The Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Aples - 1967 back "PLANET OF THE APES" Screenplay by Michael Wilson Based on Novel By Pierre Boulle SHOOTING SCRIPT May 5, 1967 REVISED: 05/11/67 05/16/67 05/23/67 06/09/67 06/15/67 06/22/67 07/06/67 07/27/67 FADE IN 1 EXT. CONSTELLATION OF ORION - NIGHT Stars glitter like diamonds on the black velvet backdrop of space. The Belt of Orion is center screen, but much nearer and larger than ever seen by an Earth-bound astronomer. A speck of light appears in the lower left corner of the screen. No spaceship can be seen, but only a glowworm, a solitary sperma- tosoan gliding through the womb of the universe. Over this we HEAR the voice of an astronaut. He is concluding a report. ASTRONAUT'S VOICE (o.s.) So ends my last signal until we reach our destination. We are now on automatic, a mere hundred and five light years from our base ... and at the mercy of com- puters. I've tucked in my crew for the long sleep. I'll join them presently. 2 INT. CABIN OF SPACESHIP - ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT The cabin is neither cramped nor spacious, but about the size of the President's cabin in Air Force One. In the immediate f.g. is a console of dials and switches flanked by four chairs. Only one of the chairs is occupied. The astronaut's back is to CAMERA. There is a ladder amidships which leads to an escape hatch. The after Dart of the cabin is obscured in darkness. We hear the MUSIC of a Mozart sonata emanating from a phonograph of stereotape.