From Here to Eternity Page #17

Prew looks up, nods, rises. He is half-way to the door when

the phone at the Clerk's desk rings. Prew turns. Mazzioli

stares at the phone as if afraid to touch it. Warden goes

over, answers.

WARDEN:

(on phone)

Compny G, First Sergeant Warden

speaking... Yes, sir... Yes, sir, I

will... I'll have his things in

order... Yes, sir.

Warden puts down phone. He looks at the waiting men.

WARDEN:

He got it. Six months.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BARRACKS - DAY

MEDIUM SHOT:

Prew and a group of G Company men, including Sergeants Dhom,

Thornhill and Henderson, are on the steps and porch as a

Reconnaissance car pulls up and halts.

CLOSE SHOT RECONNAISSANCE CAR

Maggio sits between the driver and another MP, both armed.

(NOTE:
These are not the same MPs with whom he fought.) The G

Company men cluster around the car, ad-libbing greetings,

kidding Maggio, bucking him up. Even the Sergeants join in

this; nobody likes to see a man on his way to the Stockade.

MAGGIO:

Hello, men! Who's got the beer?

DRIVER:

Shut up!

MAGGIO:

Okay, Brownie. Whatever you say.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

as the Driver gets out of the car and goes to pick up

Maggio's stacked barracks bag on the porch. Prew moves up

close to Maggio.

PREW:

I'm sorry, Angelo. It's my fault. I

shoulda -

88.

MAGGIO:

You crazy. You -

PREW:

I shoulda stopped you somehow -

MAGGIO:

It was all my party. Don't worry

about it.

(pronounces "e" as in

"the")

Anyhow, I'm gunna e-scape. If

Gimbel's basement couldn't hold me,

neither can no lousy Stockade.

SECOND MP:

You heard him say SHUT UP!

MAGGIO:

(smiles at the men)

I'm a prisoner. And prisoners ain't

allowed to talk. They allowed to

breathe though. If they good, that

is.

During last speech the Driver returns, dumps the barracks bag

in the car, and gets in. The motor starts. The men shout good-

byes.

CLOSE SHOT PREW:

heartsick as he looks at Maggio.

MEDIUM SHOT:

as the Recon pulls out and Maggio's last hearty shout drifts

back.

MAGGIO'S VOICE

... e-scape to Mexico and become a

cowboy!...

WIPE TO:

EXT. STOCKADE GATE- DAY

SHOT:

as the Reconnaissance car drives through the chain-mesh gate.

In the distance is the Stockade, a building that looks

something like a country schoolhouse. Music sweeps up as the

gate clangs shut.

WIPE TO:

89.

EXT. STOCKADE YARD - DAY

LONG SHOT:

Maggio walking across the yard flanked by the tall MPs. He

looks around as if surveying the chances of escape. Music

rises.

WIPE TO:

EXT. STOCKADE BUILDING - DAY

MEDIUM SHOT:

as the MPs march Maggio up to a door and gesture him to enter

alone. He goes in.

INT. OFFICE OF SERGEANT OF THE GUARD - DAY

MEDIUM SHOT:

CAMERA SHOOTS from behind a man seated at a desk. Prominent

in shot is a wicked-looking chopped-off hoe handle lying on

the desk. Maggio enters, recognizes the man. He walks, up to

the desk, his face set in defiance. Music is rising in a

fearful crescendo. CAMERA PANS just enough to REVEAL desk

sign reading:
"SERGEANT OF THE GUARD." The man stands up and

the music stops abruptly.

.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

REVEALING Fatso Judson as the man, on his face the same

murderous expression as at Choy's. He cracks his fingers.

FATSO:

Tough monkey.

CLOSE SHOT MAGGIO

his eyes following a movement of Fatso’s hand.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT FATSO

Eyes on Maggio, his hand gropes on the desk.

FATSO:

Hard sister.

CLOSE SHOT FATSO'S HAND

as it finds and tightens around the hoe handle. The music

sweeps in abruptly.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CLEARING IN VALLEY - DAY (TWILIGHT)

CLOSE SHOT FLASH A POKER BEING DRIVEN INTO FIRE

Music of preceding shot segues into an ancient, savage

Hawaiian chant which continues through following.

90.

CLOSE SHOT FLASH LONG-PRONGED FORK BEING DRIVEN INTO BELLY OF

WHOLE ROAST PIG:

CLOSE SHOT FLASH LANG-BLADED CARVING KNIFE SLICING ROAST BEEF

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT STEAM RISING FROM BETWEEN HOT STONES OF

FIRE:

FULL SHOT LUAU:

Shot covers the continuation of all the above activity. This

is a native luau - definitely not for tourists. Shot includes

long ditches, heated by red-hot stones and lined with layers

of banana leaves, containing pig, chicken, rock crabs,

fish... Pots of native stew... Bowls of exotic fruit... Peels

of raw cane... Working over the food are the natives, many of

the men stripped to the waist, the women arrayed in colorful

Hawaiian costumes.

LONG SHOT THROUGH BONFIRE HULA DANCERS

A group of male dancers swaying with the insistent beat of a

group of old Hawaiian instruments. This is far removed from

the night club Hula. This is a thing of swift, agile

angularity, primitive and powerful.

PAN SHOT SPECTATORS THROUGH BONFIRE

At end of PAN, CAMERA REVEALS Warden and Karen in the group.

They are the only whites in the group.

CLOSE SHOT KAREN

her face lit by the flames. She watches the dancing

breathlessly.

FLASHES TINY TOM TOM NOSE FLUTE GROUP OF MUSICIANS

The native instruments playing a thin, weird melody.

MEDIUM SHOT HULA DANCERS

The men laugh and grin as they dance, taunt and tease

somebody o.s.

MEDIUM SHOT SPECTATORS

They shout and laugh and squeal with delight as they watch.

It is Warden the dancers are teasing. Several of the dancers

break out of the group, dance over to Warden, continue to

prod him, apparently urging him to join them.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT WARDEN

protesting, joining in the laughter. Suddenly he kicks off

his shoes, rolls his slacks up to his knees. He snatches a

gardenia from the hair of a pretty Hawaiian girl next to him,

sticks it over his ear, jumps into the firelight and dances

with the others. The music comes up louder and faster as the

spectators and dancers roar.

91.

GROUP SHOT DANCERS AND WARDEN

They are all laughing as they dance, but as Warden moves with

them it is apparent he is as good as any of them.

MEDIUM SHOT SPECTATORS

nodding, pointing at Warden, their hilarious laughter fading

to delighted smiles.

CLOSE SHOT KAREN

astonished and thrilled at Warden's ability.

MEDIUM SHOT WARDEN

His laughter now also diminished to a happy grin as he

dances. In all he dances about thirty seconds. Then he breaks

out of the group and runs over to Karen.

GROUP SHOT FEATURING KAREN AND WARDEN

as the spectators and dancers shout their applause. Warden

comes up to Karen and puts the gardenia in her hair. Karen is

glowing, tingling.

KAREN:

You just love to shock people,

don't you?! Where on earth did you

learn to dance like that?

WARDEN:

(panting happily)

Believe it or not -- Chicago,

Illinois.

She flings her arms around him passionately. The onlookers

howl with approval and merriment. Between Karen and Warden

and camera, an enormously fat Hawaiian woman pours water on

the stones in one of the trench-ovens. A cloud of steam

rises, hiding them.

EXT. CLIFF ROAD - DAY (TWILIGHT)

LANG SHOT VALLEY

SHOOTING DOWN a thousand feet into Palolo Valley. Bonfires

and smoke rising from the floor of the valley.

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