From Here to Eternity Page #3

MEDIUM SHOT SHOOTING INTO SUPPLY ROOM

SUPPLY SERGEANT LEVA is eating a candy bar with one hand and

leisurely typing up a form with the other. He is a foolish-

looking man, about thirty-five.

WARDEN:

Lava! Can't I once walk by this

Supply Room and find you workin

with both hands!

LEVA:

(comes up to door)

I can't do no better on what you

people pay me.

WARDEN:

Draw some supplies for this man.

(to Prew)

That's G Compny barracks over

there. Get rid of your bags and

come back here, and Leva'll find

you a cart to lug your stuff over

in. Save you makin four five trips.

PREW:

(surprised, pleased)

Okay.

WARDEN:

I just hate to see energy wasted.

Any kind. Besides, you'll be needin

yours.

Prew walks off, toting the barracks bags. The bang of the

Orderly Room door is heard and Lava and Warden look in that

direction.

LONG SHOT KAREN HOLMES FROM WARDEN AND LEVA'S ANGLE

as she walks along porch toward them. She is at a

considerable distance. Karen is about thirty. She wears a

13.

sweater and skirt. She is aware the men are studying her.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT WARDEN AND LEVA

watching Karen. Leva leans over the counter.

LEVA:

Her and them sweaters.

LONG SHOT KAREN FROM WARDEN AND LEVA'S POV

as she continues toward them. As much as a man can make out,

she is probably not wearing a brassiere. Warden's and Lava's

voices, loud at first, get softer and softer the nearer Karen

gets to camera. At end of the shot, as she is only a few

yards away, they are practically whispering.

WARDEN'S VOICE

Army women... They're cold,

they got no more warmth than a

diamond. There's no pleasure in

them...

LEVA'S VOICE

Yeah, but this one knows the

score... Like I been tellin you.

WARDEN'S VOICE

(sarcastic)

Is that right?

LEVA'S VOICE

Okay, not around here. But I was

back at Fort Bliss with Holmes.

When they was married only a year

or two. I heard plenty about the

lady then. Plenty.

WARDEN'S VOICE

You heard.

LEVA'S VOICE

Okay, never me. But a lot of them.

I know some of the Use she played

'around with, don't tell me.

.

WARDEN'S VOICE

I ain't tellin you. You're tellin

me.

Karen stops, a few paces from camera.

KAREN:

Good morning, Sergeant.

MEDIUM SHOT:

14.

Lava watches, listens avidly but discreetly in b.g. During

the dialogue, Karen seems irritated by Warden, who looks at

her coolly, appraisingly, physically.

KAREN:

I'm looking for my husband.

WARDEN:

Captain Holmes just went in town,

ma'am.

KAREN:

Oh. Of course, He was to have left

some things for me.

(stumbles slightly)

That he was to have purchased. Do

you know anything about them?

WARDEN:

No, ma'am, I don't. Is there

anythin I can do for you?

KAREN.

No, thanks, Sergeant.

She makes slight move to go, pauses.

KAREN:

He's been telling me quite a bit

about you lately. My husband. He

says you're very efficient.

WARDEN:

Yes, ma'am.

KAREN:

What is it that makes you so

efficient, Sergeant?

WARDEN:

I couldn't help it if I was born

smart, ma'am.

Karen laughs suddenly, loudly.

KAREN:

I love that. Well, good-bye,

Sergeant.

Karen turns and walks back up the porch toward her car.

Warden and Leva watch her. When she is out of earshot Leva

speaks.

15.

LEVA:

But man, she sure is one, ain't

she?

WARDEN:

One what?

LEVA:

One woman.

WARDEN:

(unconvincingly)

I've seen better.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. KAREN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT 22 Karen, in a negligee, is seated at a dressing

table, brushing her hair -- steadily, gracefully, enjoying

the sensual pleasure of it. Karen is a woman of moods and

tempers, spontaneous, quick to impulse. A car is heard

pulling up in the driveway, the motor stopping. Karen's brush

strokes become faster, rougher. The front door is heard

opening and Holmes' voice calling, "Karen." She does not

answer. Holmes enters. He seems to have had a few drinks.

Through the following, Karen continues brushing her hair.

.

HOLMES:

I'm sorry I'm so late. And about

dinner, I -

KAREN:

It doesn't matter.

HOLMES:

-- I got tied up with General

Slater. Bumped into him at the

Officers' Club.

KAREN:

Yes? What did the General have to

say?

HOLMES:

Success, he said. Success in war,

success in peacetime... And not a

word about my promotion... There

are times I think the Old Man's

just waiting to ship me down...

(slumps into chair)

I've had a bad day all around...

(MORE)

16.

HOLMES(cont'd)

started right off this morning...

trouble with a new man...

KAREN:

If you'd spend less time buttering

Generals and more time with your

Company, maybe you'd get that

promotion.

HOLDS:

The Company takes care of itself.

Or my Topkick takes care of it.

KAREN:

I went over there this morning

looking for you.

HOLMES:

(flustered)

I had some business to attend to in

town. During the afternoon.

KAREN:

(unemotionally)

From the way you look I gather your

business wasn't too successful.

HOLMES:

Now what does that mean?

KAREN:

Dana. Give me credit for a few

brains.

HOLMES:

How many, times do I have to tell

you I haven't any other women

before you'll believe me?

CLOSE SHOT KAREN SHOOTING INTO MIRROR ON DRESSING TABLE

Karen laughs sharply, loudly, then stops suddenly as she

looks at herself in the mirror, sees the repugnance in her

face. She puts down the hairbrush, picks up a long comb.

HOLMES VOICE:

If it were so, don't you think I'd

admit it? The way things are

between us now? What right have you

to always be accusing me?

KAREN:

What right?

TWO SHOT:

17.

They are both tense now. Holmes is out of the chair and

pacing. Karen combs her hair spasmodically.

HOLMES:

That again. How long will it be, I

wonder, before I'm allowed to live

that down? After eight years, how

many times do I have to tell you It

Was An Accident?

.

KAREN:

That makes it all right, I suppose!

HOLMES:

I didn't say that. I know what it's

done to you, but -

KAREN:

You know I hate to talk about it!

He moves over to her.

HOLM ES:

How many times do I have to tell

you I'm sorry, about that? How many

times that I had no way of knowing

He puts his hands on her shoulders. Karen shakes away, rises,

faces him.

KAREN:

You had a way of knowing, Dana. I

want to go to bed. Please get out

of my bedroom.

Holmes looks at her sullenly, then exits to adjoining room,

closing the door behind him. There is a moment of silence,

then a sharp snap as Karen breaks the comb in two.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DAYROOM - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT WARDEN

The room is fairly well filled with soldiers. The click of

pool balls is heard over shot. Warden is reading a

newspaper.. A column heading, conspicuous in shot, reads:

JAPS ADVANCE IN CHINA. Warden drops the paper on his lap,

looks toward pool table, squinting thoughtfully.

FULL SHOT AT POOL TABLE

Maggio, Prew and CHIEF CHOATE, a Corporal, are playing pool.

Choate is a full Choctaw Indian, a man of great bulk and

tolerance. He speaks in a tremendously deep bass voice. The

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