"THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS" (1993)

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Story by Tim Burton Michael McDowell Caroline Thompson

Lyrics by Danny Elfman

Screenplay by Caroline Thompson

First Draft August 5, 1991

FADE IN:

PROLOGUE

CLOSE ON:

AN OLD-FASHIONED CALENDAR,

the kind that used to hang in offices in the forties.Each day is a tear-off page. The dates are printed in bold black lettering.

The pages of days of the year zip off -- at a rate faster than the eye can really register. The impression should be of time whizzing by...

Over this, SANTA CLAUS narrates....

SANTA (V.O.)

'Twas a long time ago, quite a bit to be fair, In a place that I'm sure you are quite unaware.

For our story that you are about to be told Began in the holiday worlds of old.

Without holidays, goodness, how dull life would be Without their distraction and pleasure and glee.

The calendar makes a SUDDEN STOP AT

CHRISTMAS.

The calendar page peels back to reveal the first hint of color in the black and white of the year. Smoke curls up from the chimney of a snow-covered cottage in a clearing of a snow-covered pine forest. THE STOP IS ONLY FOR A BEAT.

Then the calendar speeds on.

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT’D)

But our holidays are the result of much fuss And hard work for the worlds that must make them for us.

The calendar STOPS again. This time at

VALENTINE'S DAY.

This stop is short, but longer than the last -- as each subsequent stop will be.

In Valentine-ville, FAT CUPIDS shoot arrows at distant chocolate-dripping hearts: target practice.

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT’D)

See, each holiday town works all year to create Twenty-four special hours, fantastically great.

Soon the calendar whirls on. Next STOP is

EASTER

where it is spring. CACKLING HENS sit side-by-side on their long row of nests. In unison, choreographed like some ballet, they lay their pre-decorated eggs.

The eggs then drop down a chute and land on a conveyor belt which carries them out of the henhouse and into waiting Easter baskets.

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT’D)

Fleeting twenty-four hours take long to prepare, A full year of planning and plenty of care.

But now getting back to the story at hand I should mention THIS POINT about holiday lands --

The calendar flips to the

FOURTH OF JULY.

FIREWORKS.

-- ABE LINCOLN fires a cannon. The cannonball explodes mid- air, showering down the word, "HAPPY."

-- BETSY ROSS uses a SPARKLER to write the word, "FOURTH."

-- PAUL REVERE sets off the first of six rockets. Rocket #1 erupts into an "O." #2 traces an "F" -- together they read "OF." Rocket #3 won't light. Neither will #4, #5, or #6. Paul Revere panics.

But PAUL REVERE'S HORSE saves the day. He kicks off his horseshoes -- shooting them at the side of a wooden fence. As they hit the boards each becomes a letter: "J," "U," "L," "Y."

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT’D)

For each one, way back when, was alas unaware Of the others' existence, now I've said it -- so there!

The calendar pages tear on, slowing at October 29, slowing more at, and stopping at the 31st.

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT’D)

But once there occurred a calamity SO GREAT! When two of the worlds did collide by mistake...

The October 31st page peels back to... nothing. To BLACK. We fall in, or perhaps it should feel more like we're swallowed up.

TITLE SEQUENCE.

Carved JACK O'LANTERNS come at us in the long tunnel of darkness. Collision seems inevitable, but in the instant before we would slam into them, the jack o'lanterns veer off, turning to display the various credits on their uncarved backsides.

When the last jack o'lantern zooms toward us, it doesn't veer off. It keeps coming and fast. Rather than collide with it though -- we fall straight into one of the PUMPKINHEAD'S CARVED-OUT, TRIANGULAR EYES into the further black there and out...

A CRYPT DOOR

which opens onto the

The bloated orange disk of the MOON illuminates Halloweenland's delicately decrepit graveyard.

REVERSE ON PUMPKINHEAD,

giant jack o'lantern head now set on the squat vines of his many leafy legs. He looks more like a spider than like anything else as he scuttles across the cemetery toward the big pumpkin patch.

Pumpkinhead has reached the

PUMPKIN PATCH

where he drops down among his fellow pumpkins -- who all wake up at once -- sudden jack o'lantern mouths and eyes glowing wide for the chorus...

Beyond the graveyard lies the little city of odd expressionist angles and the morbid extravaganza of Gothic manses.

We swoop down the street, through the creaky iron gate of a...

We enter THROUGH A BROKEN, COBWEB-CLOGGED WINDOW into...

Many CREATURES hide in the shadows of this creepy house.The camera finds them...

CREATURE #1 I am the one hiding under your bed, Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red.

CREATURE #2 I am the one hiding under your stairs Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair.

IN THE MANSE'S DECAYED PARLOR,

every item of furniture that could conceivably serve as a coffin springs open -- the grandfather clock, the window seat, the sofa, the chaise lounge, the hearth rug (covering a trap door), the drawers of a sideboard and out pop

CORPSES.

The Corpses sit bolt upright and heartily sing:

THE MANSE'S FALLING DOWN FRONT HALL

is tenuously illuminated by a tarantula chandelier which clings to the ceiling overhead and lowers and rises according to the whims of its web.

FOUR BIG VAMPIRES

lumber in from the dark, slanty hallways that fan off the entrance hall. They march in and, in formation, march OUT THE FRONT DOOR onto the ruins of--

The Vampires' bodies are huge, but their heads are small like insect heads and the voices that come out of heads are little, squeaky and high.

As they sing they march down the rickety steps. Out on the--

A HEARSE passes the Manse. Riding on top is the corpulent MAYOR of Halloweenland. Not surprisingly, he's a TWO-FACED SORT OF GUY, revealed as each of his faces sings a line:

While the hearse turns a

CORNER

and glides past an ALLEY we hear a GRAVELLY VOICE:

The lid flies off of a trashcan and out pops the GRAVELLY- VOICED TRASHCAN-DWELLING MONSTER. He's fat and slimy and grotesque.

WITCHES speed toward us on their brooms -- zipping out of the alley.

At the street, the witches fan out and swoop past the

HANGING TREE,

a gigantic oak with SEVERAL HANGED MEN dangling from its broad, outspread branches.

The hanging tree itself sings:

The hanged men suddenly revive:

A LUMPEN-LOOKING LONG-HAIRED WOMAN IN HEELS hurries away down a tortuously windy street. This is SALLY. For now, we see only her backside, her waist-length hair.

Behind her, and closer to us, a GHOUL tips into view to demonstrate his particular talent:

Sally hesitates, listening.

Sally is about to turn around, but as the ghoul vanishes, she continues on her way. We follow her.

In a moment, a SECOND GHOUL sets upon her -- this one more gruesome than the last.

This ghoul is closer, louder and Sally does turn around now -- revealing that she's a crudely stitched together Bride Of Frankenstein Rag Doll. Her balance is precarious. Her arms flop. Her mouth is a tragic slash. She has a quavering, little voice:

But the second ghoul has disappeared before she sees him. Only his voice remains...

SECOND GHOUL’S VOICE I am the wind blowing through your hair.

Invisible fingers lift Sally's long hair. It is with pathetic eagerness that she looks around for whomever is responsible for this.

A THIRD GHOUL

springs into view, then bounces skyward. With a very disappointed Sally (she's sorry he's leaving), we watch him go up into...

The Third Ghoul seems to reach the moon.

As the Third Ghoul passes the orange disk of the moon,

BATS

flap out from behind it. They sing with the Third Ghoul...

The bats flutter off and the Third Ghoul falls back toward the ground. He lands...

As he hits the ground, the Third Ghoul shatters, breaking apart into several pieces -- globular and doughy GELATINOUS LUMPS, each a separate little creature. When they sing, they have very high voices:

Over the crest of the hill, behind the town square,

THE CORPSES

march into view, flanking the MAYOR'S HEARSE.

Behind the corpses come the VAMPIRES.

The MAYOR

blares out his message through a P.A. SYSTEM on the hearse.

The WITCHES come next...

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back and Scream --

The Gelatinous Lumps instantly reassemble to form the Third Ghoul.

The Third Ghoul immediately bounces out of sight again...

SALLY

stumbles into view, still hurrying. She sings with everyone else...

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES, SALLY -- out of your SKIN! This is Halloween, --

SALLY

excitedly spots someone coming -- though he's still out of view for us:

THE OTHERS

turn to look.

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES, SALLY Our man Jack is --

MAYOR, CORPSES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES, SALLY Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now.

They part to make way for

JACK SKELLINGTON, THE PUMPKIN KING,

astride his SKELETON HORSE, boots set backwards in the stirrups as is done for the honored dead. Jack is tall, long- limbed and bone-thin. He is formally attired, and wears an elegant bat bow-tie.

Sally gapes tragically at Jack. But he rides right past without noticing her.

Accompanying Jack are most of the CREATURES AND MONSTERS we've met, the various inhabitants of Halloweenland. Everyone else falls in behind Jack -- including a stumbling, almost-left-behind-gawking Sally.

THE HANGING TREE

hurries to join the parade. He brings up the rear. The HANGED MEN bobble on their ever-tightening nooses, their tongues and eyes popping out.

The tighter nooses make the Hanged Men's voices reed-thin and high -- contrasting to the enormous Hanging Tree's lone basso profundo:

HANGING TREE AND HANGED MAN In this place we call home Everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song.

LATER:

Jack Skellington is demonstrative and very excitable with highs that are extraordinarily high and lows that are unusually low.

Right now he is surrounded by his ADMIRERS -- the witches in particular fawn over him. Jack seems eager to please everyone, but, at the same time, a bit anxious to get on with it.

Sally watches him longingly from the edge of the circle.

The assembly agrees.

WITCH #1 You make oil boil.

WITCH #2 You make rats shriek.

WITCH #3 You make flesh crawl...

The three witches try to outdo one another.

WITCH #3 (CONT’D) (quickly adds) ...And wounds suppurate.

The last witch glares triumphantly at her cronies.

Sally sighs and starts to drift irresistibly toward Jack. Throughout, rag doll Sally gains substance as she gains conviction -- this is her first baby step toward that, not even perceptible, but in any case RUDELY INTERRUPTED BY --

THE EVIL SCIENTIST

who created her. He takes ahold of her by one of her stitched-together arms.

Sally pulls back, trying to wriggle free of the scientist's grasp.

But he doesn't.

With her other hand, she quickly and deftly rips out the stitches that attach her arm to the rest of her ... THEN RIPS THE ARM CLEAR OUT OF ITS SOCKET.

SHE LEAVES THE DOCTOR HOLDING IT WHILE SHE RUNS OFF into the crowd, determined to elude the Evil Scientist. She disappears into the gloom in the direction of the cemetery.

Shaking her torn-off arm, the Evil Scientist calls after her:

JACK

continues to congratulate and be congratulated by the various citizens of Halloweenland. The Mayor interjects, looking for attention--

The assembly breaks up. Jack turns to leave but his path is blocked by A COUPLE OF ADORABLY HIDEOUS KID MONSTERS.

Jack rattles his bones once more for the kids. They shriek a gleeful shriek and scamper off.

AT THE CORNER OF THE TOWN SQUARE,

Jack passes a STREET BAND -- fellow skeletons down on their luck: an ACCORDION PLAYER, A SAX PLAYER, AND A VIOLINIST.He tosses a coin into their hat. Playing, they nod their thanks.

Utterly dejected, Sally crouches behind a tombstone. She hugs herself with her remaining arm.

THE SUDDEN SOUND OF SOMEONE APPROACHING (O.S.)

makes her freeze. She dares to peek over the top of the tombstone to see who it is --

IT'S JACK.

The sight of him immediately comforts her.

Sally lets out a little whimper of self-pity and collapses out of sight behind the tombstone to feel sorry for herself...

Sally hugs herself again -- as best she can with her one arm.

JACK

makes his way past the markers and mausoleums. He looks around and, since Sally is hidden behind the tombstone, he doesn't see anyone. He starts the long climb up Cemetery Ridge as he sings:

JACK

There are few who'd deny, at what I do I am the best For my talents are renowned far and wide When it comes to surprises in the moon-lit night, I excel without ever even trying.

With the slightest little effort of my ghost-like charms I have seen grown men give out a shriek With the wave of my hand, and a well-placed moan, I have swept the very bravest off their feet.

Jack pauses a moment, as if letting these facts settle in, then heaves a huge sigh and sags miserably.

Jack's ghost dog, ZERO, rises out of his grave, floats over to Jack and circles around him. Trying to comfort his beloved master, he drapes himself over Jack's shoulder and lays a sympathetic head on him.

Hunched over with sorrow, Jack drags his bones on up the desolate hill.

JACK (CONT’D)

Yet year after year, it's the same routine And I grow so weary of the sound of screams And I, Jack, the PUMPKIN KING! Have grown so tired of the same old thing....

Zero drifts sadly to the ground, and flattens faithfully beside his master -- only his shiny little jack o'lantern nose on the end of his pointy snout sticks up.

Jack tragically reaches the crest of the long hill. Zero follows, dragging along the ground after him.

JACK (CONT’D)

Oh somewhere deep inside of these bones An emptiness began to grow There's something out there far from my home A longing that I've never known ... I've never known.

Jack gazes hopelessly out over Halloweenland.

BEHIND HER TOMBSTONE,

Sally can't believe what she's hearing. She peeks, but hides again. She listens breathlessly as

Jack continues his soul-searching.

JACK (CONT’D)

I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light And I'll scare you right out of your pants, boy To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky And I'm known throughout England and France, boy

And since I am dead, I can take off my head To recite Shakespearian quotations No animal or man can scream like I can With the fury of my recitations.

But who here would ever understand That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin Would tire of his crown -- if they only understood He would give it all up if he only could ... if he only could

SALLY'S

heart goes out to Jack. She had no idea he felt this way, no idea of his tragic side. She wants to show him that he's not as alone as he thinks, that she understands him. But she's timid -- should she come out from behind the tombstone?Dare she dare? Should she? Shouldn't she?

JACK (CONT’D)

Oh, there's an empty place in my bones That calls out for something unknown The fame and praise, come year after year, Does nothing for these empty tears ... these empty tears....

JACK

heads off with Zero, staggering away blind in his misery, while...

SALLY,

still crouched behind the tombstone, continues to debate with herself...

Jack has left the cemetery and disappeared from sight when she finally screws up her courage and pops up full of determination and shouts:

He isn't there to hear her... Shocked and disappointed, Sally's rag doll body goes floppy again.

Her voice gets high and tiny... then trails off, almost tearfully...

Sally stares sadly into the empty spot Jack so recently occupied, then turns and hobbles limply away. She stops at a

WEED-CHOKED AND DESICCATED LITTLE HERB GARDEN

set beside a cluster of tombstones at the edge of the graveyard. The herbs growing there are labelled: "Henbane," "Witch Hazel," "Deadly Night Shade."

As best she can with her single arm, Sally gathers fresh sprigs of Deadly Night Shade.

Lost in his private tragedy, Jack lurches heedlessly forward. Looking around confused -- they've never been here before -- Zero floats quickly after, hurrying to catch up. Whimpering, he bites Jack's coattails and pulls -- trying his best to get Jack to stop, to turn around...

Jack pulls free.

Trying again, Zero grabs Jack by the leg, wrapping his mouth around Jack's skinny shin bone.

Zero lets go and Jack marches wretchedly forward.

CLOSE ON:

AN EMPTY JAR MARKED "DEADLY NIGHT SHADE."

SALLY

drops in the fresh sprigs of the herb.

Alarmed, Sally screws the lid back on -- as quickly as she can with only one arm -- and hides the jar at the back of a cabinet.

THE EVIL SCIENTIST

is a twisted silhouette in the doorway behind Sally.

Gasping guiltily, Sally spins around.

He holds up Sally's torn-off arm -- as well as a large shiny needle threaded with a long strand of thread.

Smiling his mad grin, the scientist gestures into the room behind him.

He makes way for Sally.

After a beat, Sally nods. Resigned, she trudges past him.

He jauntily follows her.

The Evil Scientist carefully sews Sally's arm back on -- even so the stitches are crude and the fit awkward. The expression on her face is more tragic than ever.

Sally whimpers sadly.

As anxious as she is to be away from here, Sally can't bear the thought of hurting anybody and instinctively tries to make him feel better.

The scientist smiles, feeling Sally under his sway again.He pats her consolingly, then finishes sewing on her arm and makes an elaborate knot at the end of his stitches. He snips the thread and puts away his sewing kit.

Sally heaves a big sigh.

She looks off tragically. Outside, it's sunrise.

Still bowed by the depth of his despair, unaware of time, or distance, or anything, Jack wanders through the gloom of the forest. Zero floats protectively at his side.

Suddenly, Jack is stabbed by a ray of light from the rising sun.

Cringing, he stops in his tracks. When he dares to look around him, it is as though he has just been woken up from a dream.

Zero barks his haunted ghost bark. Jack seems to notice the dog.

Jack takes a few steps one direction and looks curiously, then a few steps in another direction and looks -- and looks.

Zero circles Jack, whirling him around, trying to aim him back toward home. But Jack resists. He wants to see whatever there is to see.

He proceeds deeper into the woods.

The Mayor's hearse pulls up in front of Jack's tower.The Mayor climbs out, arms brimming with blueprints and plans. He struts to Jack's door -- his self-confident face on -- and bangs the knocker.

He waits for an answer. There isn't any. Even this little bit of suspense brings out the Mayor's other face -- this one is scared, self-doubting.

There's still no answer.

The mayor squints out into the street. Clearing his throat, he barks confidently at PASSERS-BY:

But nobody has. He doesn't bother to ask the Street Band set up across the street.

The mayor's bravado face evaporates and the whiny one takes over.

His blustery face back on, the Mayor shouts up to Jack's room at the top of the tower.

He holds up the blueprints and plans he carries.

The Mayor's faces alternate in progressively rapid succession as panic sets in.

Ruined, the Mayor crumples.

The ACCORDION PLAYER of the Street Band says quietly from across the street:

The Mayor looks up.

The Mayor tries to rouse himself, but he's shorted out, exhausted...

He drops again to the sidewalk.

Sally peers out of an upper-storey window -- expression eager and despairing at once.

It is just before night. Jack strides forward toward a

DISTANT PUMPKIN SHAPE

that seems to be carved out of the dark and outlined by glowing light.

Jack can't wait to find out what it means, but Zero, warier than his master and far less enthusiastic about this adventure, lags behind.

Arriving at the Pumpkin shape, Jack eagerly reaches out to it. When he touches it, it gives -- CREAKING OPEN to more woods beyond. It's a DOOR.

Zero hurries to catch up as Jack steps through the Pumpkin- shaped Door and out into a

CLEARING

in this next forest. Awed, Jack stops dead in the middle of the clearing and gapes at what he sees -- there are

MORE DOORWAYS

etched into the trunks of the trees that ring the clearing. To us, these doorways make sense -- one is shaped like an EASTER EGG, another like a FIRECRACKER, another like a VALENTINE, another like a SHAMROCK, and another like a CHRISTMAS TREE. To Jack, who's never heard of the other holidays, these doorways are a total mystery.

He is especially TRANSFIXED by the

CHRISTMAS TREE-SHAPED DOOR.

It rattles invitingly on its hinges. Gusts of cold air blow out from behind it. Snow oozes out beneath. The drama of it draws Jack closer.

Zero hesitates in the Pumpkin-shaped doorway, uneasy about crossing through it to the other side -- but the sight of Jack, striding resolutely toward the Christmas Tree-shaped door, makes him swoop quickly after.

Using all his strength, Jack wrenches open the Christmas Tree- shaped door. There is a moment's delay -- darkness, stillness, silence -- then the instantaneous fury of a

HOWLING BLIZZARD.

A quick blast of snow knocks Zero clear back through the Pumpkin-shaped doorway.

The whipping winter wind curls around Jack's frail bones and SUCKS HIM IN THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR. Jack disappears. The Christmas Tree-shaped door SLAMS SHUT.

After a beat:

Zero pokes his head up over the lintel of the Pumpkin-shaped doorway and sees that Jack has vanished. Panic-stricken, he streaks across the clearing to the closed Christmas Tree door.

Crying, he scratches on the door, tries to squeeze under it (his vaporous body is easy, but his head and jack o'lantern nose are another matter), circles the tree, investigates for another entrance (above, below, every which way). He tries everything in his ghost-dog powers to get in -- but all in vain. He has no choice but to wait. Ears cocked, he settles down to stare and stare at the strange door that swallowed his master....

THE WHIRLING, SNOW-SWIRLING TUNNEL OF BLACKNESS

through which Jack FALLS. The fall abruptly ends. BLACK.

Jack sits up in the snow bank where he has landed. He looks excitedly around. He marvels first at the miracle of snow.

He cavorts excitedly in the snow, slipping and sliding and finally tumbling down a hill into the center of Christmastown. He springs up, shakes himself off, and enthusiastically explores the snow-blanketed village.

There're children throwing snowballs Here instead of throwing heads. They're busy building toys And absolutely no one's dead.

Here in Christmastown, every tree is a Christmas tree and each house is shinier and more beautifully decorated than the next.

Jack peeks into warmly-lighted homes... Jack uses his consummate Halloween trickster skills to see without being seen...

What's this? In here They've got a little tree... how queer! And who would ever think... and why? They're covering it with (MORE)

Jack enters the CHILDRENS' cozy BEDROOM in one house...

Distracted, Jack goes off to leave the child at whom he has been peering suddenly wide awake and terrified...

Jack is back outside...

Instead of screams I swear I can hear Music in the air. The smell of cakes and pies Is absolutely everywhere...

The sights, the sounds, They're everywhere and all around... I've never felt so good before... The empty place inside of me is filling up I simply cannot get enough. I want it, oh, I want it... Oh, I want it for my own. I've got to know I've got to know What is this place that I have found?

WHAT IS THIS???

Jack darts this way and that and runs and runs, trying to get his fill of this strange new wonderful place.

He trips and falls and starts to roll and as he rolls he gathers snow -- he becomes a gigantic snowball barrelling through Christmas town, stopping only when he SLAMS INTO

ONE OF TWO GIGANTIC CANDY CANES...

between which spans a sign. Jack bursts out of his snow ball only to have fresh snow dumped on him which falls from the sign between the two tall candy canes.

Jack shakes himself free of this fresh heap of snow, looks up at the wide welcoming sign:

CHRISTMASTOWN

And thoughtfully reads...

Jack studies the town from this distance -- the lights glow heart-warmingly.

On his feet again, he slinks quietly back toward Christmastown.

A number of the worried citizens of Halloweenland have gathered. They chatter among themselves. The MAYOR addresses them from the top of his hearse.

MONSTER WITH THE TEARAWAY FACE I looked in every mausoleum.

BLIND-FOLDED, EXECUTED MAN I tromped through the Pumpkin Patch.

The other citizens wheel around to look at him disbelievingly

Everyone sighs.

Outside, the alarms wail in the distance while, inside, Sally speedily whips up a pot of sleeping-potion soup.

She keeps looking out the window, hoping for a hint of what's going on, but nothing -- not a clue. Eager to find out, she hurries the soup along...

Various spice jars are out on the counter -- among them, the one labelled "Deadly Night Shade," the entire contents of which she dumps into the pot.

She studies the other jars and picks the one labelled "Frog's Breath."

She opens the jar. Recoiling from the odor, she turns aside, trying to escape the fumes as she pours some of the Frog's Breath into the soup -- but it starts to overwhelm her anyway. She swoons. Her knees buckle.

In her swoon, she fumbles blindly among the other jars.

Her hand finally locates the jar labelled, "Sweet Pea."

The Evil Scientist calls from another room:

Still choking, hardly able even to squeak out an answer, Sally struggles to open the Sweet Pea jar.

Sally finally gets the jar open. As fast as she can, she empties it into the soup and hovers above the pot. In a moment, the Sweet Pea takes effect and Sally's strength begins to return.

Still a bit shaky, Sally reaches for one more jar. The label on this one reads, "Worm's Wart."

She drops in some Worm's Wart, stirs the soup, then ladles out a bowlful.

The Evil Scientist is at his lab table, peering into a microscope and thinking -- which, for him, involves lifting off the top of his skull and tickling and scrambling the brains inside.

Sally carries in a tray holding his bowl of soup.

The scientist impatiently gestures her over. He replaces the top of his skull...

She gingerly sets the tray in front of him.

The scientist inhales a deep sniff of the steam curling off the soup.

He glances suspiciously at Sally.

The scientist pushes the bowl of soup toward Sally.

He dips a spoon into the soup then holds it up to Sally.

Sally crumples.

He waves the spoon at her.

She keeps her lips closed tight.

It works. He wears Sally down:

She closes her eyes and sips the soup off the spoon.

The Mayor lies sprawled on top of his hearse, staring up at the sky for ideas. He's exhausted, as are the assembled citizens of Halloweenland, exhausted from exhausting their alternatives when it comes to seeking Jack.

The Mayor lifts his heavy head and feebly asks:

A recumbent corpse sits up and nods:

The corpse flops down again.

The mayor lets his head fall back.

IN THE DISTANCE,

there's a BARK (O.S.).

WITCH #1 Hear that?

WITCH #2 What?

Now a DEEP RUMBLING (O.S.) can just be heard -- punctuated by another sharp BARK (O.S.).

WITCH #3 Ssh!

They listen. More RUMBLING. DEFINITE BARKS NOW.

The sounds get louder, closer...

The group revives. The mayor sits up. Before long...

AROUND THE CORNER

comes an ecstatic Jack driving a jaunty, Christmasland SNOW MOBILE, heavily laden with Christmasland memorabilia.A joyous Zero loops-the-loop around his master.

The Halloweenland citizens gape.

The Mayor's hearse glides through town, p.a. system blaring:

MAYOR’S AMPLIFIED VOICE Town meeting! Town meeting tonight!

The hearse passes the

DESERTED GOTHIC MANSE.

Out stream the Creatures, Corpses, and other Vampires.

As the hearse passes and the announcement is heard, the GRAVESTONES open.

The hearse threads through town past the EVIL SCIENTIST'S HOUSE.

Sally and the Evil Scientist are both asleep -- the Evil scientist snores, his head on the lab table beside the now empty bowl; Sally has fallen asleep on her way through the doorway -- hat on, arm half-way into the sleeve of her coat.

MAYOR’S AMPLIFIED VOICE (O.S.) Town meeting! Town meeting tonight!

Neither of them hears the announcement. Neither of them stirs. Their deep sleep goes on undisturbed.

The town hall is a tilted Chautauqua meetinghouse. We HEAR the noise of the crowd inside and see a few Halloweenland latecomers hurry in.

Jack stands at a podium on a stage at the end of the big meeting hall. Set up beside him is a table piled high with (at this point) nondescript objects.

The murmuring crowd presses close to the stage. Of course, Sally and the Evil Scientist are absent.

Jack holds up his hands for attention.

He sings:

But you must believe when I tell you this It's as real as my skull, and it does exist.

Turning to sort through the objects on the table, Jack speaks:

The people press even closer.

Jack holds up a wrapped gift:

Jack interrupts their excited babbling:

He sings on:

Jack shakes his finger at them:

He takes a Christmas stocking off his display table and sings again:

The irrepressible crowd bubbles over again:

Jack is getting very frustrated:

But to no avail...

The Mayor struts to the front of the audience.

But doubt immediately overtakes the Mayor as Jack expresses his exasperation with the way things are going...

Confident face evaporating, the Mayor skulks off.

Jack looks down at the faces tipped up toward him -- in the expressions, puzzlement replaces eagerness.

Jack picks up his song again -- the showman once more:

And I've also heard it told That he's something to behold Like a lobster, huge and red... And sets out to slay with his raingear on, Carting bulging sacks with his big great arms... That is, so I've heard it said.

Listening to this, the people of Halloweenland are absolutely spellbound, rapt, and quiet for a change.

At this conclusion, a delightful shudder runs through the audience.

They erupt into giddy chatter.

Jack watches them from the stage, then turns to his display table and begins gathering up his many Christmasland souvenirs.

Jack shakes a Frosty the Snowman paper weight and dreamily watches the little snowflakes drift down.

Sighing, he packs his treasures.

Jack happily decorates his room with the Christmasland souvenirs.

-- He festoons the electric chair with boughs of holly and a sprig of mistletoe atop the confining head cap.

-- He tosses wreaths around the necks of the gargoyles that leer down from corners of the ceiling.

-- He ties a red bow on Zero.

LATER,

in bed, snuggled down, wearing a nightcap, his pile of Christmas books beside him, Jack gazes critically around his room. It is over-bright with electric lights -- they're strung everywhere they can be strung. Tinsel sparkles glaringly.

Lips pursed, Jack climbs out of bed to pull a string of lights out behind an obscuring cobweb, then isn't satisfied just to see them, but traces the intricate pattern of the cobweb with them. He steps back for perspective, comes forward to make an adjustment, steps back to look again... He frowns. He scratches his head.

He paces and looks, paces and looks -- but the mystery remains a mystery.

Still suffering the effects of her own sleeping potion, a disheveled Sally drags through the house.

The DOORBELL RINGS (O.S.).

Sally turns sluggishly.

She shuffles toward it.

Sally drags open the front door. There, on the front stoop, to her utter astonishment stands

JACK.

He has on a cheery face, but it is obvious to her that he is disturbed.

He looks quizzically at her.

Answering for her, Jack strides right in:

Jack heads back. Sally looks tragically after.

Jack intently sets up a make-shift laboratory with equipment borrowed from the Evil Scientist -- a microscope, mortar and pestle, petri dishes, a centrifuge, test tubes, beakers already filled with steaming liquid.

As Sally shuffles timidly into the room, the scientist doesn't look up from his reading.

The scientist nods without looking up.

The scientist nods again.

Suddenly afraid for Jack, Sally wheels around and stumbles OUT INTO THE

HALL

and UP THE

RICKETY STAIRS.

Sally rushes in and hurries across to her window. She stands on tip-toe and strains to peer out. In the distance, between two other buildings, she can just MAKE OUT A CORNER OF

JACK'S TOWER.

A strange glow emanates from there.

Sally stares for a long time, biting her lip with worry, then decisively:

Sally turns to her desk. She takes out a piece of paper and a pen and writes, reading aloud as she goes:

She adds some x's and o's to the bottom of the letter, then sets it on the pillow of her bed where the doctor will be sure to find it.

She takes a needle and spool of thread out of her drawer, stuffs them into her dress, then without warning,

JUMPS OUT HER WINDOW

with suicidal abandon.

Sally lands on the street outside -- sprawled, torn apart, stuffing flowing out, stitches burst.

In a moment, she flops upright. She pulls out the needle, the thread, threads the needle and, glancing every so often over her shoulder at the Evil Scientist's house, hurriedly proceeds to sew herself back together again.

The job done. She stashes the needle and thread and wobbly (her stitches are looser than the doctor's) gets to her feet to go -- only she's sewed one of her legs on backwards -- so that when she takes a step, her legs walk in opposite directions and she falls right over.

She lets out a little moan of frustration. Swivelling, she looks back at the house, afraid of getting caught...

She works even faster now, ripping out the stitches on the leg she replaced backwards and basting it back on facing forwards.

These stitches are really huge and ungainly. Still, they're substantial enough to allow her to get to her feet and totter away, though limping rather badly.

Jack has worked through the night and continues to work, concentrated, intent, doing his methodical best to study Christmas.

-- He stares at an image of Sandy Claws he's drawn on the chalkboard -- with giant red lobster hand and elaborate raingear -- then erases it.

-- He leafs back and forth through the Christmas books, every so often stopping briefly on an image -- RUDOLF, THE RED-NOSE REINDEER OR FROSTY, THE SNOWMAN OR AN ANNOTATED ILLUSTRATION OF "THE STOCKINGS ARE HUNG BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE."

-- He scrapes a little bit of the shininess off a Christmas tree ball.

With a mortar and pestle, he grinds the flake of shininess to a sparkling powder, then sprinkles the powder over himself as if it were fairy dust. He strikes a pose and waits -- but no transformation occurs. In another beat, he turns back to his work table, freshly determined.

-- He studies a strand of tinsel under the microscope.It reflects his own hollow eye socket back to him.

Hiding in the shadows of the building across the street, Sally stares up at Jack's room.

She pulls back out of sight once -- when the Evil Scientist passes, obviously looking for her -- but steps out again as soon as he's gone.

Other citizens of Halloween look up at Jack's windows as they pass and shake their heads with concern, but only Sally keeps a vigil.

Jack stands at the chalkboard where he's scribbled elaborate formulae: Good Cheer + Roasting Chestnuts + Sandy Claws = Christmas Fun. Sugar Plums + Christmas trees + Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer = Christmas Fun. Presents + Mistletoe + Snowballs = Christmas Fun. If A = B and B = C and A = C, then what isn't D?

He feverishly crosses out some phrases, corrects others, substitutes, modifies.

Using a pulley, Sally surreptitiously hoists up a basket of food.

A TOY STEAM ENGINE

now chugs along tracks laid around the perimeter of Jack's room. Puffing smoke, it hauls a string of open cars filled with Christmas dolls and toys. Jack adds more toys as the tiny train cars pass him.

He looks up at the ODD SCRAPING SOUND of Sally's food basket knocking against the window.

AT THE WINDOW,

he unhooks the basket and lifts it in. Inside is dinner, lovingly wrapped in a napkin -- a skeleton chicken, a couple of apple cores, and a cold bottle of newt juice.

Jack leans

OUT THE WINDOW

to see who sent this to him. His gaze locks with Sally's -- far below. A beat. He nods his thanks. She waves -- slowly, in tragic sympathy. He pulls back into his tower.

ON THE GROUND,

Sally keeps staring faithfully up at Jack's window.

IN HIS TOWER,

Jack dances around a Christmas tree, giddily tossing on decorations.

Sally is back at her post across the street, watching

JACK'S WINDOW

where a TALL CANDLE BURNS.

AS IF IN TIME-LAPSE, the candle burns all the way down while the NIGHT PASSES INTO

Sally sleeps curled in the doorway across the street.She wakes to

A SMALL CROWD

gathering beneath Jack's window.

A THIRD VAMPIRE adds his voice...

Flanked by two corpses, a SLATHERING BEAST lumbers up, singing...

The CORPSE on his right joins in...

Then BOTH CORPSES and the beast sing...

Then the whole crowd sings...

Sally stays back, separate from the crowd, silent.

Jack stands in the center of his room, a demon possessed, surrounded by Christmas mayhem -- the glittery decorations and toys and books strewn all about him.

He sings:

Something's here I'm not quite getting Though I try, I keep forgetting Like a memory long since past Here in an instant, gone in a flash... What does it mean? What does it mean?

In these little bric-a-brac, A secret waiting to be cracked. These dolls and toys confuse me so... Confound it all -- I love it though!

Simple objects nothing more But something's hidden through the door. Though I do not have the key, Something's there I cannot see. What does it mean? What does it mean?

I've read these Christmas books so many times I know the stories and I know the rhymes I know the Christmas carols all by heart... My skull's so full, it's tearing me apart. As often as I read them, something's wrong... So hard to put my bony finger on...

A thought strikes Jack. He takes a new tack... He whirls around, singing...

It's simple really, very clear, Like music drifting in the air Invisible but everywhere. Just because I cannot see it Doesn't mean I can't believe it.

Enthusiasm takes the place of torment. Joy lightens Jack's tortured soul.

I bet I could improve it too! And that's exactly what I'll do!

Jack hurries to the window and throws it open.

BELOW,

the crowd is relieved.

They smile up at their beloved Skeleton Jack. All except for Sally.

Sally stares up at him...

A LINE of waiting Halloweeners extends out the entrance doors. The word, 'Christmas,' buzzes in the air.

Sally stands in line with everyone else -- somewhere near the back, just behind the members of the Street Band. She practices what she's going to say to Jack when it's her turn --

Sally cowers as she hears the Mayor call:\

Sally ducks out of sight behind the FURRY BEHEMOTH in back of her as the

EVIL SCIENTIST

hobbles by. Looking for Sally, he peers through his pince- nez at the faces he passes.

The Evil Scientist hobbles through the front door.

At the end of the hall is Jack.

To one side of him is his Christmas treasure trunk filled to the brim with dolls and toys and decorations.

On the other side, the Mayor sits at a table. Before him is an open scroll -- a long list. With his raven feather pen, the Mayor enthusiastically marks off items and occasionally scribbles notes: forging ahead with the making of Christmas, he and Jack are giving out assignments to the citizens of Halloweenland.

At the moment, Jack discusses dollmaking with a COUPLE OF LARGE VAMPIRES... One of the vampires cradles an example of a BABYDOLL in the palm of his hand. As he rocks it, its eyes close if it's lying down, but open when it's brought upright. The doll also cries -- bleating sadly.

The Vampires make a face at one another.

The other vampire shrugs.

The Vampires scurry off, still studying the babydoll -- looking for other improvements.

Jack turns to the Evil Scientist.

Jack pulls a book out of his trunk. He leafs through it to a PICTURE OF SANTA'S REINDEER hooked up to the sleigh and shows the Evil Scientist.

The Evil Scientist peers closely at the picture of the reindeer in Jack's book, making quick calculations.

THE MAYOR

bellows again, practically in the Evil Scientist's ear.

The Mayor glares at him resentfully.

The Mayor makes a big show of checking off the doctor's name.

Next, three mischievous Trick Or Treaters scuttle up to the Mayor's table. They are small but insidious. Professionals. Their names are LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL.

The Mayor announces the little Trick Or Treaters:

The Evil Scientist shuffles off with the book.

The Mayor studies his list again:

Jack waves Lock, Shock & Barrel over...

They come close and huddle before him. Jack whispers his plan -- they titter, half-whispering themselves.

The three little Trick Or Treaters tip-toe out, still tittering and whispering. They sing:

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws...?

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL ... Weeee!

They scoot out of sight around a corner.

Lock, Shock & Barrel head toward their digs out of town.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap the Sandy Claws, Lock him up real tight Throw away the key and then Turn off all the lights.

Lock, Shock & Barrel arrive at the ominous stinking place

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap the Sandy Claws Throw him in a box Bury him for ninety years And then see if he talks.

They zip down the cellar stairs.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Weeee!

The dank, crumbling stairs lead to...

Once in their corner of the dungeon, the little Trick Or Treaters start to gather the things they'll need to do their job.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap the Sandy Claws Tie him in a bag Throw him in the ocean And then see if he is sad.

There is a bone-chilling stirring in the next room. All three of the little Trick or Treaters react. As one, they shoot over to the corner furthest away from the sounds and lower their voices:

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL MMMMMMM...!

The other two stop...

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL And then we'll have him, one, two, three!

Fully exuberant again, they gleefully collect their last few necessities.

They head back up their cellar steps.

The three Trick or Treaters race through a deserted lot.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap the Sandy Claws, Tie him in a knot Put him in a coffin, How we'd like to see him rot.

Lock, Shock & Barrel skip among the tombstones.

Lock, Shock & Barrel head for the forest that Jack wandered through.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Kidnap the Sandy Claws. See what we will see, Lock him in a cage And then throwaway the key.

They reach the very edge forest -- they are still in the light; one step ahead, it is dark and gloomy.

Lock, the natural-born leader of the three, stops in his tracks in the last possible light. The other two bump into him, in succession. Then all three crouch down at once. Beat.

Simultaneously giggling, they suddenly streak forward into the woods and, in a moment, are swallowed up into the

PITCH-BLACK.

The only evidence of them left is the sound of their giggles. The giggles recede, then fade...

No part of the line stands outside now. The few citizens left still waiting for assignments stand...

A very anxious Sally stands at the head of the line, in a panic, going over and over what she intends to say:

Behind her the Furry Behemoth waits patiently.

JACK

works with the Street Band. Demonstrating, he shakes a harness piece studded with sleigh bells. The bells jingle cheerfully.

The members of the Band rattle their bones in response -- shaking legs and arms, echoing the jingle of the bells, but with their own distinctive hollow CLANK.

Jack laughs, enormously pleased.

Using various jingling bells, Jack shakes out the tune to "Jingle Bells."

The Band clanks the tune right back -- phrase for phrase.

SALLY

watches with an increasing sense of doom as her turn with Jack nears.

Jack heartily shakes hands and back-slaps the three members of the street band. They head off practicing...

He turns to Sally -- who stands frozen, wide-eyed, her heart a wild bird trapped in the cage of her chest. He smiles encouragingly at her.

He gestures for her to step closer.

Stiffly, she does.

She looks stunned. Jack nods eagerly and pats her, mistaking her silence for awe at the responsibility.

He enthusiastically proceeds to describe the costume:

Swallowing hard, Sally looks up at him, her wide eyes moist. Her voice is tiny.

Jack suddenly looks confused. He stops mid-gesture --

Brow furrowing, he stares at the ceiling and thinks.

Sally holds her breath, hoping...

Finally, Jack shrugs.

AT THAT MOMENT,

Lock, Shock and Barrel race in dragging behind them a big sack with something squirming inside!

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Jack! Jack! We caught him! We've got him!

JACK

strides excitedly to meet them, leaving Sally.

SALLY

flees, mortified, miserable. She had hoped to help Jack, to spare him the pain of his enterprise, to save him from himself... Floppy and weak (her legs lost some stuffing in her jump from the Evil Scientist's window), she runs as best she can, arms and legs pinwheeling...

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL,

in a frenzy of giggling, open the big sack and who should jump out but the

EASTER BUNNY.

Jack's face drops. He turns on the three Trick Or Treaters.

The three shrink back.

Jack turns to the Easter Bunny and speaks loudly and slowly to him, hoping to be understood.

He scowls at the three Trick Or Treaters.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL -- for sure!

He holds up a cut-out of a Christmas tree.

They stuff the Easter Bunny back into the sack and hurry off.

They scurry out the double doors.

Sally sits at a sewing machine, abjectly stitching Jack's Santa Claus suit. Finished with a long seam, she holds up the suit to see how it's coming along... and shudders in its cheerful, bright red glare.

Shaking her head, she sets the suit back in place to stitch up another seam.

But Sally is alone in her distress. Beyond her -- the little Halloween factory gladly hums along making Christmas.

Jack supervises and approves as the residents of Halloweenland busily manufacture the Halloween version of Christmas toys, dolls, decorations, doing their well- intentioned best to create the warmest, most magical Christmas yet. The results of their eager efforts, unbeknownst to them, often painfully miss the mark:

-- Barbie's a voodoo doll.

-- The horrible-looking demon that springs from a Jack-In-The- Box has a sweet decorative bow on it.

-- Strings of electric lights are composed of tiny skulls through which the colored lights gleam.

MEANTIME,

the Evil Scientist assembles Skeleton Reindeer from piles of bones.

He also takes the opportunity to assemble himself a new and improved Sally. He animates her and she smiles at him.He is pleased. She assists him in his work animating the reindeer.

WHILE CHRISTMAS IS BEING MANUFACTURED IN HALLOWEENLAND, IT IS ALSO BEING MANUFACTURED IN...

The factory looks like it was constructed by a master gingerbread house maker, all dandy jigsaw angles and bulbous shapes and filigree. There's a calendar that tells the NUMBER OF DAYS LEFT 'TIL CHRISTMAS -- it says ONE.

At quaint conveyor belts, SANTA'S ELVES work their hardest:

-- Assembling the Christmas toys we most sentimentally associate with Christmas, among them -- cherubic baby dolls in bonnets and gowns, gorgeously painted wooden rocking horses.

-- Wrapping the beautiful gifts, colorful papers, elaborate bows.

-- Labelling packages.

Santa's team of sleigh-pulling reindeer practices roof jumping techniques. One YOUNG BUCK lands with a splat and must try again.

MRS. CLAUS putters in the kitchen while

SANTA CLAUS

sits in his big armchair in front of a roaring fire. He is checking a long list, checking it twice... when the

DOORBELL

rings.

Setting aside his list, Santa hoists himself to his feet and slowly crosses to the door. He opens it and SEES

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

crouched on his front stoop. They cry their little banshee cry and leap up at his face with their sack wide open, bagging him -- all goes

The town has been festooned with "Christmas" decorations.

Presents are being loaded into the coffin sleigh. The Evil Scientist oversees the harnessing up of his skeleton reindeer. He glowers over at

SALLY

morosely helps Jack on with the red coat of his Santa Claus outfit. He already wears the pants and boots. Jack is positively thrilled with the costume.

Jack laughs -- his version of a booming laugh.

Sally pulls out her needle to make a last minute adjustment to one of the cuffs. Then she sticks the needle back behind her ear where it will be handy.

Jack puts on his white beard and turns eagerly to check his

REFLECTION

in the polished black side of the coffin sleigh. He grins at himself... then, in a moment, his smile fades and he furrows his brow... He peers closely at himself.

His musing is INTERRUPTED by the COMMOTION

Lock, Shock & Barrel cause as they scuttle into view, out of breath, struggling with their enormous sack.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL This time we bagged him!

Reaching Jack, they dump the sack and reveal the prize inside, untying the knot and peeling back the sides, uncovering the legendary Sandy Claws.

Santa blinks. Jack grabs his hand and shakes it.

Santa looks around to see where he has been brought. He gapes in horror at the "Christmas" decorations everywhere, at the coffin sleigh, at the reindeer, at the staring residents of Halloweenland, at Jack before him in what looks very much like a deflated version of his own outfit. THE SHOCK RENDERS HIM SPEECHLESS.

Jack pauses a beat for impact, then springs the good news:

Santa's eyes go wide and he begins to sputter -- searching for the words that could conceivably express the depths of his feelings.

Sally looks on, horrified.

Lock, Shock and Barrel grab ahold of Santa to drag him off again, but Jack stops them--

Jack plucks the red cap off Santa's head.

He pops Santa's cap on his own head. It is too big and droops charmingly over one of Jack's big eye sockets.He grins the biggest grin yet.

She rushes off.

Lock, Shock & Barrel strain to push/pull/haul/carry the astonished, still sputtering Santa Claus through town.

SHOCK & BARREL No, there isn't!

SHOCK & BARREL Yes, he did!

The three gleefully giggle their hideous giggle.

The Mayor gives Jack the grandest possible Halloween send- off:

Jack stands tall beside his sleigh.

THE STREET BAND

rattles a delicate "Jingle Bells."

THE TOWNSPEOPLE

look on proudly.

SALLY

hurries back with a steaming cup of her special sleeping- potion tea.

THE MAYOR

blabs on:

His speech is SUDDENLY INTERRUPTED BY THE

DESCENT OF A THICK HALLOWEEN FOG.

The fog swirls around the assembled crowd. It licks at the Mayor. It threatens to engulf Jack, the sleigh, the skeleton reindeer.

SALLY

gazes about her in happy wonder. The sight of the fog brings a wide, welcoming look of hope to her face.

She dumps out the tea -- it eats a hole in the ground -- she won't be needing it after all...

THE FOG

swallows everyone.

There is a thin ghostly bark (O.S.) -- it belongs to Zero. His little jack o'lantern nose floats in... a tiny beacon penetrating the fog.

After a long beat...

We HEAR the sounds of RUMMAGING, of Jack MUTTERING:

We HEAR pages turned back and forth... Then with characteristic melodramatic flourish Jack RECITES:

Barking, Zero swoops with pure joy.

The crowd cheers.

Zero floats to the front of the sleigh and takes position. His jack o'lantern nose glows brighter and brighter, soon illuminating the whole sleigh. Jack leaps aboard.

With a crack of his skeleton whip, Jack and his ghostly entourage are instantly aloft. In a moment, they are gone...

SALLY

gapes into the swirling fog. She stares miserably into the cup she emptied, then back up into the fog-choked sky.

The Street Band materializes out of the fog. They listen to her mournful song. Moved, they accompany her.

Jack's coffin sleigh whiplashes wildly through the glittering night sky -- a giddy, out of control amusement park ride.At the front of the sleigh, Zero exuberantly howls.

FAR BELOW,

peaceful little houses dot the landscape, innocently waiting for Christmas.

Laughing his best booming Santa laugh, Jack begins his descent.

The coffin sleigh CRASH LANDS on the roof of a little house, making such a racket that it wakes the sleeping family inside: the BABY CRIES BLOODY MURDER and we can HEAR the VOICE OF THE WIFE URGING HER HUSBAND TO INVESTIGATE.

A big grin slashed across his face, Jack pops up out of the wreckage. He gleefully slithers over to the chimney and JUMPS inside.

JACK'S SKELETAL HAND

drops hideous little toys into the Christmas stockings hung up along the fireplace mantelpiece.

THE HYSTERICAL VOICES (O.S.)

continue: ("Get the gun!" "We don't have a gun!" "Well, grab something!"). As does the CRYING of the baby. CLOSE BY:

LITTLE BOY’S VOICE (O.S.) (sweetly) Santa?

JACK

spins around to see A LITTLE BOY STARING UP AT HIM. At the sight of Jack, the little boy looks stunned.

Jack springs over to the boy. The little boy stands frozen in place. The chaos (O.S.) persists: ("Where is he?" "He's not in his bed?" "No!" "Check downstairs." "You check downstairs.") Overhead, footsteps thump to and fro. The baby still bawls. Jack bends down to the little boy.

The boy doesn't answer, doesn't move; he just keeps staring.

Jack fishes into his big sack of toys. He pulls a SHRUNKEN HEAD out by its hank of hair and hands it to the little boy.

With a screeching "Ho, Ho, Ho," Jack springs back to the fireplace and WHOOSHES up the

CHIMNEY to the...

Jack leaps onto the remains of his coffin sleigh and off he flies.

Still standing where Jack left him, the little boy stares morosely into the grotesque face of the Shrunken Head.

(O.S.) Footsteps charge down the steps and pound down the hall to the living room doorway -- both parents at once.We HEAR their horrified reactions, their BLOOD-CURDLING SCREAMS.

Jack leaps nimbly from rooftop to rooftop -- merrily delivering presents, blissfully unaware of the havoc he is creating....

Several residents of Halloweenland eagerly crowd around the witches' cauldron to watch Jack whose giddy journey above the rooftops is reflected in the bubbling brew. The gathering oohs and ahhhs and applauds.

Sally is not among those watching. A shriek of joy makes her peek forlornly out from behind a distant building. She pulls back out of sight.

-- DOORS ARE LOCKED.

-- BOLTS ARE THROWN.

-- TELEPHONES ARE DIALLED: "Hello, Police?!"

-- A BABY DOLL is cradled in the lap of a LITTLE GIRL.For no apparent reason, the baby doll's eyes SUDDENLY OPEN.The little girl shrieks and throws the doll off her lap.

-- A MAN-EATING WREATH snakes off the door where it hangs, sending out tentacles and tendrils that wrap around the LEGS OF A KISSING COUPLE, YANKING THEM CLEAR OFF THEIR FEET.

-- A VAMPIRE TEDDY BEAR smiles as it totters across a room.

-- THE TRACKS OF A MONSTROUS TOY TRAIN slither around a room, chasing RETREATING CHILDREN.

Jack gleefully continues delivering Christmas, mistaking the irate screams and shaking fists of citizens below for gratitude. He waves and calls:

THE SEVERAL PHONES lined up on the SERGEANT'S DESK ring off the hook. We see the sergeant as a blue uniform, a big band. He answers phone after phone.

POLICE SERGEANT’S VOICE (into the various telephones) Police station... Where did you spot him?... As fast as we can... (MORE)

POLICE SERGEANT’S VOICE (CONT'D) Police station... I know, I know. A skeleton. Where are you?... Right... Just keep calm... Turn off all the lights. Make sure the doors are locked... Hello? Police station...

The news broadcasts from a TALL RADIO TOWER:

Sally picks up the broadcast in the sewing needle she stuck behind her ear:

Hearing this, Sally too is in a panic. She runs one way, then the other.

She runs off.

Santa is behind bars, tied to a chair, in this dank, dripping, dark hell-hole that is Oogie Boogie's jail.

Lock, Shock & Barrel watch, giggling.

He's interrupted by a FEARSOME GROANING (O.S.). All three of the little Trick or Treaters whip around at the sound.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL Uh-oh.

They high-tail it out of there. Oogie Boogie is on his way...

Oogie Boogie is an enormous shapeless sack, bulging with creepy-crawlies. He rolls and oozes rather than walks.

As Oogie Boogie's song concludes... a SHAPELY FEMALE LEG (that we recognize as Sally's), wearing a high, high heel and exposed up to the garter, eases seductively into view outside the jailhouse doorway.

When there isn't an immediate reaction, the toe taps impatiently.

Oogie hears...

He turns and spots the beautifully turned leg. The leg kicks a can-can, once, twice...

He chuckles to himself and slathers. Relishing the anticipation, he rolls ever so slowly toward the enticement at the doorway... leaving his prisoner completely behind.

Meantime, the REST OF SALLY hops on her remaining leg around the outside of Boogie's jail to the

BACK.

She peeks through the tiny, barred window to SEE

INSIDE

where Santa Claus bucks in his chair, desperate to escape.

He whips around and is about to holler.

Sally reaches in through the bars, straining to touch Santa Claus. He tries to move the chair toward her, but, try as he might, he can't. He is ready to burst with frustration.

She pulls off both her arms -- the left yanks the right out of the socket, popping the stitches, and the right yanks the left.

Santa swallows his scream of horror as Sally's unattached arms crawl through the bars and into the cell with him.

ONE ARM

scuttles to his ropes and begins picking at the knots while the

OTHER ARM

scoots out of the cell, behind Oogie Boogie -- who still oozes toward the leg at the door.

The BIG GUNS fire into the night sky.

Far below, the guns fire. Jack mistakes the artillery for fireworks.

Zero yaps happily and, nose in the air, swings gleefully back and forth in the harness at the head of the sleigh -- narrowly missing being blasted to smithereens by a well- guided MISSILE. It was only the exuberant swinging that saved him. His eyes goggle. He bristles mid-air and begins to flail.

Zero regains control and flies up.

The explosions below blast on.

Santa's own hands are now free, attacking the rest of the knots that bind him while Sally's stray hand picks the lock on the cell door. In a moment, he is free. In another moment, the door swings open.

Grabbing Sally's arm, Santa lumbers out the door toward freedom. Only Oogie Boogie himself stands in the way.

OOGIE BOOGIE

has just reached the door. Sally's crawling hand has almost reached him.

Making lascivious noises, Oogie Boogie peeks out to see what the body that belongs to such a gorgeous leg might possibly look like and is surprised to find nothing there... no body at all...

It dawns on him that he's been had. Roaring, he wheels around -- only to see that Santa is loose and coming toward him. He roars louder and starts forward to set things right when...

SALLY'S HAND,

the one that had been tailing him, leaps up and pulls the end of a thread on the sack that is Oogie Boogie's shapeless body. The thread pulls out, LEAVING A GAPING OPENING IN OOGIE BOOGIE...

Oogie Boogie wails as

HIS GRUESOME CONTENTS IMMEDIATELY FLY, CRAWL, SLITHER, WRITHE, JUMP OUT. THE BAG ITSELF COLLAPSES TO THE GROUND, EMPTY. SILENT.

THE REST OF SALLY

-- torso, head, one leg -- hops into view from around the corner.

SANTA

grabs up Sally's arm still holding the string and is about to sweep up her other leg and the rest of her when there is a

SUDDEN ROAR

behind him -- OOGIE BOOGIE RETURNED TO LIFE. The empty bag opens up and with the SUCTION from hell SUCKS SANTA AND SALLY inside.

Jack and his ghostly team now frantically but successfully dodge a barrage of missiles... only in the next instant to suffer a DIRECT HIT and

EXPLODE!

The explosion is huge, fiery.

The explosion is being simulcast to the group of Halloween townspeople in the witches' cauldron.

They gape at the fireball in confusion and disbelief.

The Mayor turns away... ever the politician... his two faces compete to be the first to speak -- one of them wins.

The Mayor climbs aboard his hearse and is driven off.

Clutching a burning bag of toys, Jack falls. He holds onto Zero -- who turns into a whimpering parachute.

Jack, voice choked, cries out in anguished sincerity:

Jack lets go of Zero and plummets toward earth.

Jack lands hard, bones clattering. Zero floats down beside him.

Santa and Sally (more or less stuck together again) are cornered by Oogie Boogie -- he is in the process of snatching the escaped parts of himself out of the air and stuffing them back in.

THE MAYOR'S HEARSE passes (O.S.) -- blaring the announcement.

MAYOR’S AMPLIFIED VOICE (O.S.) Jack has been blown to smithereens. Christmas is over. Skeleton Jack is no more...

Oogie Boogie chuckles. He leers at Sally.

He grabs a squiggly something and shoves it back into his sack.

For a long time, Jack doesn't move. He lies flat, sprawled face down across a couple of tombstones. Finally, he hauls himself up on a large stone cross.

Crumpling, Jack weeps. Zero, ever faithful, makes himself a hankie and wipes Jack's wet eyes.

Jack sings as if his heart had broken in two. He is at his lowest of lows. Yet, being Jack, being irrepressibly buoyant, by the end of the song, he has completely worked himself back up from grief very nearly to exuberance -- he must save Santa! He must restore Christmas as it should be!

He opens a tombstone, lifting it up as easily as if it were the door to a storm cellar and, filled with determination, runs back down toward Halloweenland.

Santa and Sally dangle perilously above a PIT. They've been bound and gagged and they writhe in terror.

From the murky depths below, SKELETON CROCODILES leap up at them, jaws snapping hungrily. Watching, Oogie Boogie snickers. He lowers Santa and Sally closer.

Suddenly, there's a

CRASH

behind him -- the crash of the door being kicked in.

And there stands

JACK.

Jack sweeps Boogie off his feet and holds him above the pit himself. Immediately, the terrorizer is terrified.

He smiles sheepishly.

He dumps Oogie Boogie over the edge, but delicately keeps ahold of a choice thread.

AS HE FALLS, OOGIE BOOGIE UNRAVELS COMPLETELY.

His insides escape into the dark -- with the sounds of wings flapping and feet skittering -- and, IN THE END, ALL THAT'S LEFT OF HIS SHAPELESS SACK OF A BODY IS ONE LONG THREAD.

In the pit below, the crocodile skeletons scoot around, jaws clapping, having themselves a feast.

LATER,

Jack finishes untying Santa and Sally. He works quickly. He ungags Sally.

Jack looks away from Santa's angry gaze. He takes off Santa's cap and replaces it on Santa's head...

Cringing, he unties Santa's gag. Santa scowls and straightens his cap but, rather than chastise Jack, immediately makes for the door.

Santa charges off.

Various townspeople duck out of the way to avoid Jack -- who has stopped to gaze up into the empty night sky. Zero floats beside him.

Jack sighs and drags himself up the deserted street.

Downcast as he stalks along, Jack doesn't notice when it begins to

SNOW.

At first, just a few sparkling flakes fall.

It snows more and more.

Zero barks excitedly. Jack finally looks up.

As if in answer to Jack's question we HEAR

SANTA'S BOOMING HO-HO-HO

high up in the sky.

A SLOW SMILE SPREADS ACROSS JACK'S FACE.

The residents of Halloween come out to experience the snow -- this miracle of Christmas that has come to Halloween.

Jack joins in the celebration -- but seems always to be looking around for someone.

As the celebrating goes on in town below, Sally climbs Cemetery Hill. Sitting down at the top, she looks out at the round moon which shines behind the curtain of falling snow. She is moved to sing a brief reprise of

Soon, A SECOND VOICE joins in, making the song a DUET.The second voice belongs to

JACK.

He has found Sally.

Jack sings:

He sits beside her. Together they look out at the moon and the snow.

WE PULL BACK AND UP:

Above the CLOUDS and the SNOW, past SANTA flying into the distance aboard his sleigh, above the gleaming light of the Christmas MOON, and into the NIGHT, pulling BACK AND BACK INTO THE STARS...

Santa's voice returns to narrate:

SANTA (V.O.)

And finally, everything worked out just fine -- Christmas was saved, though there wasn't much time.

But, after that night, things were never the same, Each holiday now knew the other one's name.

And so when their long isolation had ended, They cautiously reached out, and slowly befriended.

And each shared a bit of the things that they had With each other, and found out it wasn't so bad --

They had snowflakes in Halloween, those we could spare, And we here in Christmas enjoyed a few scares.

The fireworks gave the Easter Bunnies a thrill And St. Patrick's Day cherishes Easter Eggs still.

And though that one Christmas, things got out of hand, I'm still rather fond of that skeleton man.

Though misguided I think his intentions were good. He was just a poor skeleton misunderstood.

So many years later I thought I'd drop in, And there was old Jack, still looking quite thin.

With four or five skeleton children at hand Playing strange little tunes in their xylophone band.

And I asked old Jack, 'Do you remember the night, When the sky was so dark, and the moon shone so bright?

(MORE)

SANTA (V.O.) (CONT'D)

'When a million small children pretending to sleep Nearly didn't have Christmas at all, so to speak?

'And would, if you could, turn that mighty clock back To that long fateful night? Now, think carefully, Jack.

'Would you do the whole thing all over again? Knowing what you know now, knowing what you knew then?'

And he smiled like the old Pumpkin King that I knew, Then turned, and asked softly of me... 'Wouldn't you?'