The Postman Always Rings Twice

Act One

Frank Chambers brushes hay from his clothes. A truck driver approaches him, angry that not only has Frank hitched a ride on his truck, but that he also kicked three hay bales from the bed--money that comes from the driver’s pocket. The driver punches and kicks Frank, leaving him battered by the side of the road. Frank hikes down the road until he reaches Twin Oaks Tavern, a roadside diner and filling station owned by Nick Papadakis, a friendly Greek immigrant with a lovely young wife named Cora. Seeing that Frank is down on his luck, and learning that he is good with mechanics, Nick offers the drifter a job working at the filling station. While he is hesitant at first, Frank takes the job.

Later that day, Frank has his first conversation with Cora. She is harsh towards him, affirming that she is white, from Iowa, and a former beauty queen. Following their contentious conversation, Frank is infatuated with her while she is outright hostile towards him, especially in front of