From Here to Eternity Page #4

18.

table on one side is surrounded by the prizefighters of G

Company. They are IRE GALOVITCH, an ape-like, bent-kneed man

weighing about two twenty, with a widow's peak almost to his

eyebrows; BALDY DHOM, chunky and tough, his head as bald as

an orange; TURP THORNHILL, a stringy, chinless Mississipian;

HENDERSON, a tall, hard Texan; CHAMP WILSON, wiry and good-

looking. They are all Sergeants except Wilson, who is a

Corporal. The men have been heckling Prew and are watching

with cold belligerence. Choate, bending over his cue, shoots

and misses.

CHOATE:

I'm coldern a Idaho winter tonight.

Prew shoots, makes a brilliant shot.

MAGGIO:

Man, what I would not give to have

this character in the corner

poolroom in my home town: I'd dress

him up on overhalls and a straw hat

and put a grass in his teeth, and I

would make a whole mint of ghelt

off him!

Choate laughs deeply. Prew sizes up a new shot.

WILSON:

We'd of won last year if we had a

good middleweight. You box as good

as you used to over at Shatter

we're a cinch this year.

Prew doesn't respond. He bends over his cue again.

THORNHILL:

You ain't forget the Division

champs get ten day furloughs, did

you, son? Ey?

GALOVITCH:

You no talk now, Prewitt. But out

in field with us you sing different

song. An don't think you are tough

guy. Quickest way to stockade is

being tough

guy.

HENDERSON:

You heard him. Better think it

over.

19.

MAGGIO:

Lissen, it's his right not to fight

if he don't want. Without bein

kicked around. Now, we playin pool.

Whyn't you take off?

DHOM:

You want a busted head, Maggio?

MAGGIO:

(seriously)

No.

DHOM:

Then keep your big nose out

altogether.

(turns back to Prew)

Trainin season starts next week --

Prew has been growing more and more agitated, as much by an

inner turmoil as by the men. His control snaps suddenly.

PREW:

I told you I quit fightin! I'm

through! An that's all she wrote:

You guys want to put the screws on,

go ahead. I can take anything you

hand out!

DHOM:

Okay, Prewitt. No halts barred.

The five men move off, file out of the Dayroom.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT WARDEN

His paper still on his lap. He has been watching. He wears a

faint smile of respect.

MEDIUM SHOT PHEW, MAGGIO, CHOATE

Prew chalks his cue, hands trembling, turns to Maggio.

PREW:

Thanks.

MAGGIO:

I just hate to see a good man get

it in the gut.

20.

CHOATE:

You might as well get use to it,

kid. You probly be seein it often

before you die.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT PREW AND CHOATE

In b.g. a few of the men are moving to and from the latrine

but most of them are in their bunks. Over shot the sound of a

bugle blowing Tattoo is heard. Lights are being extinguished

in various parts of the room. Prew and Choate are lying on

adjoining bunks, smoking. Choate's voice is almost linked to

his last speech of preceding scene.

.

CHO ATE:

... oh, sure, we got a few bad noncoms

and we got Dynamite Holmes for

a Captain. But I been around twenty

years in this Army. They even up.

In b. g. Warden and SERGEANT PETE (POP) KARELSEN come through

from the latrine. The latter is a grizzled, crumbled dog-

face, about fifty.

CHOATE:

Take A Compny. They got the best

Compny Commander I ever saw. But

their Topkick -- he ain't no

Warden.

Warden stops beside Prew and Karelsen moves on, going in to a

small room off the main squadroom. Warden's big, powerful

body is covered only by a towel around his loins. He smiles

at Prew.

WARDEN:

Hello, kid. Everythin nice and

comfy?

PREW:

Never better.

WARDEN:

'at's the lull before the storm,

kid. Set yourself.

He moves off, goes into the room he shares with Karelsen.

21.

PREW:

What's the deal with him, anyway? I

can't figure him.

The lights are almost all off and activity in the room has

ended.

CHOATE:

The Warden? He's a wild man. He was

in the 15th when they seen their

action in the Settlement in

Shanghai. I heard about it down in

the Philippes even. He got himself

a DSC and a Purple Heart out of it

but you'd never know it if I dint

tell you. This next war comes,

Warden'll be right in there,

standin up on the skyline, trio to

get himself killed, but nothing

will ever touch him. He'll come

through maddern, wildern, craziern

ever. All I know is he's the best

soljer I ever saw...

The lights are all out now and the room is in darkness.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

EXT. ROAD - DAY

TRUCKING SHOT PLATOON OF MEN

carrying rifles, marching at attention. Prew is FEATURED in

shot; a light smile of pleasure as he moves along. Choate,

bringing up the rear, is singing the Regimental Marching Song

in a wonderful basso. Dhom marches on one side of the

platoon, Galovitch on the other. Dhom calls out the "huts."

.

CLOSE SHOT FEET OF MEN MARCHING

They are in perfect unison.

CLOSE TRUCKING SHOT PREW

DHOM'S VOICE

Prewitt! Get in step, Prewitt!

Prew frowns slightly. He hops once, changing stride, realizes

he is now out of step.

GALOVITCH’S VOICE

Prewitt! Dis a drill, not picnic!

Get in step!

22.

Prew hops again, changing step. He marches along. Dhom's

voice commands "Platoon -- Halt!" Prew and men around him

come to halt.

MEDIUM SHOT PLATOON

DHOM:

Prewitt! Step out!

Prew steps to the front, still smiling faintly.

DHOM:

You march like a drunk gooney bird!

Corpral Paluso! Take this man to

the track. Send him 'round seven

laps double-time rifle at high

port!

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CINDER TRACK - DAY

Prew running around track, his rifle at high port. He wears a

slightly contemptuous smile. CORPORAL PALUSO sits on the

grass infield watching him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FIELD - DAY

MEDIUM SHOT THE PLATOON

kneeling over their rifles, laid out on shelter halves. Prew

is FEATURED in shot. His shirt is wet and he is sweating

heavily, as if he has just come from the run around the

track. Henderson stands in front of the group, instructing.

HENDERSON:

-- rifle's your beat friend. In

case them weapons jams in combat

could mean life or death. You got

to know 'em inside out. Now I want

you to strip them weapons and put

it together again.

(holds up stop watch)

Go!

The men start taking their rifles apart as fast as they can.

Henderson walks around watching them.

MEDIUM SHOT PREW AND MAGGIO

stripping rifles. Prew is efficient and brilliantly fast,

Maggio fumbling and slow. Maggio keeps looking over at Prew,

admiring his speed.

23.

CLOSE SHOT PREW:

as he strips the rifle. (This mechanical operation should be

interesting to audiences; a good man can field strip the

weapon in thirty or forty seconds.) Prew finishes the job and

CAMERA MOVES to CLOSE on shelter half where all the parts are

laid out.

.

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