Cool Hand Luke Page #15

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CLOSE SHOT DOGBOY

plodding along, exhausted, yanking at the dogs as they pull

in different directions.

DOGBOY:

Come on, Rudolph, Austin, you no

good buncha chicken-eaters, we're

lookin' for a man. We got us a job

to do.

EXT. BUSH BY FENCE (NEAR RAILROAD TRACKS) (DAY)

Luke carefully slips through the barbs, runs a few yards,

slips back through again, runs a few yards, returns to the

other side.

EXT. BUSH BY FENCE (NEAR RAILROAD TRACKS) DAY (LATER)

Dogboy with his pack and the Officer. In b.g. Blue is HOWLING,

the dogs are BAYING frantically. It is with trouble that

Dogboy and the Officer get through the fence, pulled by the

eager dogs. Then they must cross it again.

OFFICER:

Your dogs are crazy.

DOGBOY:

He keeps criss-crossin'. He's

smarter'n a dog. But he ain't got us

boxed yet... Blue'll get him.

OMITTED:

EXT. RAILROAD BRIDGE DAY

A trestle built of creosoted timber. The dogs reach it, break

up into a milling, confused mass. Dogboy wrestles them out

of the trestle. In b.g. as always, Blue's plaintive BAYING.

ANGLE ON BRIDGE:

as Dogboy fights the dogs to get them across.

ANGLE ON FAR SIDE OF BRIDGE

as Dogboy hauls at the dogs who are pulling in different

directions.

CLOSE SHOT DOGBOY

exhausted, disappointed, looking around, puzzled.

NEW ANGLE:

The dogs are confused, seem to mill around aimlessly.

DOGBOY:

(almost in tears)

Dammit.

(calling)

Blue! Blue!

No answer.

EXT. FARMLAND ORCHARD TRACKING SHOT OF LUKE

running through the thick overhead cover. It is like a jungle.

PULLING UP SLOWLY to HELICOPTER SHOT, we SEE that the cover

is only a small patch of foliage and on the other side is a

huge panorama of rolling, empty moor-like country in which,

after a moment, Luke enters, a tiny figure, running free.

EXT. CAMP (LATE AFTERNOON)

The men are coming out of the mess hall, washing their spoons,

about to line up for inspection. A Highway Patrol car pulls

up outside the gate; from the back seat comes the yipping of

dogs. Every head turns. The Captain moves from his rocker

and starts down the porch. Boss Paul and Godfrey move toward

the car.

CLOSE ON PATROL CAR (LATE AFTERNOON)

as the Officer (seen at the railroad station) gets out and

opens the front door. He nudges a sleeping, grizzled figure

who emerges. It is Dogboy. The back door is opened and Rudolph

and the other small dogs leap out, cavorting, glad to be

home. Then the Officer and Dogboy go to the trunk. The Officer

opens it. Dogboy reaches in and carries out -- the body of

Big Blue. Staggering with fatigue, tears in his eyes, Dogboy

stumbles up to the Captain.

DOGBOY:

Look, Cap'n. Look what he done to

Blue. He's dead, Cap'n. Dead! Run

hisself plumb to death. That crazy

sadis Cool Hand Luke run her 'til

her heart bust.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE KOKO

DRAGLINE:

He made it.

EXT. BARRACKS (NIGHT)

CARR'S VOICE

Forty-eight, Boss. One in the box

and one in the bush.

EXT. ROAD

The Bull Gang is working at the bottom of a high embankment

and the guards stand on the road high above their heads,

looking down, shotguns out now, alert. The men work away at

a rackety pace.

EXT. GODFREY'S EYES (DAY)

as he turns at the SOUND of a distant motor approaching and

the image of a car coming closer enlarges in his glasses.

EXT. ROAD

The car pulls up beside the guards and the door opens. The

Captain steps up to the road edge and looks down. He says

something to Boss Paul.

BOSS PAUL:

Awright, hold it!

The men stop working, puzzled, looking up. Then from the car

a guard escorts Luke to the edge of the pavement. Luke grins

down at the men sheepishly. His prison uniform is filthy and

torn, his hands are cuffed behind his back, his face is dirty

and stubbled.

EXT. ROAD PAN REACTIONS OF MEN

They are stunned, saddened.

ANGLE ON LUKE, CAPTAIN, GUARDS

Behind Luke are Godfrey, Paul, Bosses Six and Seven and the

Captain. Kean and Shorty flank the gang. The guns are held

levelled at the men. One guard uncuffs Luke's hands; others

produce a sledge hammer, ballpeen hammer and a set of leg

irons from the Captain's car. Two guards kneel before Luke

and begin hammering on the irons. Silence except for the

HAMMERING AND CLINKING. Luke is silhouetted, a tall, straight

figure on the low horizon. The Captain looks directly ahead.

CAPTAIN:

(to Luke)

You gonna get used to wearing them

chains aftera while, Luke. But don't

you never stop listenin' to them

clinkin'. That's gonna remind you of

what I been sayin'.

LUKE:

Yeah, they sure do make a lot of

cold, hard, noise, Captain.

The Captain feeds his fury staring, then reaches out his

hand and Boss Paul lays the blackjack in it. As the chain

guards finish and stand up, trembling with rage, the Captain

takes a convulsive step forward and brings the sap down behind

Luke's ear. As Luke tumbles down the littered embankment

toward the men:

CAPTAIN:

Don't you never talk that way to me!

You hear? You hear? Never!

His rage subsides and his voice becomes calm, reasonable.

CAPTAIN:

(to the men)

What we got here is a failure to

communicate. Some men you can't reach,

that is they just don't listen when

you talk reasonable so you get what

we had here last week, which is the

way he wants it, well he gets it,

and I don't like it any better than

you men.

Nodding curtly, the Captain gets back in his car. Someone

throws a shovel down the embankment. It CLATTERS until it

lands beside Luke. Dragline and the others are by his side,

helping him to his feet. Above Godfrey stares down at them.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE, LUKE AND OTHERS

DRAGLINE:

Awright, buddy. You be awright. You

give 'em a run for their money. Jus'

take it slow and easy, baby. You

gonna make it fine.

As Luke tries to get his bearings, someone thrusts the shovel

into his hands and they get him going like a rusty piece of

machinery.

DRAGLINE:

Come on, buddy. Show 'em you're

awright.

Luke seems to nod and begins to work slowly. The others back

away, glancing fearfully at the guards, go back to work,

quiet and sullen.

ANGLE ON LUKE:

He is working with great difficulty, stiff, tired, aching.

BOSS KEAN'S VOICE

Awright, let's eat them beans.

Luke stumbles gratefully toward the chowline.

ON THE CHOWLINE:

Dogboy dishing it out to Luke. Dogboy is gleeful, gloating.

DOGBOY:

I knew they'd git you. With them

chains an a bonus of a coupla years,

you runnin' days is over forever.

Ah'd like to see you try to run agin.

You gettin' so you smell so bad, I

could track you myself.

LUKE:

For a natural born son of a b*tch

like you, that oughta be easy.

NEW ANGLE THE MEN

as Luke settles down with his beans, the others find spots

around him so he is the focus of the group. We SEE Tattoo in

chains, forlorn. Luke wolfs his food hungrily.

DRAGLINE:

Jus' take it slow, buddy.

KOKO:

(unable to restrain

himself)

What happened? How far did you get?

DRAGLINE:

Shut up. Let him eat. Don't pay them

no mind, boy.

TATTOO:

(urgently)

I gotta know -- How... how'd they

get you?

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