From Here to Eternity Page #10

PREW:

Because if you're still mad I'd

just rather we called the whole

thing off.

LORENE:

(takes his arm)

You certainly are a funny one.

They walk away from camera, merging with the others in-the

room.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. OCEAN AND BEACH - NIGHT

FULL SHOT WAVE:

sweeping over camera, spray flying.

MEDIUM SHOT ON BEACH

A tiny beach set among rocks. The pale sand glows in the

moonlight. Warden, in a bathing suit, is lighting a fire

about ten yards from the water's edge. Karen is just stepping

out of her dress; her bathing suit is underneath. A couple of

GI blankets near the fire. Her teeth are beginning to chatter

in the chill of the night air; she raises her arms to the sky

longingly, happily.

KAREN:

I hope the ocean's ice cold. I hope

I freeze in a solid chunk.

WARDEN:

(sudden, intense laugh)

Just so long's you melt afterwards.

KAREN:

I love the way you laugh.

He stands, moves to her. She laughs, turns and runs into the

water. He runs after her.

FULL SHOT WAVE:

near shore, as Karen dives into it. Warden follows her. The

wave washes over them.

INT. NEW CONGRESS CLUB - MRS. KIPFER'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

51.

MEDIUM SHOT DIVAN

CAMERA ANGLED so we see only back of the divan. We hear soft

chuckles from Prew and Lorene o.s., then silence for several

moments. CAMERA MOVES as we hear a few more low, intimate

laughs, then Prew and Lorene are disclosed on the couch,

their heads close together as if they have just kissed

pleasantly but not passionately. Mrs. Kipfer's living room is

on the order of the vestibule; it, too, has a faded lavender

feeling. A door leading to another room is half open in b.g.

A door leading to a hall is closed. Prew's arm is around

Lorene's shoulder; he is very relaxed, regards her with

something like wonder. Lorene is mellower, too, making no

effort now to be "the Princess." She speaks as if resuming a

conversation.

.

LORENE:

... I enlisted, too. I came out

here on my own. To get away from my

home town. In Oregon.

PREW:

How come?

LORENE:

I had a boy friend. I was a

waitress. He was from the richest

family in town. He just married the

girl suitable for his position.

After three years of going around

with me.

(pause)

It's a pretty story, isn't it?

Maybe they could make a movie of

it.

PREW:

They did. Ten thousand of them.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Lorene smiles.

LORENE:

So I left and went to Seattle, as a

waitress. And I met a girl just

back from Hawaii. She said she'd

made a lot of money working for

Mrs. Kipfer. I caught the first

boat. I've been here a year and two

months.

PREW:

You like it much?

52.

LORENE:

Oh, I don't like it. But I don't

mind it. Anyway, I won't be here

forever.

PREW:

No. Sure not. I mean, why should

you?

LORENE:

I have it all figured out. In

another year I'll be back home,

with a pile of bills big enough to

choke a steer. And then I will be

all set for life -

There is a sound at the door and they turn towards it.

MEDIUM SHOT DOOR TO HALL

as it opens slowly and a disembodied arm pokes through, its

hand gripping the neck of a whisky bottle. After a moment,

Maggio's head follows the arm through the door. He is

grinning like an amateur conspirator.

MAGGIO:

I dint hear no sounds of combat. So

I figgered maybe you'd like a

drink.

THREE SHOT:

as Maggio comes into the room.

MAGGIO:

Or otherwise old Sandra would of

drank it all by herself. She's a

fine girl. But she drinks like a

fish.

There are glasses on a cupboard near the divan. Maggio sets

three of them up, starts to pour whisky into them.

LORENE:

No, thanks. I never drink much.

Maggio stops short of the third glass. He takes a big gulp

from the first.

LORENE:

I think it' a a weakness.

MAGGIO:

(another gulp)

I grant you that.

53.

LORENE:

And I don't like weakness.

(to Prew) )

Do you?

PREW:

No. I don't like weakness.

(rises, takes a drink)

But I like to drink.

He comes back to the divan.

LORENE:

With you it's not a weakness. With

you it's more like a virtue.

MAGGIO:

That sounds like a very profound

remark. Maybe that's why I don't

get it.

LORENE:

(snuggles to Prew)

Well, it's so.

MAGGIO:

Hey! What you gonna do, marry this

guy? Way you grinnin at him you

look like his wife!

PREW:

Get outa here!

MAGGIO:

(picks up bottle)

Okay. Back to old long-legged

Sandra. I love 'em tall. Acres and

acres.

He goes out, closing door behind him. Suddenly the door opens

again and Maggio pops back in. He puts the whisky bottle on a

table next to the door.

MAGGIO:

Enjoy yourself, pizon. You need it

more than me. You be back with The

Treatment tomorrow.

He pops out again, the door closing after him. Prew's gaiety

dims with the reference to The Treatment. Lorene sees this.

Prew rises, goes to whisky bottle.

54.

PREW:

That was nice before. The way you

snuggled up. In front of him.

LORENE:

What's he mean, The Treatment?

Prew doesn't answer. He pours a drink, gulps it.

LORENE:

What did he mean?

PREW:

Some of the guys puttin me over the

jumps because I won't fight.

LORENE:

Fight?

PREW:

On the boxing team. I don't want to

fight! I don't want to talk about

it! I don't want to think about it.

And they make me think about it.

Every day.

He drops down on the divan beside her.

PREW:

It's a personal thing...

His dread of telling the tale crumbles before his

overwhelming need to tell it, to have someone understand.

.

PREW:

Over at Port Shafter... I used to

fight... Middleweight. I was pretty

good. I used to work out with Dixie

Wells. He was a light-heavy, but he

was fast... And good. He loved

boxing. He was gonna come out of

the Army and go right into the

upper brackets... People on the

Outside had their eye on him.

(rises, paces)

Dixie didn't want, to use the six

ounce gloves this time. And we

neither of us wore headgear,

anyway. I was set flat on my feet

when I caught Dixie wide with this

no more than ordinary solid cross.

Dixie just happened to be standing

solid, too.

(MORE)

55.

PREW(cont'd)

(sits on chair)

From the way he fell I knew. Dead

weight, square on his face. He dint

roll over. He was in a coma a week.

Then he finally came out of it. The

only thing was that he was blind...

(rises, paces)

I went up to the hospital to see

him. Twice. Then I couldn't go

back. We got to talking about

fighting the second time. And Dixie

cried... Seein tears comin out of

those eyes that couldn't see...

There are tears on Prew's face. He turns away from Lorene.

ANOTHER ANGLE SHOOTING FROM BEHIND PREW

Lorene, very moved, goes to him, stands behind him, puts her

hand on his shoulder. Prew does not turn but his hand grasps

hers. CAMERA MOVES TO CLOSE SHOT of the hands.

EXT. OCEAN AND BEACH - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT NEAR SHORE

A wave sweeps by camera, Karen and Warden riding it into

shore. CAMERA PANS with them as they walk out of the water,

hand in hand. They stop at edge, as if by a mutual impulse.

He swings her to him and kisses her.

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