From Here to Eternity Page #12

.

TREADWELL:

... Ah'm in the Army because Ah can

live better on the Inside than on

the Outside.

PREW:

It ain't the reason I'm in.

MAGGIO:

Now he's gonna give us that snow

about bein a Thirty-Year Man again.

PREW:

That's right. Look at Karelsen

there. Only seven years more for

rockin chair money.

Karelsen hears his name, looks over.

MEDIUM SHOT KARELSEN

CAMERA AT ANGLE so we see he's reading a full-page

advertisement featuring a girl in a revealing negligee. He is

feeling sorry for him;elf.

61.

KARELSEN:

The Profession wears you down,

though, young man. Down thin like a

knife what's been honed and honed.

All that good steel just rubbed

away...

He turns back sadly to study the figure of the girl.

MEDIUM SHOT FEATURING ANDERSON AND CLARK OTHERS IN B.G.

Anderson peels off a flourish as he and Clark end their song.

TREADWELL:

Man, that's blues! Where'd you drag

that one up Prom?

ANDERSON:

(bashfully)

Oh, just stumbled on it.

He strums aimlessly again. Prew and Treadwell come over to

listen, prop themselves on chairs. During following, several

others stroll over and a soldier writing at a desk nearby

stops, turns to listen.

CLOSE SHOT PREW:

warmed by the friendliness of the music and the moment.

PREW:

They got Truckdrivers’ Blues...

Sharecroppers’ Blues...

Bricklayers’ Blues... We oughta

have a Soljers’ Blues...

MEDIUM SHOT GROUP

as Anderson repeats a theme he has happened on. It has a

haunting melody.

CLARK:

Hey, look... I betcha we could make

one out of what you just played. Do

that again.

Anderson repeats the melody.

.

ANDERSON:

I could bring it down to a third

line major ending... Regular twelve

bars blues.

TREADWELL:

I bet I got two hundred blues

records back home.

(MORE)

62.

TREADWELL(cont'd)

But there ain't one could touch

that. And that includes Saint

Louis. And it could be ours...

The men wear pleased smiles, delighted by the idea of

possessing something quite rare and truly their own. Prew

flips his cigarette into a can.

PREW:

I got it. We call it the ‘Reenlistment

Blues’!

There is a chorus of approval.

PREW:

Lookit, w e could start it with the

guy getting discharged.

(reaches over to desk)

Hey, fella, can I use this?

The soldier at the desk nods, and Prew takes his pencil and

paper. He writes down the words of the song as they are

composed during following.

PREW:

How's this? 'Got paid out on

Monday... Not a dog soljer no

more... They gimme all that

money....'

He stops, stuck. Anderson plays the melody and Prew sings the

words to this point. Friday Clark chimes in suddenly.

CLARK:

'They gimme all that money... So

much my pockets is sore...'

They laugh. Anderson sings. Prew writes furiously.

ANDERSON:

'More dough than I can use. Reenlistment

Blues...'

ANGLE:

Anderson plays a series of chords, then repeats the last two

lines as the whole group joins in.

GROUP:

'More dough than I can use. Reenlistment

Blues...'

DISSOLVE TO:

63.

INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY

FULL SHOT:

Raucous, hammering music sweeps away the melancholy blues. On

the floor of the gym Dhom is punching the bag. In a corner of

the raised ring Ike Galovitch is skipping rope. In the center

of the ring Thornhill and Henderson are sparring. Holmes

hovers beside them, issuing instructions in a strident voice.

.

MEDIUM SHOT PREW

He is in fatigue clothes, on his knees, scrubbing the floor.

There is an expression of stubborn hate on his face. Above

his head in the shot are Galovitch's feet jumping the rope.

In b.g. of shot is Wilson, seated near ring.

GALOVITCH’S VOICE

Some day you get sense in your dumb

head, Prewitt, you be up here

instead down there!

A fine spray of spit accompanies the words and showers over

Prew but he keeps about his work.

WILSON:

Still makin out you like it, huh?

MEDIUM SHOT IN RING

There are two water buckets near Galovitch. He skips near one

of them, kicks it. The bucket falls on its side and dirty

water spills over the ring and down onto Prew.

GALOVITCH:

Clean up dis mess, Prewitt!

Prew gets to his feet. Galovitch resumes skipping rope.

GALOVITCH:

And look a life, hurry it up. You

on fatigue detail, not vacation.

Prew climbs into the ring, gets on his knees, starts to swab

up the canvas. He is nearly finished when Galovitch

"accidentally" kicks over the second bucket.

GALOVITCH:

Clean up, Prewitt!

Prew suddenly stands, no longer able to contain his rage. He

throws his sponge and scrubbing brush on the ring floor.

PREW:

Clean it up yourself!

64.

GALOVITCH:

How? What!

PREW:

You heard me -- rub your own nose

in it a while!

GALOVITCH:

What!

Prew starts out of the ring. Holmes intercepts him.

HOLMES:

What's the matter with you,

Prewitt? You know better than to

talk back to a non-commissioned

officer.

PREW:

Yes, sir. But I have never liked

being spit at, sir. Even by a noncommissioned

officer.

HOLMES:

I think you owe Sergeant Galovitch

an apology.

PREW:

(recklessly)

I don't think I owe him no apology.

In fact, I think one's owed to me.

.

HOLMES:

(furious)

Sergeant Galovitch, take this man

to the barracks and have him roll a

full field pack, extra shoes,

helmet and all, and then take a

bicycle and hike him up to Kole-

Kole Pass and back. And see that he

hikes all the way. And when he gets

back, bring him to me.

GALOVITCH:

Yes, Sirr.

Prew climbs out of the ring, Galovitch following him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ROAD - DAY

LONG SHOT:

65.

Par below in the shot are Prew, hiking, and Galovitch, riding

behind him on the bicycle. The dirt road is steep and the sun

pours down, steaming hot.

MOVING SHOT PREW AND GALOVITCH

Prew is hunched under the seventy-pound pack as he plods

along. He is sweat-soaked, puffing, dog-weary. Galovitch's

bicycle is just behind him; he runs the wheels up on Prew's

heels.

GALOVITCH:

Move along. You not half way yet.

Three more miles to top.

A jeep rounds a curve a couple of hundred yards above and

moves down the road. It slows its speed and pulls up when it

nears Prew and Galovitch.

MEDIUM SHOT:

The jeep is driven by an enlisted man. Sitting next to him is

MAJOR GENERAL SLATER. Galovitch hops off the bike and he and

Prew snap to attention. General Slater leans out of the

vehicle. He seems puzzled and interested by the odd sight of

the two men.

GENERAL SLATER:

At ease. Where’re you men headed?

GALOVITCH:

Top of pass, Sir. This man

insubordinate. The Captain is

teaching him lesson.

GENERAL SLATER:

(frowns)

What's your outfit, Sergeant?

GALOVITCH:

Company G, 219th, Sir.

The General, still frowning slightly, nods. He signals his

driver to move on. The jeep starts down the road. Galovitch

gets on his bicycle. Prew starts hiking again.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY

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