Cool Hand Luke Page #17

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LOUDMOUTH STEVE:

...fried clams, pizza, chocolate,

malted milkshakes.

SOCIETY RED:

(yoyoing)

...and a Brown Bomber.

DRAGLINE:

(yoyoing)

Shut your mouth. He's out there doin'

it for all of us.

OMITTED:

INT. BARRACKS (DAY)

It is Saturday afternoon. Carr is distributing mail and

packages, the men clustered around; others lying on bunks,

making wallets, etc.

CARR:

Magazines for you, Dragline!

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

Dragline sits up from his bunk, astonished.

DRAGLINE:

Magazines? Who's sendin' me magazines?

He looks at the package. Carr has tossed on his bunk.

DRAGLINE:

From mah uncle? Ah never heard from

him in eight years and now he's

sendin' me magazines. He musta gone

crazy.

He has torn open the package, looks through the magazines,

which are movie fan books, lies back to flip the pages. In

b.g. Carr is continuing the mail call. Suddenly Dragline's

eyes widen, his mouth opens, but he catches himself and closes

it before he has revealed himself.

INSERT THE PICTURE

It is taped to page in the magazine. It shows Luke in a suit

and tie, holding up four aces and a joker in one hand, arms

around two buxom over-made strippers. On the table in front

of them is a giant bottle of champagne and glasses. Scrawled

across it is something in Luke's writing.

ANGLE DRAGLINE KOKO SOCIETY RED OTHERS

Seeing Dragline's reaction, they have gathered around.

DRAGLINE:

Looka that! Two of them. Oh my...

KOKO:

I'm dyin'. I'm dyin'.

Dragline suddenly realizes the danger and closes the book so

Carr and the Wicker Man don't catch on. The others reluctantly

move away. Dragline casually hands the magazine to Society

Red.

DRAGLINE:

(whispering)

What's the writing say?

SOCIETY RED:

(opening to the

picture, reading)

Dear Boys. Playing it cool. Wish you

were here. Love, Cool Hand Luke.

DRAGLINE:

Oh my. Oh my... Give it back here!

Red surrenders the magazine. Dragline opens it again and a

look of pure bliss settles over his face.

KOKO:

Lemme see it!

DRAGLINE:

(violently)

Get away!

He looks over at Carr but Carr has moved away, is talking to

the Wicker Man, his back to the men. Koko, Loudmouth Steve,

Gambler and the others hurriedly cluster around Dragline.

Their voices are eager intense whispers.

KOKO:

Lookit the brunette...

BLIND DICK:

The blonde's gotta better set.

GAMBLER:

Some legs.

LOUDMOUTH STEVE:

They must be six feet tall.

TATTOO:

...And the champagne.

SOCIETY RED:

(from his bunk)

Domestic.

TRAMP:

Wonder how he got the dough.

ALIBI:

He's probably a salesman. You can

make pretty good money if you know

what your doing in selling.

GAMBLER:

A salesman! Cool Hand Luke a salesman?

BLIND DICK:

He's probably a gigolo.

MECHANIC:

Or a con artist.

LOUDMOUTH STEVE:

The head of the rackets.

KOKO:

(reverently)

Oh lookit that brunette.

DRAGLINE:

Mah baby! We're diggin' and dyin'

but our boy Luke is lovin' and flyin'.

They all gaze at the picture with loving, dreamy, painful

rapture.

OMITTED:

INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT)

Blackass time, dull, sad, boring. Koko sits idly flicking

cards from the poker deck, men staring into space. The cards

sail by Society Red who is clipping his nails.

SOCIETY RED:

Stop that.

KOKO:

How about you tryin' to make me?

SOCIETY RED:

Oh for...

They slowly subside.

KOKO:

Dragline, lemme look at the picture.

DRAGLINE:

(feigned innocence)

What for?

LOUDMOUTH STEVE:

Yeah, Drag. Get it out for a look.

DRAGLINE:

You're just a kid. Whatta you know

about it? You don't wanna see that

dirty picture. Luke and those broads

an' all that booze.

KOKO:

Come on, Drag. Lemme take a look.

DRAGLINE:

It'd go to your coconut head. You'd

start getting ideas. Maybe even pass

right out.

BLIND DICK:

Dragline! Be a buddy!

DRAGLINE:

How much you figure it's worth, a

peek at this here picture? A quick

look, I'm not talkin' about no

memorizin' job.

KOKO:

A cold drink.

DRAGLINE:

A cold drink? You mean one cold drink?

To feast yore starvin' fishy l'il

eyes on The Picture? A true vision

of Paradise itself? With two of the

angels right there in plain sight a-

friskin' round with mah boy?

KOKO:

A cold drink? Okay?

DRAGLINE:

Well --- okay. It's a deal. One cold

drink, if'n you please. In advance.

One chilly bottle right here in mah

hot l'il hand... That goes for the

rest of you mullet-heads, too.

Activity as the men dig out coins to purchase drinks. Dragline

pulls out the magazine and the men all gather round, gazing

into it as though it were a crystal ball. Suddenly the wicker

door slams open and as the men look up...

THEIR P.O.V.

Luke is dumped to the floor, face down, unconscious, by Boss

Paul, Boss Kean, others. The Captain is standing there over

him. Luke wears a new prison uniform and two sets of chains.

CAPTAIN:

(to Luke)

You run one time, you got yourself a

set of chains. You run twice, you

got two sets. You ain't gonna need

no third set because you're gonna

get your mind right... And I mean

right.

He looks at the men who are stunned by the juxtaposition of

their hero in The Picture and the reality of the unconscious

figure before them.

CAPTAIN:

Take a good look at your Cool Hand

Luke.

With his foot he prods Luke over onto his back.

CLOSE ON LUKE:

As he rolls over we can see he has been badly beaten.

OMITTED:

NEW ANGLE THE MEN

As the Captain turns and walks out past the guards who follow,

and the wicket chute CLANGS shut, Dragline, Koko and others

move forward and gently lift Luke onto the poker table.

DRAGLINE:

Oh mah poor baby. They done you real

good... I don't know if you gonna

have them gals chasin' after you for

a while...

CLOSE ON LUKE:

lying, eyes closed.

SOCIETY RED'S VOICE

I've got some aspirin.

KOKO'S VOICE

They half killed him.

ALIBI'S VOICE

He should have a doctor.

DRAGLINE'S VOICE

Don't you never learn nuthin'? They

ain't gonna let no doctor see what

they dont to him...

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE, OTHERS

Dragline looks up at Carr who stands hovering above them.

DRAGLINE:

Carr, kin we use your razor to clean

up where they cut his head?

Carr moves off to his canteen area.

CLOSE ON LUKE:

as Blind Dick, Gambler, others move in...

GAMBLER:

How you feelin', buddy?

TRAMP:

He don't hear.

TATTOO:

Somebody get him something to drink.

SOCIETY RED:

Here.

Gently he tucks two aspirin tablets into Luke's mouth, holds

a cup of water to Luke's mouth. Luke's eyes slowly open, he

drinks the water.

DRAGLINE:

That's my baby.

KOKO:

He's gonna be awright.

NEW ANGLE ON MEN

as Carr moves in with a razor, bandage, etc. The men clear

to give him room.

KOKO:

Luke?... We got the picture! See?

He holds it up.

CLOSE ON LUKE:

His eyes squint open, close.

BLIND DICK'S VOICE

A pair of beauties. Best I ever seen.

TATTOO'S VOICE

You really know how to pick 'em.

LOUDMOUTH STEVE'S VOICE

Tell us about 'em. What were they

like?

CLOSE ON LUKE:

as his lips open. He speaks slowly, painfully.

LUKE:

Picture's a phoney... Cost me a week's

pay.

NEW ANGLE THE MEN

KOKO:

A phoney? Whatta you mean, a phoney?

GAMBLER:

We saw the broads.

BLIND DICK:

Yeah. Did you have them both at once

or --

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