The somber film"s screenplay (by Robert E.Sherwood and Joan Harrison) was based on a literal ranslation of Daphne du Maurier"s 1938 gothic novel of the same name, in the tradition of Charlotte Bronte"sJane Eyre..."), she slaps Geoff hard across the face.She bolts from the table - he follows after her and calls her a "little fool." He advises her to bury her emotionalism and o conceal the pain stemming from Joe"s death that occurred twenty minutes earlier:And all the weeping and wailing in the world won"t make him any deader 20 years from now..."), she offers him the white carnation from her lapel, and puts it in his buttonhole.A fast-talking, authoritative married executive Jeff D.Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray, cast against type), the Director of Personnel, has an executive suite for an office, and immediately flatters Baxter: "Been hearing some nice things about you.] Milo"s identity was deliberately being kept secret, because if it was known, "it would be regarded as a great threat to mankind.Absolutely, sir.Yeah, I"ve learned my lesson.I can honestly say that I"m a changed man.I"m no longer a danger o society.That"s the God"s honest truth.A mechanical stamp marks "REJECTED" in red ink on his parole records.[Note: The picture in his parole document is that of Morgan Freeman"s own son, Alfonso.] In the prison"s exercise yard following the "same ol" s--t" review, Red begins his ubiquitous voice-over narration (of his recollections) - a world-weary, resonant voice-over that continues for the remainder of the film.