Page One: “High Noon” (1952)

Screenplay by Carl Foreman, based on the magazine story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham

A trailer for the movie.

I always get a kick out of reader responses whenever I post an old script like this with the THICK BLOCKS of scene description. Here are some of the reactions to Page One of High Noon.

Suffice to say, the contemporary approach to screenwriting is not reflected in how Carl Foreman wrote High Noon. Today, it’s about short paragraphs of scene description, generally no more than three lines long. Not a rule, but an increasingly popular practice nowadays.

You may read the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.