A Hard Day's Night Page #12

FRANK:

Ah... a shamus, eh?

JOHN:

I see you go to the night court.

FRANK:

I've made the scene.

JOHN:

Well, remember, its Leathery Magee

up ahead in that convertible, so

cover me in the stake-out.

GEORGE:

I don't think that bit's right.

JOHN:

What do you expect from an ad lib...

Raymond Chandler?

EXTERIOR STREET:

As the big car overtakes a Company Director's Rolls. JOHN

lowers his window and the boys let out an imaginary hail of

bullets at the Executive in the back. He reacts violently

and starts to shout at them.

As he does so, he presses the button of his window, so that

we hear only part of it. But what we do is unpleasant. He

immediately presses the button and the window rises.

RINGO and PAUL jump out of the car. RINGO takes two drumsticks

from his coat pocket and, using them as banderillas, inserts

them with style into the radiator grill (V.O. "Ole" from the

BOYS). PAUL, then, using his coat as a matador's cloak, does

a butterfly pass at the car which has just started up,

narrowly missing him, but he keeps in the matador position.

INTERIOR CAR:

NORM:

Will you all stop it, you're like a

gang of school kids. I knew this was

going to happen one day.

JOHN:

(as Ringo and Paul

climb in)

Well, you shouldn't have had bacon

for your breakfast, you cannibal.

FRANK:

(to Norm)

We're nearly there, sir.

JOHN:

Eh... don't call him sir, he's got

enough delusions of power as it is.

CLOSE SHOT of a long suffering NORM.

NORM:

And I was happy in the bakery. I'll

never know why I left.

EXTERIOR OF AN OLD VICTORIAN MUSIC HALL THEATRE

Which has been converted to the T.V. studios.

There are a few groups of GIRL FANS standing outside the

front of the theatre, but against the kerb of the pavement

is a night-watchman's canvas hut and brazier.

The car approaches.

INTERIOR OF THE CAR

NORM:

Get ready John, open the door and as

it draws up, out you go and straight

in.

JOHN nods and opens the door. The FANS start to swarm 'round

them. To escape, the BOYS dash into the night-watchman's

canvas hut, pick it up and run with it to the stage door,

revealing the night-watchman, staring in astonishment.

At the door the BOYS put the hut down and enter the theatre.

INTERIOR STAGE DOOR ENTRANCE

As the BOYS enter, two P.R.O. men in dark suits, stiff white

collars and old school ties step forward and smile menacingly.

FIRST P.R.O. MAN

(menacingly)

Press conference, they're waiting

for you.

NORM:

(jovially)

Give us a couple of shakes to get

our breath.

FIRST P.R.O. MAN

(more menacingly)

They're waiting now!

And without more ado they grab an arm each and march the

protesting NORM towards the stairs that lead to the dress

circle.

PAUL:

Eh this lot means it. They're even

taking hostages.

The BOYS, SHAKE and GRANDFATHER rush after the rapidly

disappearing NORM, who by now is half way up the stairs.

INTERIOR OF DRESS CIRCLE LOUNGE BALLROOM

It is empty except for two barmaids poised ready to serve,

standing behind trestle tables full of drinks and sandwiches.

The dark suited MEN enter with NORM and close behind them

follow GRANDFATHER, SHAKE and the boys. The group arrives at

the centre of the lounge and have time to look about and see

the food but before they can get to it, from all directions

NEWSPAPERMEN and PHOTOGRAPHERS converge upon them.

Now begins an elaborate tug-of-war between various

PHOTOGRAPHERS using their flash attachments and REPORTERS to

capture a Beatle and in the midst of this running battle a

man with a portable recorder is trying to interview them.

Together and singly the BOYS are pushed about the room and

while this goes on a hard core of NEWSPAPERMEN are busily

devouring sandwiches and pouring themselves drinks, to the

annoyance of the BARMAIDS.

Every time one of the BOYS attempts to get a sandwich or a

drink, it is either too late, the plate is empty, or they

are intercepted. The single and constant thing we see in the

scene is the pushing and pulling, heavy impersonal handling,

the boys are just things to be placed like still life in one

advantageous position after another.

During the scene these individual exchanges take place:

SOUND REPORTER:

What's your philosophy of life?

JOHN:

I'm torn between Zen and I'm all

right, Jack.

REPORTER:

Has success changed your life?

RINGO:

Yes.

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