ANDY

It's funny. On the outside, I was an honest man. Straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook.

EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DUSK (1965)

RED

Does it ever bother you?

ANDY

I don't run the scams, Red, I just process the profits. That's a fine line, maybe. But I've also built that library, and used it to help a dozen guys get their high school diplomas. Why do you think the warden lets me do all that?

RED

To keep you happy and doing the laundry. Money instead of sheets.

ANDY

I work cheap. That's the trade-off.

TWO SIREN BLASTS draw their attention to the main gate. It swings open, revealing a prison bus waiting outside.

INT -- PRISON BUS -- DUSK (1965)

Among those on board is TOMMY WILLIAMS, a damn good-looking kid in his mid-20's. The bus RUMBLES through the gate.

EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DUSK (1965)

The new fish disembark, chained together single-file. The old-timers holler and shake the fence. A deafening gauntlet.

INT -- CELLBLOCK EIGHT -- NIGHT (1965)

Tommy and the others are marched in naked and shivering, covered with delousing powder, greeted by TAUNTS and JEERS.

INT -- TOMMY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1965)

The bars slam with a STEEL CLANG. Tommy and his new CELLMATE take in their new surroundings.

TOMMY

Well. Ain't this for shit?

INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- DAY (1965)

DOLLYING Tommy as he struts along, combing his ducktail, cigarette behind his ear. (We definitely need The Coasters or Del Vikings on the soundtrack here. Maybe Jerry Lee Lewis.)

RED (V.O.)

Tommy Williams came to Shawshank in 1965 on a two year stretch for B&E. Cops caught him sneakin' TV sets out the back door of a JC Penney.

INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1965)

A SHRIEKING BUZZSAW slices ten-foot lengths of wood. Red runs the machine while some other OLD-TIMERS feed the wood.

RED (V.O.)

Young punk, Mr. Rock n' Roll, cocky as hell…

Tommy is hauling the cut wood off the conveyor and stacking it, It's a ball-busting job, but the kid's a blur.

TOMMY

(slapping his gloves)

C'mon there, old boys! Movin' like molasses! Makin' me look bad!

The old guys just grin and shake their heads.

RED (V.O.)

We liked him immediately.

INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1965)

Tommy regales the old boys with his exploits:

TOMMY

…so I'm backin' out the door, right? Had the TV like this…

(mimes his grip)

Big ol' thing. Couldn't see shit. Suddenly, here's this voice: Freeze kid! Hands in the air! Well I just stand there holdin' on to that TV, so the voice says: "You hear what I said, boy?" And I say, Yes sir, I sure did! But if I drop this fuckin' thing, you got me on destruction of property too!

The whole table falls about laughing.

INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965)

Poker game in progress. Tommy, Andy, Red and the boys.

HEYWOOD

You did a stretch in Cashman too?