us conceal our
intelligence from our captors.
Our safety may lie in silence.
 CUT TO:

19 EXT. FIRST HELICOPTER RETURNS

and lands on beach. COLONEL emerges, with two

AIDES, to view:

20 EXT. SPACECRAFT AT WATER'S EDGE

21 MARINES SURROUND SPACECRAFT AT THE READY

22 THE OPENING OF THE SPACESHIP'S HATCH

Our helmeted ASTRONAUTS emerge, descend; and draw the

selves up, line abreast, facing:

23 COLONEL AND AIDES

COLONEL
Welcome, gentlemen.

Then their faces stiffen in aghast astonishment, as we:

CUT TO:

24 FROM THEIR P.O.V. - THE ASTRONAUTS UNHELMETED

They are all chimpanzees. One of them (MILO) is a

character new to our series. The other two are
CORNELIUS and is wife ZIRA. Over their heads we SUPER:

TITLE AND CREDITS

which continue over a:

25 MONTAGE

A. CREDIT: ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES

Frozen shot of the three apes.

B. CREDIT: (STARRING)
A shot of the Colonel and two aides. Camera ZOOMS
into head shot of Colonel.

C. CREDIT: RODDY McDOWALL

Close shot of Cornelius. Pull back to Med. shot.
He looks off.

D. CREDIT: KIM HUNTER

Camera pans to Zira.

E. CREDIT: BRAD DILLMAN

Full shot - beach action. Colonel and two aides
run towards jeep.

F. CREDIT NATALIE TRUNDY

Colonel in f.g. reaches for phone in jeep. Two
aides in b.g.
 G. CREDIT: ERIC BRAEDEN
General Brody reacting to news on telephone (freeze
frame).

H. CREDIT: (CO-STARRING)
Deputy Director, NASA, reacting to news (freeze
frame).

I. CREDIT: SUPPORTING CAST

President of the U.S. reacting to the news (freeze
frame).

J. CREDIT: RICARDO MONTALBAN AS ARMANDO

Full shot - Ops Room receiving news on teletype.

K. CREDIT: MUSIC - JERRY GOLDSMITH

Tighter shot - Ops Room - activity on phone.

L. CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY - JOE BIROC

Full shot - security gate. Trucks and ambulance
entering air base.

M. CREDIT: ART DIRECTION, ETC.

Security gates being closed Zooming into off-
limits sign.

N. CREDIT: MAKEUP DESIGN AND FILM EDITOR

Full shot - trucks and ambulance arriving at air
base depot.

O. CREDIT: UNIT MANAGER, ETC.

Ambulance being opened to admit Ape-onauts.

P. CREDIT: PANAVISION, ETC.

by soldiers to guardhouse (director's
note: possible two shot).

Q. CREDIT: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Low-bed truck carrying spacecraft.

R. CREDIT: WRITTEN BY
Tighter shot on moving truck carrying spacecraft.

S. CREDIT: PRODUCED BY
Jeep arriving at air base depot. Aide to Colonel
enters building.

T. CREDIT: DIRECTED BY
Colonel and Aide emerge from building heading
towards guardhouse.

MONTAGE ENDS.

26 EXT. MARINE BASE - COLONEL AND AIDE

who is carrying a large paperbag, as they walk past

Headquarters Buildings.

COLONEL
 Did you call the Zoo?

AIDE
Yes, sir. We're in luck. The
sick bay's almost empty except
for a mauled fox cub, a deer with
pneumonia, and a depressed gorilla.
The Apes will be hidden from the
public. They'll be quarantined.
If they want medical attention, it's
available on the spot. And the
experts can start giving them the
once-over first thing in the morning.
General Brody's very pleased.

COLONEL
Me, too. Can't have a lot of monkeys
making messes in the Guardhouse. Have
we fed them? Like raw steak or
something?

AIDE
The Zoo tells me that chimpanzees,
like all apes, are vegetarian, sir.

COLONEL
Good God.

AIDE
(indicating paper bag)
They suggested oranges.

They have reached:

27 EXT. GUARDHOUSE

whose door is unlocked by an obviously shaken MARINE

M.P.

COLONEL
What's the matter?

MARINE M.P. helplessly ushers them into:

28 INT. GUARDHOUSE

Its rear section (behind bars) is furnished with

austere but serviceable beds, chairs, tables and a
washing sink with plates and cutlery in rack above. On
the floor: a capacious rawhide valise, from which ZIRA
(gloved and shod) has extracted a robe into which she
is changing. Her discarded space suit lies at her feet.
MILO and CORNELIUS have already changed. Their space
suits are hanging neatly from wall hooks. At COLONEL'S
entry, MILO and CORNELIUS rise courteously to their
feet, while ZIRA struggles hastily into her robe. From
the threshold:

COLONEL
 (automatically)
Excuse me. I didn't mean to
disturb....
(aghast to Aide)
What am I saying?

AIDE
They're...pretending to dress.

COLONEL
What d'you mean, pretending?
They are dressing. Where'd they
get those clothes?

MARINE M.P.
(indicating valise)
They brought them with them, sir.
(gulping)
In a suitcase.

COLONEL
Suit....?
(with an effort;
to Aide)
Greg, give them their oranges.

AIDE advances cautiously with paper bag.

29 MASTER SHOT

We HOLD COLONEL and MARINE M.P. talking in f.g., while

AIDE proffers oranges (which the TRIO gracefully
accepts) in b.g.

ZIRA, holding her orange, has gone straight to the sink

rack, from which she takes three plates, three knives
and three forks.

COLONEL
(not noticing;
to Marine M.P.)
Arrange prisoner escort for 16:30
hours...

ZIRA distributes plates and cutlery to MILO and

CORNELIUS. To AIDE's astonishment, the APES draw up
chairs and sit round the table.

COLONEL
(not noticing;
to Aide)
We're sending them to the Zoo Infirmary.

The APES start meticulously quartering their oranges on

their plates with their knives.

COLONEL
(still to Aide)
They'll have company. There's
 a gorilla in the next cage.

ZIRA, overhearing this, reacts violently; rises, picks

up her plate and hurls it to the ground.

COLONEL
(looking round at
last)
Now why the hell did it do that?

The full implications of the plates and the knives only

strike him as we:

CUT TO:

30 INT. ZOO INFIRMARY - NIGHT

We START on CLOSE SHOT of the deer with pneumonia,

cradled under ultraviolet lamps which (as we PULL BACK)
prove to be the huge, clinically furnished room's only
light source -- for the sick animals must get their
rest. We PAN past a recumbent camel and the mauled fox
cub, into whose small sleeping body the rubber tube of
a suspended flask is intravenously dripping plasma; and
END on a white-coated KEEPER (with flashlamp)
inspecting our APE TRIO, now installed in one of two
large, contiguous cages at the dim room's center:
straw for them to lie on; a bowl of water for drinking;
and a generous supply of oranges and bananas, one of
which he cautiously proffers to ZIRA through the bars,
while playfully patting her head. ZIRA reacts the
banana and slaps his face. Taken aback but still
amicably:

KEEPER
Have it your own way, mate.

Clang! He locks them in and exits. When the light

from his flashlamp has faded to near-darkness, we hear
an outer door more distantly locked.

ZIRA
(outraged whisper
to Cornelius)
I'm not his mate. I'm yours.

CORNELIUS
Zira, please control yourself.
I think they're trying to be kind.

ZIRA
This cage stinks of gorilla.

She sits down disconsolately on the straw. Instantly

CORNELIUS sits by her and takes her hand. In
undertones:

ZIRA
Cornelius -- where are we? What's
 happened?

CORNELIUS helplessly shrugs. From the shadows, very

softly:

MILO
I know where we are. I know what
has happened.

ZIRA and CORNELIUS stare at him.

MILO
In some fashion -- and I lack
the intellect to know precisely how
-- we have traveled from Earth's
future into Earth's past.

CORNELIUS
But we saw Earth destroyed.

MILO
And Earth will be destroyed --
just as we saw it. Only, since
fleeing it, we have passed through
a....backward disturbance in time --
did you notice the Date Meter
clicking down after the shock
wave hit our ship? -- and we
have returned to Earth almost
two thousand years before its
destruction.
(solemnly)
That is another reason for keeping
silence. Our human captors would
not be edified to know that, one
day, their world will crack like
an egg and fry to a cinder, because
of an Ape war of aggression.

His low tones have become just emphatic enough to

disturb:

31 GORILLA IN NEXT CAGE

It shifts, grunts and whimpers uneasily.

32 BACK TO SCENE

The TRIO reacts. We CLOSE to:

MILO
Apes, at this instant in time,
cannot yet talk. For the moment,
we should follow their example.

FADE OUT

FADE IN
33 EXT. ZOO - MISTY MORNING SHOTS (6:00 A.M.)

We hear occasional call of a tropical early bird, and

CLOSE to two human early birds: LEWIS DIXON, a young
animal psychiatrist, and his pretty (female) research
assistant, STEVIE. As they walk:

LEWIS
(feeling in
pocket)
The driver brought e report from
the Air Base.
(scanning it)
The usual imitatory behavior ...
mimicking salutes ... hand-shaking
... sitting on chairs ... eating
off plates with knives ... but--

He hesitates.

STEVIE
What, Lewis?

LEWIS
There was a sort of carpetbag in
the ship.

STEVIE
With food?

LEWIS
No -- clothes. Stevie, they changed
into them.

STEVIE
I don't believe it.

But his reaction says it is true. We have reached the

Infirmary's main (open) door which is guarded by two
SOLDIERS.

STEVIE
What are they doing here?

LEWIS
Security.
(undertone)
Join the Marines and see the Zoo ...

Passing between the SOLDIERS, they enter:

A-33 INT. INFIRMARY CORRIDOR

They don white smocks (marked with their own names)

hanging from wall hooks; walk past the sick deer and
the fox under treatment in small box-cages against the
wall; and enter:
B-33 MAIN ROOM - DOUBLE CAGE

In one half of the cage sleeps the depressed GORILLA;

in the other half, very much awake, sit CORNELIUS and
ZIRA staring at the Intelligence Test apparatus.
Outside the cage stands KEEPER.

LEWIS
Good morning, Arthur.

ARTHUR
Hi, Dr. Dixon.....Dr. Branton.

Our APES survey them stonily.

ARTHUR
(fingering bruise
on cheek)
The female's a bit uppity, sir.

LEWIS
Okay, I'll be careful. We'll
start with the Wisconsin
Multiphasic.

STEVIE opens the cage.

LEWIS
Go easy, Stevie.

STEVIE
They look pretty docile.

LEWIS
Yes, but don't take any chances.

The Wisconsin Multiphasic is a screen which can be

lowered and raised (like a window shade) between the
Investigator on one side and the Subject on the other.
ZIRA winks knowledgeably at CORNELIUS. MILO gestures
her into more discreet behavior. KEEPER sets up
apparatus during:

LEWIS
(to Stevie)
Unless the spacecraft was
remotely controlled, they must
have been conditioned to press
at least some of the right
buttons. They can't be morons.
(to Keeper)
The female first, Arthur. And
set up Tic-Tac-Toe.

To everyone's surprise and KEEPER's relief, ZIRA

promptly squats down on her side of the raised screen.
The hyper-cautious MILO disapprovingly shakes his head.
LEWIS raises screen and displays a single red cube for
three seconds before lowering screen to mask ZIRA's
view. When he raises it again, he is simultaneously
displaying a blue pyramid, a green cone, a yellow
sphere, a blue cube, a red octahedron and the red cube.
ZIRA instantly selects the red cube, which she offers
courteously back to LEWIS. LEWIS gives an astonished
whistle. STEVIE, too, reacts in amazement.

LEWIS
She seems to be pretty smart.
All right -- let's make it
difficult.

He lowers the screen, and readies an assortment of five

colored blocks, then raises the screen only for a
second, then lowers it. He now adds additional blocks
to make it an even dozen, and breaks up the pattern of
five previously seen by ZIRA. Now, almost smugly, he
raises the screen, but any superiority he may have felt
is quickly erased as ZIRA swiftly selects the original
five blocks. LEWIS is dumbfounded, STEVIE drops her
notebook and the KEEPER stares in utter disbelief.

Now, LEWIS pulls the drawer out from the table, and we
see that slots for all twelve blocks have been carved
in the bottom. No slouch ZIRA. She deftly and swiftly
fits all twelve blocks into their proper niches.
Whereat she rises to her feet, clasps hands over her
head like a boxer acknowledging victory. CORNELIUS
responds with mirth, but MILO shakes his head.

LEWIS has risen at this interplay between the apes and

now questions the KEEPER quietly.

LEWIS
They haven't eaten this morning?

ARTHUR
Not a bite....just as you ordered.

LEWIS
Good. We'll go for the banana...

Scattered about the cage are a number of oddly

constructed wooden boxes, all gaily painted. STEVIE
now adds several more, as ARTHUR tugs on a rope pulley
to lower a banana from the top of the cage.

This is a test unfamiliar to ZIRA, who responds to its

challenge. She speculatively eyes the banana; then
stoops to prowl among the boxes, which she carefully
examines without touching them. Then she
straightens... and thinks. The tension is
insupportable. Suddenly ZIRA, moving into action,
interlocks all the boxes so that they form
a somewhat eccentric staircase leading to the banana.
Having done so, she ascends the "stairs," sits on the
top, and stares smugly at the banana, now only inches
from her nose.
 STEVIE
Why doesn't she take it?

ZIRA
Because I loathe and detest bananas.

CORNELIUS
Zira!

As though in a slow nightmare, STEVIE sags and faints.

Somehow, LEWIS catches her and lowers her to the cage
floor. Somehow, KEEPER sluices water from the drinking
bowl over her upturned race. As she recovers:

LEWIS
(sweating)
Help me get her away. I'll come
back.

Jointly supporting STEVIE, they leave the cage, which

KEEPER locks. We STAY with:

34 OUT

35 APE TRIO

MILO
Zira, are you mad?

CORNELIUS
Dr. Milo, please don't call my
wife mad.

MILO
(evenly)
I did not call her mad. I merely
asked her if she was. And I repeat
the question.
(to Zira)
Are you mad?

ZIRA
I hate deceit.

MILO
There is a time for truth and
a time, not for lies, but for
silence. Until we know who i8
our friend and who our enemy--

ZIRA
And how in the name of God are we
to know that, unless we communicate?
We can speak. So I spoke.

MILO
We can also listen
 CORNELIUS
To a lot of psychiatric small talk --

MILO
And we can watch ...

CORNELIUS
A display of primitive apparatus --

ZIRA
(kicking the apparatus)
Primitive? Its prehistoric. It
couldn't test the intelligence of
a newt.

She kicks the apparatus again, and it collapses. The

GORILLA in the next cage gives a disturbed grunt.

CORNELIUS
Zira, calm yourself --

ZIRA
I am calm.

She knocks another piece of apparatus endways. Now even

MILO's self-control snaps. He stalks to the side bars
and (with eyes screwed shut in frustration) briefly but
fiercely shakes them before spinning round, with back
pressed against the bars, to glare at his two
tormentors. We SHOOT AT AND PAST HIM into the next cage
where the GORILLA now shambles to its feet and slowly
advances from b.g., during:

MILO
Stop arguing. It's too late for
that.

His body masking the GORILLA's crouched and stealthy

approach from them -- but not from us.

MILO
Use your heads and start thinking.
Now that they know we can speak,
how much shall we tell them? ow--

ZIRA
(screaming)
Milo-o-o!

Through the bars two hairy hands converge on MILO's

throat and strangle him to death. The roaring of the
GORILLA, the throttled cries of MILO and ZIRA's screams
combine to launch:

36 VARIOUS ZOO SHOTS

of alarmed birds and beasts as panic briefly infects

 the Zoo. E.g., a sleeping owl opens huge eyes; cranes
cry; mallards take off from pool; seals cough; apes
gibber; tigers snarl; lions roar, and elephants
trumpet. We might (instead of separating each cry)
overlay sound cumulatively so that each new noise is
added to its predecessors, as we build visually and
aurally to a massive and bestial crescendo before:

CUT BACK TO:

37 THE CAGE

The "panic" is over. Outside, STEVIE (shaken but

recovered) confers with LEWIS. As KEEPERS 1 and 2 lift
a blanketed stretcher and carry MILO's body out of
shot:

LEWIS
We shall want a full autopsy ...

STEVIE
With particular emphasis on the
cranial and oral areas.

LEWIS
Keep him in cold storage till the
reports in. Then send him to
Taxidermy.
(wryly)
He's a museum piece.

A low moan turns their heads toward the cage's

interior. ZIRA sits crouched in a corner, her head in
her hands and rocking from side to side. CORNELIUS is
comforting her.

LEWIS
(to Stevie)
I'd better do this alone.

She nods and stays outside the cage, which LEWIS

enters. He looks compassionately at the two huddled
APES, the straw, the orange peel, the bananas, the
abandoned Intelligence Test apparatus.

LEWIS
(gently)
We mean you no harm.

Silence and stillness.

LEWIS
Do you understand? We mean you
no harm.

Slowly and bitterly, ZIRA points an ironic and accusing

finger at the next cage, where an anesthetized and
chained GORILLA slumps in the shadows.
 LEWIS
But he isn't us. He's your own
kind.

ZIRA
(angrily on her
feet in a flash)
He's a gorilla.

As CORNELIUS soothes her:

LEWIS
I mean he's of your race.
He's an Ape. Look. You don't
have to be afraid. We've put him
in chains and under sedation.
Do you understand that?

ZIRA
I should. I've been doing it
half my life to Humans.

LEWIS
(dumbfounded)
Humans?

ZIRA
(as though this
explained everything)
I'm a psychiatrist.

A second shock. LEWIS covers dazed eyes with his hand

and, after a struggle, regains his self-control.

LEWIS
So am I. And I mean you no harm.

CORNELIUS
(at last)
We know that.

LEWIS, over one hurdle, exhales.

LEWIS
Do you have a name?

CORNELIUS
My name is Cornelius. And this
is Zira -- my wife.

LEWIS
My name is Lewis -- Lewis Dixon .

He diffidently extends a hand, CORNELIUS takes it.

ZIRA doesn't.

LEWIS
Nobody's going to believe it.
 CORNELIUS
Believe what?

LEWIS
That primitive apes can talk.

ZIRA
(furious)
Primitive?

LEWIS
(quick smile)
I mean that in our 'primitive'
civilization, apes just don't talk.
I mean I think it's important that,
when our 'primitive' security
precautions are lifted, the first
time you say something in public you
should talk to what we 'primitively'
call the Right People.

ZIRA gives him a long, searching look ... and smiles.

ZIRA
May I say something personal?

LEWIS
(smiling back)
Please

ZIRA
I like you.

LEWIS look gratefully from her to:

CORNELIUS
I did from the beginning.

TO BE CONTINUED...