Lamb To the Slaughter

Naveed Imran

Saadat Ali Khan

Daniyal Siddiqi

Intro to Electronic Media

BS556450
CC586905
CC586874
Lamb to the slaughter Logline:

When a police chief is murdered, the police investigate and have a hard time trying to figure
out the crime scene.

Story:

A police chief and his wife have a heated debated and the wife ends up killing the husband with
the lamb she had prepared for dinner. Then she calls the police and pretends her husband has
been murdered. The police try to solve the murder but can’t find the weapon weapon or the
main suspect. As the police are leaving she ask them to stay for dinner and feeds them the
murder weapon.

Screenplay 1st Draft.

Scene 1: Living Room

(MARY is in the living room, she is pacing around the room. She seems anxious like she is
waiting for something. The door opens.)

MARY: Hello, darling

PATRICK: Hello

(Mary takes Patrick’s coat from him and hangs it up. She brings 2 cups of alcohol, one for her
and one for Patrick.)

MARY: Tired, darling?

PATRICK: Yes [sighs] I'm thoroughly exhausted.

(Patrick drinks the entire cup of alcohol and gets up to exit into “ Kitchen”)

MARY: I'll get it! [jumping up]

PATRICK: Sit down.

(Patrick enters with a cup and a bottle of alcohol. He pours it all the way to the top.)

MARY:  I think it's a shame that when someone's been a policeman as long as you have, he still
has to walk around all day long
[Patrick doesn’t answer]
Darling, If you're too tired to eat out tonight, as we had planned, I can fix you something.
There's plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer.
[she forces a smile, he doesn’t react]
Anyway I’ll get you some bread and cheese."

PATRICK: I don't want it.

[She moved uneasily in her chair]

MARY: But you have to have supper. I can easily fix you something. I'd like to do it. We can have
Lamb. Anything you want. Everything's in the freezer.

PATRICK: Forget it

MARY: But, darling, you have to eat! I'll do it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you
like.
[stands up and places sewing on table]

PATRICK: Sit down, Just for a minute, sit down. [pause] Go on, sit down.

[MARY sits watching him all the time with large, puzzled eyes, he  finishes his second drink
stares into the glass]
Listen … I've got something to tell you

MARY: What is it, darling? What's the matter?

[Patrick stays motionless and does not make eye contact with Mary]

PATRICK: This is going to be a big shock to you, I'm afraid. But I've thought about it a good deal
and I've decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately. [pauses]  I think that I need
some time and distance to myself..

MARY: That's fine dear are you thinking of a vacation for us?

PATRICK: Yeahhh...more of a vacation for me.. Permanently

MARY: What? ..What are you saying…?

[In a sad voice]

PATRICK:  I'm a rolling stone Mary, that's just how it is.. I met a girl at the casino last Month
we’re eloping

MARY: I… I don't know what to say. Patrick. Please tell me this is a joke
PATRICK: No, Mary.. I've simply outgrown you, I'll be packing my bags tonight.. I'll be gone by
the morning.

MARY: Patrick..

PATRICK: I did us the favor of going to the town hall and getting the divorce papers..  [hands
Mary the papers and Mary ignores them] So there it is. And I know it's a tough time to be telling
you this, but there simply wasn't any other way. Of course, I'll give you money and see that you
and the baby are taken care of. But there really shouldn't be any problem. I hope not, in any
case. It wouldn't be very good for my job.

[MARY stays silent for a minute, a look of confusion washes over her face. She gets up and acts
as though nothing happened.]

MARY: I'll fix some supper

[Happy]

[MARY exits]

PATRICK: I've already told you. Don't make supper for me. I'm going out.

PATRICK:  Well that was weird, well anyways I can't wait to Shelly tomorrow, she makes me
forget all about this boring old witch. I don't know how I'm going to see the baby, but whatever
the money should take care of that.

[MARY comes behind PATRICK and swings a leg of lamb, she hits him with it and he falls to the
ground dead].

MARY: I have a baby coming, he deserved it. I mean he wasn't going to take care of us with
another girl around. What was he thinking? Another women in this child's life? No that can't
happen, I'm the only mother. There is not going to be a stepmother or whatever other mother.
It's me just me. [pauses]. Wait… I can't go to jail for this. Can I? He technically forced me to kill
him. He was practically asking for it. I have to protect this baby, and I think I might have the
perfect idea.

[Practices to herself]

MARY: Hello, Sam [speaks loud and strangely] I want some potatoes, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a
can of beans. [Not happy with how she sais it she tries again] Hello, Sam I want some potatoes,
Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of beans. [gives her reflection a nod, EXITS]

Scene 2- Grocery Store

[ENTER Sam and Mary]

MARY:  Hello, Sam [smiling]

SAM: Good evening, Mrs. Maloney. How are you?

MARY: I want some potatoes, please, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of beans, too. Patrick's
decided he's tired and he doesn't want to eat out tonight. We usually go out on Thursdays, you
know, and now I don't have any vegetables in the house.

SAM:  Then how about some meat, Mrs. Maloney?

MARY: No, I've got meat, thanks, I've got a nice leg of lamb, from the freezer.

SAM: Do you want these potatoes, Mrs. Maloney?

MARY:  Oh, yes, they'll be fine. Two pounds, please.

SAM: Anything else? [pause] How about dessert? What are you going to give him for dessert? 
How about a nice piece of cake? I know he likes cake.

MARY: Perfect. He loves it.

[Sam brings stuff and puts it in bags]

MARY: Thank you, Sam. Good night.

Blackout

[MARY enters the kitchen by the back door, quietly singing to herself]

MARY: [calls out] Patrick! How are you, darling?

[MARY sees that Patrick is dead, she runs into the living room and drops the groceries on the
ground.  She runs over to him and drops to her knees.
MARY goes over to the phone and dials a number]

MARY: Quick! Come quickly! Patrick's dead.

POLICE:  Who's speaking?

MARY: Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney.

POLICE: Do you mean that Patrick's dead?

MARY: I think so, He's lying on the floor and I think he's dead. [crying]

POLICE:  We'll be there immediately.

Scene 3: Living Room

Sirens go off and a knock is heard at the door. MARY opens the door and four policemen walk
through the door. They all crowded around the dead body.

MARY:  Is he dead? [crying]

JACK: I'm afraid he is. What happened?

MARY: I really loved him…..

ALLAN: There is evidence of trauma to the—

BOB: The frontal lobe!

ALLAN: There must be trauma to your frontal lobe.

[Jack is pacing and MARY is sitting on the couch in front of him. BOB and ALLAN are fighting but
you can't hear anything.]

JACK: Dammit.

MARY: Who would have done such a terrible thing?

BOB: He was clearly shot

ALLAN: Thank god! You might be right for once!

[Start to look for bullet wound.]

MARY: What am I going to do with the child now?

JACK: You don't need to worry. You have all of us. [Points to ALLAN and BOB]

BOB: We can't find the hole!

ALLAN: Well if you weren’t such a dumbass!

BOB: Well you find it then.

ALLAN: I just did.

BOB: That's not a hole.

ALLAN: You’re blind!

BOB: Idiot!

[JACK walks over to BOB, ALLAN, AND PATRICK’s body.]

JACK: You’re both idiots!

ALLAN and BOB: How?

JACK: It was obviously not a gun shot. It's not a deep enough wound. Blood doesn't
automatically mean there is a gun wound.

[MARY starts crying loudly.]

JACK: Mary, calm down.  We will solve this.  Did you know that your oven is still on, and the
meat is still inside?

MARY:  Oh, So it is! I'd better turn it off

[EXITS returns shortly after in tears]
Would you do me a favor? Here you all are, all good friends of Patrick's, and you're helping to
catch the man who killed him. You must be very hungry by now because it's long past your
supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I let you stay in the house
without offering you anything to eat. Why don't you eat up the lamb in the oven?

JACK: I wouldn't dream of it.

MARY: Please, personally, I couldn't eat a thing, but it'd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then
you can go on with your work

[The detectives hesitate but eventually follow MARY]

[Black out]

Scene 4:  Eating the Lamb

BOB: Have some more, Allan.

JACK: No, we'd better not finish it.

ALLAN: She wants us to finish it. She said we ought to eat it up.

JACK: That's a big bar the murderer must have used to hit poor Patrick. The doctor says the
back of his head was broken to pieces.

ALLAN: That's why the weapon should be easy to find.

BOB: Exactly what I said.

JACK: Whoever did it, he can't carry a weapon that big around with him.

ALLAN: Personally, I think the weapon is somewhere near the house.

BOB: It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?

[Marry laughing in the other room]

[Blackout]

Screenplay Draft 2:

Scene 1: Living Room

(MARY is in the living room, she is pacing around the room. She seems anxious like she is
waiting for something. The door opens.)

MARY: Hello, darling

PATRICK: Hello

(Mary takes Patrick’s coat from him and hangs it up. She brings 2 cups of alcohol, one for her
and one for Patrick.)

MARY: Tired, darling?

PATRICK: Yes [sighs] I'm thoroughly exhausted.

(Patrick drinks the entire cup of alcohol and gets up to exit into “ Kitchen”)

MARY: I'll get it! [jumping up]

PATRICK: Sit down.

(Patrick enters with a cup and a bottle of alcohol. He pours it all the way to the top.)

MARY:  I think it's a shame that when someone's been a policeman as long as you have, he still
has to walk around all day long
[Patrick doesn’t answer]
Darling, If you're too tired to eat out tonight, as we had planned, I can fix you something.
There's plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer.
[she forces a smile, he doesn’t react]
Anyway I’ll get you some bread and cheese."

PATRICK: I don't want it.

[She moved uneasily in her chair]

MARY: But you have to have supper. I can easily fix you something. I'd like to do it. We can have
Lamb. Anything you want. Everything's in the freezer.

PATRICK: Forget it

MARY: But, darling, you have to eat! I'll do it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you
like.
[stands up and places sewing on table]

PATRICK: Sit down, Just for a minute, sit down. [pause] Go on, sit down.

[MARY sits watching him all the time with large, puzzled eyes, he  finishes his second drink
stares into the glass]
Listen … I've got something to tell you

MARY: What is it, darling? What's the matter?

[Patrick stays motionless and does not make eye contact with Mary]

PATRICK: This is going to be a big shock to you, I'm afraid. But I've thought about it a good deal
and I've decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately. [pauses]  I think that I need
some time and distance to myself..

MARY: That's fine dear are you thinking of a vacation for us?

PATRICK: Yeahhh...more of a vacation for me.. Permanently

MARY: What? ..What are you saying…?

[In a sad voice]
PATRICK:  I'm a rolling stone Mary, that's just how it is.. I met a girl at the casino last Month
we’re eloping

MARY: I… I don't know what to say. Patrick. Please tell me this is a joke

PATRICK: No, Mary.. I've simply outgrown you, I'll be packing my bags tonight.. I'll be gone by
the morning.

MARY: Patrick..

PATRICK: I did us the favor of going to the town hall and getting the divorce papers..  [hands
Mary the papers and Mary ignores them] So there it is. And I know it's a tough time to be telling
you this, but there simply wasn't any other way. Of course, I'll give you money and see that you
and the baby are taken care of. But there really shouldn't be any problem. I hope not, in any
case. It wouldn't be very good for my job.

[MARY stays silent for a minute, a look of confusion washes over her face. She gets up and acts
as though nothing happened.]

MARY: I'll fix some supper

[Happy]

[MARY exits]

PATRICK: I've already told you. Don't make supper for me. I'm going out.

PATRICK:  Well that was weird, well anyways I can't wait to Shelly tomorrow, she makes me
forget all about this boring old witch. I don't know how I'm going to see the baby, but whatever
the money should take care of that.

[MARY comes behind PATRICK and swings a leg of lamb, she hits him with it and he falls to the
ground dead].

MARY: I have a baby coming, he deserved it. I mean he wasn't going to take care of us with
another girl around. What was he thinking? Another women in this child's life? No that can't
happen, I'm the only mother. There is not going to be a stepmother or whatever other mother.
It's me just me. [pauses]. Wait… I can't go to jail for this. Can I? He technically forced me to kill
him. He was practically asking for it. I have to protect this baby, and I think I might have the
perfect idea.

[Mary exits the room for a few minutes and starts preparing dinner in the kitchen.}

[MARY exits the kitchen and comes back to the living room]
MARY: [calls out] Patrick! How are you, darling?

[MARY sees that Patrick is dead, she runs into the living room and drops the groceries on the
ground.  She runs over to him and drops to her knees.
MARY goes over to the phone and dials a number]

MARY: Quick! Come quickly! Patrick's dead.

POLICE:  Who's speaking?

MARY: Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney.

POLICE: Do you mean that Patrick's dead?

MARY: I think so, He's lying on the floor and I think he's dead. [crying]

POLICE:  We'll be there immediately.

Scene 3: Living Room

Sirens go off and a knock is heard at the door. MARY opens the door and four policemen walk
through the door. They all crowded around the dead body.

MARY:  Is he dead? [crying]

JACK: I'm afraid he is. What happened?

MARY: I really loved him…..

ALLAN: There is evidence of trauma to the—

BOB: The frontal lobe!

ALLAN: There must be trauma to your frontal lobe.

[Jack is pacing and MARY is sitting on the couch in front of him. BOB and ALLAN are fighting but
you can't hear anything.]

JACK: Dammit.

MARY: Who would have done such a terrible thing?

BOB: He was clearly shot

ALLAN: Thank god! You might be right for once!

[Start to look for bullet wound.]

MARY: What am I going to do with the child now?

JACK: You don't need to worry. You have all of us. [Points to ALLAN and BOB]

BOB: We can't find the hole!

ALLAN: Well if you weren’t such a dumbass!

BOB: Well you find it then.

ALLAN: I just did.

BOB: That's not a hole.

ALLAN: You’re blind!

BOB: Idiot!

[JACK walks over to BOB, ALLAN, AND PATRICK’s body.]

JACK: You’re both idiots!

ALLAN and BOB: How?

JACK: It was obviously not a gun shot. It's not a deep enough wound. Blood doesn't
automatically mean there is a gun wound.

[MARY starts crying loudly.]

JACK: Mary, calm down.  We will solve this.  Did you know that your oven is still on, and the
meat is still inside?

MARY:  Oh, So it is! I'd better turn it off

[EXITS returns shortly after in tears]
Would you do me a favor? Here you all are, all good friends of Patrick's, and you're helping to
catch the man who killed him. You must be very hungry by now because it's long past your
supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I let you stay in the house
without offering you anything to eat. Why don't you eat up the lamb in the oven?
JACK: I wouldn't dream of it.

MARY: Please, personally, I couldn't eat a thing, but it'd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then
you can go on with your work

[The detectives hesitate but eventually follow MARY]

[Black out]

Scene 4:  Eating the Lamb

BOB: Have some more, Allan.

JACK: No, we'd better not finish it.

ALLAN: She wants us to finish it. She said we ought to eat it up.

JACK: That's a big bar the murderer must have used to hit poor Patrick. The doctor says the
back of his head was broken to pieces.

ALLAN: That's why the weapon should be easy to find.

BOB: Exactly what I said.

JACK: Whoever did it, he can't carry a weapon that big around with him.

ALLAN: Personally, I think the weapon is somewhere near the house.

BOB: It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?

[Marry laughing in the other room]

[Blackout]

Screenplay Draft 3:

Scene 1: Living Room

(MARY is in the living room, she is pacing around the room. She seems anxious like she is
waiting for something. The door opens.)
MARY: Hello, darling

PATRICK: Hello

(Mary takes Patrick’s coat from him and hangs it up. She brings 2 cups of alcohol, one for her
and one for Patrick.)

MARY: Tired, darling?

PATRICK: Yes [sighs] I'm thoroughly exhausted.

(Patrick drinks the entire cup of alcohol and gets up to exit into “ Kitchen”)

MARY: I'll get it! [jumping up]

PATRICK: Sit down.

(Patrick enters with a cup and a bottle of alcohol. He pours it all the way to the top.)

MARY:  I think it's a shame that when someone's been a policeman as long as you have, he still
has to walk around all day long
[Patrick doesn’t answer]
[she forces a smile, he doesn’t react]
Anyway I’ll get you some bread and cheese."

PATRICK: I don't want it.

[She moved uneasily in her chair]

MARY: But you have to have supper. I can easily fix you something. I'd like to do it. We can have
Lamb. Anything you want. Everything's in the freezer.

PATRICK: Forget it

MARY: But, darling, you have to eat! I'll do it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you
like.
[stands up and places sewing on table]

PATRICK: Sit down, Just for a minute, sit down. [pause] Go on, sit down.

[MARY sits watching him all the time with large, puzzled eyes, he  finishes his second drink
stares into the glass]
Listen … I've got something to tell you
MARY: What is it, darling? What's the matter?

[Patrick stays motionless and does not make eye contact with Mary]

PATRICK: This is going to be a big shock to you, I'm afraid. But I've thought about it a good deal
and I've decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately. [pauses]  I think that I need
some time and distance to myself..

MARY: That's fine dear are you thinking of a vacation for us?

PATRICK: Yeahhh...more of a vacation for me.. Permanently

MARY: What? ..What are you saying…?

[In a sad voice]

PATRICK:  I'm a rolling stone Mary, that's just how it is.. I met a girl at the casino last Month
we’re eloping

MARY: I… I don't know what to say. Patrick. Please tell me this is a joke

PATRICK: No, Mary.. I've simply outgrown you, I'll be packing my bags tonight.. I'll be gone by
the morning.

MARY: Patrick..

PATRICK: I did us the favor of going to the town hall and getting the divorce papers..  [hands
Mary the papers and Mary ignores them] So there it is. And I know it's a tough time to be telling
you this, but there simply wasn't any other way.

[MARY stays silent for a minute, a look of confusion washes over her face. She gets up and acts
as though nothing happened.]

MARY: I'll fix some supper

[Happy]

[MARY exits]

PATRICK: I've already told you. Don't make supper for me. I'm going out.

[MARY comes behind PATRICK and swings a leg of lamb, she hits him with it and he falls to the
ground dead].

MARY: I have a baby coming, he deserved it. I mean he wasn't going to take care of us with
another girl around. What was he thinking? Another women in this child's life? No that can't
happen, I'm the only mother. There is not going to be a stepmother or whatever other mother.
It's me just me. [pauses]. Wait… I can't go to jail for this. Can I? He technically forced me to kill
him. He was practically asking for it. I have to protect this baby, and I think I might have the
perfect idea.

[Mary exits the room for a few minutes and starts preparing dinner in the kitchen.}

[MARY exits the kitchen and comes back to the living room]

MARY: [calls out] Patrick! How are you, darling?

[MARY sees that Patrick is dead, she runs into the living room and drops the groceries on the
ground.  She runs over to him and drops to her knees.
MARY goes over to the phone and dials a number]

MARY: Quick! Come quickly! Patrick's dead.

POLICE:  Who's speaking?

MARY: Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney.

POLICE: Do you mean that Patrick's dead?

MARY: I think so, He's lying on the floor and I think he's dead. [crying]

POLICE:  We'll be there immediately.

Scene 3: Living Room

Sirens go off and a knock is heard at the door. MARY opens the door and four policemen walk
through the door. They all crowded around the dead body.

MARY:  Is he dead? [crying]

JACK: I'm afraid he is. What happened?

MARY: I really loved him…..

ALLAN: There is evidence of trauma to the—

BOB: The frontal lobe!

ALLAN: There must be trauma to your frontal lobe.

[Jack is pacing and MARY is sitting on the couch in front of him. BOB and ALLAN are fighting but
you can't hear anything.]

JACK: Dammit.

MARY: Who would have done such a terrible thing?

BOB: He was clearly shot

ALLAN: Thank god! You might be right for once!

[Start to look for bullet wound.]

MARY: What am I going to do with the child now?

JACK: You don't need to worry. You have all of us. [Points to ALLAN and BOB]

BOB: We can't find the hole!

ALLAN: Well if you weren’t such a dumbass!

BOB: Well you find it then.

ALLAN: I just did.

BOB: That's not a hole.

ALLAN: You’re blind!

BOB: Idiot!

[JACK walks over to BOB, ALLAN, AND PATRICK’s body.]

JACK: You’re both idiots!

ALLAN and BOB: How?

JACK: It was obviously not a gun shot. It's not a deep enough wound. Blood doesn't
automatically mean there is a gun wound.

[MARY starts crying loudly.]

JACK: Mary, calm down.  We will solve this.  Did you know that your oven is still on, and the
meat is still inside?

MARY:  Oh, So it is! I'd better turn it off

[EXITS returns shortly after in tears]
Would you do me a favor? Here you all are, all good friends of Patrick's, and you're helping to
catch the man who killed him. You must be very hungry by now because it's long past your
supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I let you stay in the house
without offering you anything to eat. Why don't you eat up the lamb in the oven?

JACK: I wouldn't dream of it.

MARY: Please, personally, I couldn't eat a thing, but it'd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then
you can go on with your work

[The detectives hesitate but eventually follow MARY]

[Black out]

Scene 4:  Eating the Lamb

BOB: Have some more, Allan.

JACK: No, we'd better not finish it.

ALLAN: She wants us to finish it. She said we ought to eat it up.

JACK: That's a big bar the murderer must have used to hit poor Patrick. The doctor says the
back of his head was broken to pieces.

ALLAN: That's why the weapon should be easy to find.

BOB: Exactly what I said.

JACK: Whoever did it, he can't carry a weapon that big around with him.

ALLAN: Personally, I think the weapon is somewhere near the house.

BOB: It's probably right under our noses. What do you think, Jack?

[Marry laughing in the other room]

[Blackout]