Cool Hand Luke Page #7

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NEW ANGLE ON MEN

GAMBLER:

Gettin' up, Carr.

FULL SHOT BARRACKS

as Carr paces, SQUEEGEEING. The fan CREAKS. Springs SQUEAK.

CARR:

Yeahhpp.

Gambler gets up, chains JANGLING.

NEW ANGLE ON MEN

uncomfortable, tense, shifting.

LOUDMOUTH STEVE:

Giddyap, Carr.

NEW ANGLE ON MEN

CARR'S VOICE (O.S.)

Yeahhpp.

NEW ANGLE ON MEN

Tramp turns, irritated, as Carr SQUEEGEES by.

TRAMP:

How can you sleep with that damn

squeaking!

FULL SHOT BARRACKS

Carr pacing. SQUEEGEEING, the fan CREAKING, springs SQUEAKING.

DYNAMITE'S VOICE

Gettin' up, Carr.

CARR:

Yeahhp.

Dynamite gets up, chains JANGLING.

ON FAN:

It is turning slowly, CREAKING, CREAKING, CREAKING. And now

on the SOUNDTRACK we HEAR low at first, but steadily building,

the tinny SOUND of the Blonde Girl's radio.

ANGLE ON MEN:

tense, annoyed, frustrated as the SOUND of the RADIO GROWS,

joining the CREAKING, SQUEAKING and SQUEEGEEING.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

as Carr passes by. He speaks in a low whisper.

DRAGLINE:

Man, that lil Lucille was a lot of

lil girl.

OMITTED:

ANGLE ON MEN:

some turning away, not wanting to be reminded, some staring

ahead unhappily, thinking the same thing.

DRAGLINE'S VOICE (O.S.)

You see how she was jus' poppin'

outa the top of that dress.

ANGLE ON KOKO:

irritated, anxious.

KOKO:

Aw, come on, Drag.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

not paying attention.

DRAGLINE:

And down below, that thing didn't

reach no higher than...

(chuckles)

She liable to catch cold... runnin'

around like that.

ANGLE ON MEN:

irritated by Dragline's voice and the SQUEEGEEING and the

SQUEAKING and CREAKING and the RADIO SOUND, tinny and grating,

growing in volume.

DRAGLINE'S VOICE

...And that thing was so tight 'cross

her bottom... made me wanna just

reach out my hands and...

ANGLE ON LUKE:

LUKE:

Forget it, man.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

suddenly angry.

DRAGLINE:

Whatta you mean, forget it?

ANGLE ON LUKE:

LUKE:

Stop beatin', man. You ain't doin'

nobody no good.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

his face corroding in fury as the RADIO SOUND and the

CREAKING, SQUEAKING and SQUEEGEEING are at an unbearable

peak.

DRAGLINE:

(with slow menace)

Boy, you better get some sleep and

save your strength. 'Cause you're

gonna need it.

OMITTED:

ANGLE ON FAN CLOSE

As the SOUNDS threaten to burst our ears with their high-

pitched tension, the CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY into the hub of the

fan and our nerves scream for relief.

OMITTED:

EXT. BARRACKS CLOSE ON LUKE AS GLOVE SMASHES INTO HIS FACE

(DAY)

and Luke falls back into the dirt. He's hurt, startled, but

grins. We HEAR a CHEER from the men O.S., as he gets up. He

is stripped to the waist, wears huge 16 oz. boxing gloves.

FULLER ANGLE:

showing Dragline similarly dressed. They are squared off in

the yard, surrounded by YELLING men who want blood. It is a

release from the sexual tension built up by the night before.

The guards stand in the guard boxes, watching. The Captain

sits up on his porch, so he can see without being too obvious.

Luke gets up and manages a lunging right across to Dragline's

Adam's apple. Dragline is momentarily staggered but counters

with a terrible clubbing blow that mashes Luke's gloves into

his face, knocking him to the ground. Time is called for the

round.

LUKE AND OTHERS BEHIND HIM

as he gets to his feet.

TRAMP:

Why don't you just stay there? He's

only gonna knock you down agin.

ALIBI:

It's not your fault. He's just too

big.

SOCIETY RED:

Let him hit you in the nose, get

some blood flowing. Maybe they'll

stop it before he kills you.

LUKE:

(shaking his head,

grinning)

I don't want to frighten him.

The second round is called and Luke advances toward Dragline.

TWO SHOT LUKE, DRAGLINE

circling. Luke has to get in his shot before Dragline gets

too close and clubs him again. He feints a punch that moves

Dragline off-balance and winds up for a big one, but Dragline

smashes him backhand. Luke hits the dirt, the men SCREAM AND

YELL. Wiping some blood from his mouth, Luke rises again. He

is dizzy. Dragline smacks him down again.

THE MEN:

SHOUTING, SHRIEKING, they have blood in their eyes, releasing

their tensions.

INTERCUT THE VARIOUS REACTIONS

as the fight continues. The Captain on his porch rocks and

spits dry little spouts of wind, Godfrey, impassive, waiting

in his guard house. The YELLING gradually subsides as Dragline

continues to smash Luke, who keeps getting up.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

Without relish, he pokes Luke down again. Now there is no

cheering, no yelling, just silence.

ANGLE ON CAPTAIN

as he gets up and walks down to the wire where he can see

what is happening. The silence disturbs him.

ON LUKE:

He rises, grinning and winds up to throw another punch. But

the act of lifting his giant glove is a Herculean task.

Seconds go by in which he tries to raise the glove high enough

to launch a punch.

ON DRAGLINE:

waiting, gloves at waist level, poised.

DRAGLINE:

(low)

Ommana pop you one easy. Stay down.

He pops Luke who reels, goes down on a knee and then slowly

rises, rises. Dragline is honestly agonized.

DRAGLINE:

I'm gonna kill you, you go on...

LUKE:

That's what you're gonna have to do.

ANGLE ON CAPTAIN

concerned.

ANGLE ON BOSS GODFREY

impassive.

ANGLE ON DRAGLINE

He raises his fists. But Luke is up again. Dragline realizes

he'll have to kill him to beat him. After a long moment,

Dragline drops his hands to his sides, looks back toward

Godfrey and the captain and then starts walking to the

barracks, fast.

ANGLE ON LUKE:

He looks after him and reaches up to wipe the blood away,

still grinning.

INT. BARRACKS (NIGHT)

The poker game. Five card stud. Playing are Gambler, Koko,

Dynamite, Blind Dick and Luke, bandaged. The mood of the

barracks is quieter than usual. The men are still assessing

the fight, uncertain as to who now is their leader, looking

toward Dragline for an indication. Not playing, Dragline

lies on his bunk behind Koko, sullenly reading a sex book.

Gambler deals the third cards.

GAMBLER:

Ana paira ninas. Koko's the brains.

KOKO:

Cuter.

Dynamite is already out. Blind Dick now folds.

GAMBLER:

Ace calls.

LUKE:

Kick a buck.

KOKO:

(considers, then chips)

I'm in.

GAMBLER:

Ace calls. Here we go.

(deals Luke)

King-five gets a tray for no help.

(deals Koko)

Paira ninas gets a Jack.

(deals himself)

Ana man with the ace gets... slop in

the face... Ninas up.

KOKO:

(regarding Luke)

Cuter again.

GAMBLER:

Call.

LUKE:

(expressionless)

Kick a buck.

Koko is worried. He looks at his hole card, considers, long

silence. Dragline looks over from his bunk.

DRAGLINE:

(to Koko)

Whatcha got?

KOKO:

Pair'a nines.

DRAGLINE:

I kin see that, brick head. I mean

your hole card.

Koko hands it over his shoulder to Dragline, who now sits up

to consider the whole situation.

DRAGLINE:

(continuing)

Uh-huh. And he ain't got nothing

showing. Raise his head off.

KOKO:

He's been betting his head from the

gun. Gotta have kings.

DRAGLINE:

So then you just call him.

KOKO:

(chipping)

I call.

GAMBLER:

(studies Luke's cards)

I gotta believe. Out!

(folds)

Now they're rollin'.

(deals Luke)

King-five-four gets an eight.

(deals Koko)

Pair'a nines with a Jack gets a four.

Ninas still up.

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