A Guy Named Joe Page #9

You sound like I had

The measles or something.

You don't get over

A thing like this.

You die from it.

That's not the gal

I know, honey.

Too many things

To remember, al.

You find you've gone over all the

Big things a million times or more,

And then you begin to think

Of the little things,

Like the time he got

To talking to me

And stepped off

Into a puddle

And I laughed,

And he got mad.

And then we forgot

All about it,

Until out of nowhere

At all,

That little stumble comes

To live with me again.

Remember the time

In the machine shop-

Yeah, I guess I know

What you mean, honey.

I remember he used to be always

Running out of cigarettes,

Bumming them from me,

And I'd say,

"Pete, why don't you

Buy some.

I'm never gonna save a

Dime till I get rid of you."

Well, I got rid

Of him, all right,

And I haven't saved

A dime yet.

This is just plain

Darned foolishness,

Sitting around here

Moaning like this.

Look. I'm meeting

A new bunch of boys

From the states

Tonight.

Why don't you come over

To the officer's

Club with us

And break

A bottle open?

No, thanks, al.

I'd much rather

Stay here.

You'd rather

Stay here, huh?

Yeah.

And moan?

Well,

That's my business.

That's right, sure. That's

Your business, all right.

But if you're gonna sit

And grieve

All the rest

Of your life,

Why don't you

Do it right?

Why don't you get

A room

And lock yourself up

In it,

And wear black

Silk dresses?

And put a little white

Handkerchief over your head

And a pasty look

On your face?

I knew a woman

Back home did that.

She got just what

She wanted, too.

Folks felt sorry for her

For 30 years.

That's not nice, al.

All right, so it ain't

Nice. But it's the truth.

You think you're the only guy

That ever got a kick in the teeth?

You're not.

It's happening every day,

And it's gonna keep right on

Happening till this thing's over.

You can feel sorry

For yourself,

Or you can come out with me

And see how nice people are

When they're alive.

Al, I like you better than

Anybody on earth, I guess,

And I know you're

Trying to help me,

But this is

Just something

I've got to work out

In my own way.

Look, honey.

You see this guy?

That's Pete sandidge,

The best friend I ever had or ever will.

He's the greatest guy

In the world,

And I miss him more

Than anybody ever

Missed a guy before.

But he's dead,

And I'm alive.

I'm gonna put him

Right where he belongs.

No, al!

Right there.

I gotta go out

To the field, honey.

I'll be back here

In half an hour.

Now, you get yourself

All prettied up,

'Cause it's gonna be

Our night to howl.

Come on, smile.

Aw, you feel better,

Maybe?

Just a little bit?

Oh, al. You're-

You're great!

You tell that

To all the guys.

I know you.

Now you got just 29

And a quarter minutes.

O.k. O.k., boss!

Al!

Al yackey,

Why you broken down...

Look at those chickens.

So you're

A ground officer, huh?

Look at him, a colonel,

Fat and sassy.

The seat of his pants

Shines better

Than his boots, too.

How are you,

Captain robertson?

Welcome to new guinea.

Did you have a good trip?

Smooth as silk. I brought a great

Bunch of pilots for you, too.

Colonel yackey, this is lieutenant

Rourke and lieutenant randall.

What are you, colonel?

The official greeter

For the chamber of commerce?

Randall? That's kind

Of funny.

I thought for a minute

You and I'd met up

Before someplace.

No, sir.

Lieutenant ridley, this

Is captain robertson,

Lieutenants randall

And rourke.

Aren't you afraid to go

Around without a parachute?

You might fall into a spittoon

In your office.

Lieutenant ridley'll show

You fellas to your quarters.

In case you'd like

To have a drink,

Come over to

The officer's club.

Oh, sounds like

A fine idea.

I'm gonna be with the

Prettiest gal in all new guinea,

That is, if you guys are

Interested in pretty gals.

We'd be delighted,

Sir.

That's swell.

That's good.

Well, listen to that.

That big lug talking

About dames and-

I can't believe it.

A colonel.

I'd have been a 3-star-

I'd have been

A 4-star general.

So don't sit

Under the apple tree

With anyone else but me

Till I come marching home

Ginger beer.

Same.

I don't mind al

Being a colonel,

But when I saw that star

On nails' shoulder,

That finished me.

Don't they have any privates

In this war?

Oh, yeah, drinking

Ginger beer,

Laying off the liquor.

He'll be a captain

Before long.

He's my man.

Here. You nibble on these

While I'm gone.

Dorinda!

Hey, girl,

It's me, Pete.

Dorinda, you gotta

Listen to me, I...

Now, look, Dorinda. I

Can take a lot, you know,

And I have.

Seeing al and nails

Was bad enough,

But-but I guess

This is the moment

I've been afraid of

All along.

I wondered how I'd feel

And how you would look.

And you look good enough

To eat, Dorinda.

You look pretty

As a picture.

I think I'll just

Stay here a minute.

You still

The same girl?

You know, Dorinda,

Some people seem prettier

When you dream about them

Than they really are.

But a funny thing

About you-

You're even prettier

Than the dream.

Still my girl?

Sure you are.

Sure you are, and you

Always will be, won't you?

You know a funny thing,

Dorinda?

I haven't forgotten

One little thing

That ever happened

Between us.

I remember how you

Used to burn up

When I'd ball you out

About how you

Ham-handled a ship.

I remember how you used

To hop out of a ship, too.

Always with

A grease spot

On your nose,

Right there.

But I'll never forget

The day we met in london.

You were riding on top of

The bus, and it was raining.

The rain was on your

Face like on a flower.

You weren't any too friendly, either.

So when I busted up

To you and said...

I beg your pardon.

I don't want to intrude,

But you look exactly

Like a sister of mine.

Well, that's a strange

Coincidence, isn't it?

Oh, an amazing one.

Because I bear a resemblance

To my own sister, too.

Do you mind

If I sit down?

No, not at all.

My name is ted randall.

Lieutenant randall, huh?

That's right.

I'm Dorinda durston,

Ferry service.

I'm glad to know you,

Dorinda durston.

I admire the women's

Ferrying service.

I've always thought it had

Such tremendous possibilities.

I hope you won't

Be disappointed-

Oh, I'm sure I won't be.

Incidentally, I've only

Known you 2 minutes,

And already I owe you

An apology.

Really?

Yes. I'm here under

False pretenses.

Why, lieutenant!

It's true.

I have no sister.

I felt sure you hadn't.

Neither have I.

How did you know?

Well, it seems that

Somewhere a long time ago,

That line was used before.

Listen to this drivel.

That's the trouble

With these kids.

You teach them something, and

They don't know how to handle it.

No judgment of women.

Oh, colonel yackey.

Good evening, sir.

Hello, randall.

Here you are, honey.

I see you've met

The lieutenant.

Yes, I've met

Lieutenant randall.

He says I remind him

Of his sisters.

She's wise to him.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes