From Here to Eternity Page #18

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The thinnest carry of the ancient Hawaiian music. CAMERA PANS

from precipice and INCLUDES Prew and Alma as they trudge into

shot, climbing up the steep cliff road.

TRACKING SHOT PREW AND ALMA

holding hands as they walk.

92.

PREW:

-- If I dint get to see you once in

a while The Treatment would've

cracked me long ago.

Alma, fairly winded from the climb, smiles but doesn't

answer.

PREW:

We could have taken a cab. Except I

ain't got cab fare.

ALMA:

It's just around the bend.

CAMERA HOLDS as they walk on around a bend in the road.

EXT. ALMA'S HOUSE

MEDIUM SHOT:

The small house is perched precariously on the very edge of

the cliff. Alma and Prew come around the bend, come up to the

door, Prew marvelling at the house.

ALMA:

This other girl and I were lucky to

rent it.

(proudly)

It's a very fashionable district.

She hands Prew her key. As he is unlocking the door:

ALMA:

I'll get an extra one made for you.

Prew swings open the door and they go in.

INT. ALMA'S HOUSE LIVING ROOM - DAY (TWILIGHT)

FULL SHOT:

Prew stops on the threshold, stares at the room in happy

amazement. It is large, smartly furnished. In the rear, glass

doors lead to a porch. One of the panelled walls is filled

with bookshelves, floor to ceiling. The bookshelves are

filled with books. A hearty feminine voice calls "Hi!" from

the kitchen, and as Prew and Alma come into the room,

GORGETTE enters from the kitchen. She is a very tall, very

gay, good-looking girl.

ALMA:

This is Gorgette, my roommate.

Gorgette, this is Prew. I told you

about him.

93.

GORGETTE:

Don't mind me. I'm going out in a

little while.

Prew grins, can't keep his eyes off the astonishing books.

Gorgette follows his glance.

GORGETTE:

I belong to the Book of the Month

Club. I always take every book.

That way I get all the dividends.

She giggles and goes off to the bedroom.

PREW:

She'll be great for Maggio when he

gets out of the Stockade. He'll be

crazy about her because she's so

tall.

Alma smiles, presses him into a chair.

ALMA:

Now you just get comfortable and

I'll make you a Martini and see

what's to cook for dinner.

She starts oft to kitchen.

PREW:

Hey.

She turns.

PREW:

This is just like bein married,

ain't it?

ALMA:

(over her shoulder as she

exits to kitchen)

It's better.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CLEARING IN VALLEY - NIGHT

FULL SHOT:

SHOOTING through smoke rising from one of the trench-ovens.

As it clears we see the enormous Hawaiian woman and one or

two others cleaning up and putting out the remnants of the

fires. The merrymakers and dancers have gone; the luau is

over. In b.g., quite alone, are Warden and Karen, sitting on

94.

the trunk of a fallen palm tree.

MEDIUM SHOT KAREN AND WARDEN

The abandoned gaiety of the earlier scene gone. They survey

the emptiness. The fat Hawaiian woman comes near, rakes ashes

over one of the dying fires. She speaks to Warden in

Hawaiian. He answers her in the native tongue. The fat woman

stares, shrugs, goes off.

KAREN:

What did she say?

WARDEN:

She said it's over -- time to go

home -

KAREN:

Home... A beach, a car, a park...

Warden puts his arm around her tenderly.

WARDEN:

It'll work out...

KAREN:

It can't go on like this much

longer, Milt.

WARDEN:

I know.

He rises, paces a moment.

WARDEN:

If there were only a way! Your

lovin husband’d probly give you the

divorce. But even if he didn't know

what for, he'd never let me

transfer.

KAREN:

(bucking up courage;

quietly)

There is a way. I've been thinking

about it.

Warden looks at her apprehensively.

KAREN:

You've got to become an officer.

.

WARDEN:

What!

95.

KAREN:

You're eligible for the extension

course that came in with the draft.

When you get your commission they'd

ship you back to the States -- new

officers aren't kept at posts where

they've been enlisted men. Then -

WARDEN:

You sure made a thorough study of

it.

KAREN:

Then I could divorce Dana and

follow you and marry you.

WARDEN:

An officer! I’ve always hated

officers.

KAREN:

That's a fine, intelligent point

of view. Suppose I said I've always

hated Sergeants. That would make a

lot of sense, wouldn't it?

CLOSE SHOT WARDEN

He sits, thinks it over unhappily.

WARDEN:

Okay, suppose I did it. -- And

don't think it's a cinch -- the

exams are tough. Then you'd be

getting your divorce here while I'm

in the States. We'd be apart maybe

six months! We'll probly be in the

war by then -

TWO SHOT:

KAREN:

You can't be certain of that -

WARDEN:

(snorts)

Put it down on your calendar. On

October twenty-third, 1941, Milt

Warden told you we'd be in the war

in less than a year.

KAREN:

(flaring)

Why don't you tell the truth?

(MORE)

96.

KAREN(cont'd)

You just don't want the

responsibility. You're probably not

even in love with me -

WARDEN:

You're crazy! I wish I wasn't in

love with you. Maybe could enjoy

life again.

KAREN:

I don't know what's happened to you

-- you were honest at first -

WARDEN:

At first! You were tough and solid

as a rock -- and now you're a

whining crybaby -

He stops abruptly.

KAREN:

And so they were married and lived

unhappily ever after.

They are silent for several moments.

WARDEN:

I've never been so miserable in my

life as I have since I met you.

KAREN:

Neither have I.

WARDEN:

(cheerlessly)

I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

KAREN:

(cheerlessly)

Neither would I.

Warden rises and paces again. Suddenly he stops, turns, looks

down at Karen, speaks in the same gloomy tone.

.

WARDEN:

I'll probably make the lousiest

officer they ever saw in this Army.

A happy smile creeps over Karen's face. Despite himself, he

begins to smile also.

97.

KAREN:

(fervently)

You'll make a fine officer. A

remarkable officer.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PORCH OF ALMA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT:

The porch is at the rear of the house, leading off from the

living room. It is on the very edge of the cliff. Prew and

Alma are dancing to the music of a portable victrola. It is

playing "Why Don't We Do This More Often?" A table still

contains the dinner plates. Prew's expression holds the

wonder of a child at a magic show. He misses a step,

stumbles.

PREW:

I never caught on to dancing much.

ALMA:

You're a very good dancer.

The record ends and Alma goes to change it. CAMERA FOLLOWS

Prew to the edge of the porch as he looks out over the view.

LONG SHOT VIEW PROM PREW'S POV

A magnificent panorama -- strings of lights in the valley and

across on St. Louis Heights -- in the far distance the neon

of Waikiki.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT PREW

working with his thoughts, afraid to broach them. He lights a

cigarette, his fingers trembling.

PREW:

I been wanting to tell you a long

time now --

(deep breath)

I love you.

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