From Here to Eternity Page #29

LONG SHOT JAP PLANE

It misses the roof by a foot or two, zooms up at a weird

angle. A thick cloud of smoke pours out of the engine. The

plane falls off on one wing and crashes into trees at the end

of the quadrangle.

.

CLOSE SHOT JAP PLANE

crashing. The gas-tank explodes. A cloud of fire and black

150.

smoke obscures the screen.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM OF ALMA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT PREW

There are improvised blackout curtains over windows and the

glass doors. The radio is on, volume low, and an announcer

(not the one of the morning) is droning out an account of

Pearl Harbor. Prew, still on the couch in his pajamas, looks

as if he has just struggled to wakefulness. He listens to the

radio for a few moments in confused disbelief. He shakes his

head vigorously as if to throw off his grogginess. He shakes

his head again, slowly, more knowingly now, nodding as if he

remembers something from the broadcast of the morning. Then

as if all of it hits him suddenly and fully and terribly he

wrenches himself off the couch. He looks around at the dimly

lit room.

PREW:

Alma! Alma!

He goes to the blackout curtains, peeps out. Then he turns

back to listen to the radio. Abruptly, he runs into the

bedroom.

PREW'S VOICE

Alma!

The room remains empty for a few moments as the radio

announcer goes on, continuing previous remarks.

RADIO ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

-- ready to fight and die for us,

our Regular Army and Navy have this

day upheld the faith and confidence

we have always placed in them. They

have proved their right to the

esteem we have always had for

them...

Prew comes back into the room. He has his shoes on, holds

civilian shirt and pants in his hand. He starts to put them

on hurriedly, his attention still focused on the broadcast.

The front door opens and Alma and Gorgette enter. They are

surprised to see Prew up. He nods at them, turns back quickly

to listen to the radio as he continues dressing.

RADIO ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

... the attack caused serious

damage to many installations of

which Pearl Harbor suffered the

worst.

(MORE)

151.

RADIO ANNOUNCER'S VOICE(cont'd)

We will not forget this day -- and

we will never let the Japanese

forget it...

PREW:

(yells at radio)

You said it! Who they think they're

fight in?

(incoherent with rage; to

girls)

They're pickin trouble with the

best Army in -- the best riflemen --

you know we the ony country on the

face of the earth that uses the

shooting gunsling, not the carrying

gunsling. You know that?

The radio continues on under the scene. Alma and Gorgette

speak breathlessly, in a rush.

ALMA:

We've been at Queens Hospital -giving

blood -

GORGETTE:

The town's a madhouse. Trucks,

busses, jeeps all over -

ALMA:

A house on Kuhio Street was bombed

out -

GORGETTE:

And the drugstore on McKully and

King is smashed flat. And

the man and his wife were killed --

Prew gestures to radio as if he's heard all about it. He

sticks his shirttails into his trousers.

PREW:

I gotta get back to the Post --

I'll try to get in touch with you

in a couple days -

ALMA:

The Post? Tonight?

Prew nods vehemently, moves across room to a table.

ALMA:

But why?

152.

PREW:

Why? There's a war goin on.

ALMA:

But you can't! You're not fit yet --

you're weak as a kitten -- you're

AWOL -- they'll throw you in the

Stockade -

PREP:

(laughs wildly)

They’ll be throwin ‘em out of the

Stockade. They need every man they

can get.

He picks up the sheet of paper with the "Re-enlistment Blues"

written out on it, starts to fold it. Desperation is

reflected on Alma's face; she turns to Gorgette, as if

pleading for aid,

GORGETTE:

Your side’ll open up -

ALMA:

And they'll find out it was you who

killed that soldier!

Prew shakes his head, as if obsessed by only one thought.

PREW:

Once I report in to the Compny I'll

be all right. Once I get there. I

gotta get back -

ALMA:

But you'll never make it! There's

MPs all over -

PREW:

I'll make it. I'll go along the

back roads. They'll let me in the

West gate -- they'll know I'm a

soljer -

He puts the folded piece of paper in his pocket and starts

for the door.

ALMA:

Stay till morning!

Prew glances at Alma incredulously. She sobs suddenly,

violently.

153.

ALMA:

Maybe if you stayed till morning

you'd change your mind...

She throws her arms around him, clings to him.

ALMA:

Don't go, Prew! I'll do whatever

you want... We'll figure out a way

to get to the States

together... We can even get

married... If you go I won't see

you any more... I know it...

Prew holds her closely for a moment, then moves her away from

him. He turns toward the door.

ALMA:

(tears turning to

hysteria)

What do you want to go back to the

Army for?! What did the Army ever

do for you? Besides treat you like

scum and give you one awful going

over and get your friend killed?

What do you want to go back to that

for?

Prew frowns as if he's not sure he heard correctly.

PREW:

What do I want to go back for? I'm

a soljer.

ALMA:

(laughing wildly)

A soldier! A soldier! A Regular.

From the Regular Army. A thirty-

year man!

PREW:

Sure. A thirty-year man.

(grins)

With only twenty-six years to go.

He opens the door quickly and slips into the darkness.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HIGHWAY ADJOINING GOLF COURSE - NIGHT

MOVING SHOT JEEP WITH THREE MPs

The night is inky black except for a little moonlight and the

154.

dimmed headlights of the jeep. CAMERA SHOOTS PAST driver onto

the highway as the jeep moves slowly along. The two other MPs

clutch Thompson guns, try to scan the dark countryside.

FIRST MP:

They say they seen parachutists

land up in the mountains.

SECOND MP:

I ain’t worried about them.

Sabatoors is what worries me.

.

DRIVER:

Yeah. Theys the creepy ones. Walkin

around just like ordinary

civilians. I betcha they operatin

all over these islands.

LONG SHOT SHOOTING FROM SIDE OF HIGHWAY

The headlights pass along the road as the jeep moves on out

of sight. As its sound fades we hear Prew's heavy breathing,

are barely able to distinguish his figure in the darkness. He

is crouched, watching the car go down the highway. We hear

his thoughts. The voice is labored and agonized.

PREW'S VOICE (O.S.)

... almost home... ony across the

golf course... now... now... no...

wait... gotta be care?... gotta

sweat it out...

He groans, puts his hand to his side. In the feeble light

from the moon we see blood on his shirt and hand. He looks up

and down the road.

PREW’S VOICE (O.S.)

... it's clear now... gotta get

home...

Still crouched, Prew starts across the road.

LONG SHOT OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD

We see nothing but the strip of road, then Prew+s figure is

visible, bent low, weaving a little. As he approaches the

camera, he is taught square in the twin beams of dimmed

headlights which flash on from the side of the road. Now we

see that a jeep is parked near camera, heading in the

opposite direction from the jeep which passed before. It is

also manned by three MPs. There is a startled cry from Prew.

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