A Hard Day's Night Page #9

JOHN:

Is that yours?

SHAKE:

For Ringo.

He dumps it in Ringo's arms who staggers into an armchair.

The BOYS send him up.

JOHN:

That must have cost you a fortune in

stamps, Ringo.

GEORGE:

He comes from a large family.

RINGO:

(dumping the letters)

Well.

RINGO opens his letter and reads it. It contains a large

embossed card.

RINGO:

Eh, what's Boyd's Club?

The lads gather round him and PAUL takes the card from him

and reads.

PAUL:

"The Management of Boyd's takes

pleasure in requesting the company

of Mr. Richard Starkey, that's you,

in their recently refinished gaming

rooms. Chemin de Fer. Baccarat,

Roulette, and Champagne Buffet."

Blimey!

RINGO:

(surprised)

And they want me?

JOHN:

Oh, it's got round that you're a

heavy punter.

NORM:

(snatching the card)

Well you're not going.

RINGO:

Ah.

GRANDFATHER:

(taking card from

Norm)

Quite right, invites to gambling

dens full of easy money and fast

women, chicken sandwiches and cornets

of caviar, disgusting!

He pockets the card himself.

RINGO:

That's mine.

NORM:

Have done, and you lot get your pens

out.

BOYS:

Why?

NORM:

It's homework time for all you college

puddings. I want this lot

(he indicates the fan

letters)

all answered tonight.

The BOYS all protest.

NORM:

I'll brook no denial!

JOHN:

It's all right for you, you couldn't

get a pen in your foot, you swine.

NORM:

Come on, Shake, we'll leave 'em to

their penmanship.

He goes followed by SHAKE.

There is a pause and JOHN deliberately rises slowly and

crosses to his coat. He puts it on and walks to the door.

JOHN:

While the swine's away the piglets

can play. Well, come on, what are we

waiting for?

With a whoop PAUL, GEORGE and RINGO collect their coats and

head for the door.

GRANDFATHER:

What about all these letters?

BOYS:

Read 'em!

They disappear. After a moment GRANDFATHER takes out Ringo's

card.

C.U. GRANDFATHER

GRANDFATHER:

And a free champagne buffet.

He grins to himself. At this moment a WAITER enters with a

tray. He is clad in tails and GRANDFATHER eyes them longingly,

measuring himself the while alongside the startled waiter.

He leaves us with no doubt in our minds what he wants, i.e.,

the waiter's suit.

INTERIOR DANCING CLUB NIGHT

The club is the latest in modern decor and full of teenagers

all enjoying themselves. The CAMERA wanders around the club

till it finally picks out JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE and RINGO all

crowded around one small table. The music is blaring away

from a juke box and the BOYS join the dancers. They are

recognised and given smiles and nods of encouragement by all

the other customers. During this scene we

CUT AWAY:

INTERIOR BOYD'S CLUB NIGHT

The whole atmosphere is of quiet elegance and loud wealth.

Around the baccarat table the rich, bored customers sit barely

moving a face muscle as they languidly murmur "suivez" and

"banco" to the dealer as he operates the shoe. The manager

of the club is beaming with satisfaction as he surveys his

customers. One of these customers is clad in evening dress

and he has his back to us. The rest of the players (male)

are in suits. By each of them is standing a lush lady with a

bored sophisticated face that looks as if it has been painted

on. From the REVERSE of the LAST SHOT we now see the solitary

evening dress player is GRANDFATHER. He looks around him and

wipes off his look of enjoyment and elaborately out-bores

everyone in the room.

DEALER:

Alors, M'sieur?

GRANDFATHER:

(nonchalant)

Souflée.

He turns to the buxom BLONDE, who is dripping over him.

GRANDFATHER:

I bet you're a great swimmer. My

turn? Bingo!

CROUPIER:

Pas "Bingo," M'sieur... Banco.

GRANDFATHER:

(taking)

I'll take the little darlings anyway.

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