From Here to Eternity Page #9

MAGGIO:

Mess with me, Fatstuff, I'll pull

you apart!

FATSO:

You're the kind of character I eat

for breakfast, ya little --

Maggio breaks away from the girls and rushes toward Patso but

Prew, stepping through the group, grabs him. Mrs. Kipfer

bustles into the melee.

MRS. KIPFER

Now, you gentlemen know I will not

have any of this sort of thing.

44.

MAGGIO:

Shut up, you Wop, he says to me!

FATSO:

Little Mussolini here tryin to tell

me what way to play the piano.

MAGGIO:

Yeah, my ear drums fit to bust

already with that noise!

MRS. KIPFER

You man can simply leave if you're

not going to behave yourselves.

PREW:

Come on, Angelo, come on -

MAGGIO:

-- Ony my friends can call me Wop -

MEDIUM SHOT AT SIDE OF ROOM

where Prew hauls Maggio away from the piano.

SOLDIER:

(has been watching)

You know who that guy is, buddy?

MAGGIO:

Sure, I know who he is. Whadda I

care?

PREW:

Who is he?

SOLDIER:

Fatso Judson. Sergeant of the Guard

at the Post Stockade.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT FATSO JUDSON

settling down at the piano again. He glances over in

direction of Maggio with a mean smile. Then he starts to

hammer the keys viciously.

MEDIUM SHOT MAGGIO PEW SOLDIER

as the music starts, Maggio stiffens, turns as if to go back.

Prew holds tight, to his arm.

SOLDIER:

-- I’m tellin you, leave him be.

Nets danger. I seen him nearly

murder a guy once. He likes it.

45.

Sandra comes over, disengages Prew's arm from Maggio's, puts

her own around him.

SANDRA:

All right, bully boy, now you won

the war, let's dance.

MAGGIO:

(beginning to quiet down)

First I got to calm my nerves. Come

on with me to a phone booth or some

thin.

(slaps himself on belly)

Where I will unveil this fifth of

whisky I got under this loose

flowing sports shirt.

He and Sandra start off toward an adjoining room. Prew

smiles, turns back toward Lorene. The smile fades.

MEDIUM SHOT FROM PREW’S POV

Lorene is looking at another soldier, on the couch beside

her, with her rapt, innocent expression.

TRACKING SHOT PREW

as he crosses room to Lorene, hurt and disappointed. CAMERA

HOLDS on MEDIUM SHOT as he comes up to her and the soldier, a

talkative man named BILL.

BILL:

-- you go along as fast as forty

miles per through that surf and

your balance has got to be letter

perfect.

PREW:

Hey, I thought you were gonna wait.

LORENE:

(looks up, smiles)

Bill here was telling me about

surfboarding.

BILL:

Hello, friend.

LORENE:

(pats couch)

Sit down and just listen. He

describes it thrillingly.

Prew sits down, disgruntled. Bill notes his expression.

46.

BILL:

You know anything about

surfboarding?

PREW:

No. Nothing. Not a thing.

BILL:

You must be stationed inland then.

I'm at DeRussey so I get lots of

chances.

PREW:

Yeah? But then we got mountains.

You know anything about mountain

climbing?

BILL:

A little bit. Are you a mountain

climber?

PREW:

No. You know anything about flying

an airplane?

Lorene is frowning now.

BILL:

I've had a few lessons.

PREW:

Well, I can't fly either. What

do you know about deep sea diving?

LORENE:

Do you want to move into another

room, Bill?

BILL:

Sure. The air in here seems to have

gotten very smelly, hasn't it?

PREW:

Yeah, I noticed that, too -

BILL:

Listen, fellow -

LORENE:

Shall we go, then?

47.

She and Bill rise. She smiles tremulously at him as she takes

his arm and they start off. She throws a severe glance over

her shoulder at Prew.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT PREW

He settles lower in the couch, the picture of frustration and

hopelessness. He pulls a cigarette from his pocket and lights

it.

EXT. KUHIO PARK - NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT PARK BENCH

Karen sits on the bench, her ankles crosses primly, very ill

at ease. There is Payday activity here also; amorous

strolling couples; men in ones and twos looking for pickups.

Several unattached men pass Karen, ogle her. She is about to

get up and leave when Warden comes into shot, stands over

her. His civilian suit is neat and well-cut. Both are

strained, awkward, antagonistic. Now that the step has been

taken they are not at all sure it was a clever one.

KAREN:

Why, hello. I didn't think you were

coming.

WARDEN:

Why not? I'm not late.

KAREN:

No, I guess you're not. But then I

came a little early. I must have

been overanxious. You weren't

overanxious though, were you? You

got here right on the dot.

WARDEN:

Maybe I'd of been early too only I

stopped to get a drink.

.

KAREN:

You certainly chose a savory spot

for our meeting.

WARDEN:

Would you rather it'd been the

cocktail lounge of the Royal?

KAREN:

No, but I've had five chances to be

picked up in the last few minutes.

48.

WARDEN:

(sits beside her on the

bench)

That's par for the course around

here.

KAREN:

Well, I don't care for it. I never

went in much for back-alley loving.

WARDEN:

Didn’t you?

KAREN:

You probably think I'm a tramp,

don't you?

WARDEN:

What makes you think I'd think

that?

KAREN:

Don't try to be gallant, Sergeant.

If you think this is a mistake,

come right out and say so.

WARDEN:

(outrage)

Listen, what started all this,

anyway? Why'm I shakin inside like

a school kid out with teacher!

Where'd I come up with a yen for of

all things the Compny Commander's

wife! And her actin like Lady

Astor's horse all because I only

got here on time!

Warden's burst shatters the tension. Karen breaks into

laughter. After a moment, Warden joins in.

KAREN:

On the other hand, I've got a

bathing suit under my dress.

WARDEN:

Funny. I got one in a U-Drive-It

parked around the corner.

He takes her hand. They rise and walk away, backs to camera.

They merge with the other couples in the little park.

INT. LARGE CLUB ROOM - NEW CONGRESS - NIGHT

49.

MEDIUM SHOT COUCH

Fatso's piano music o.s. Prew is slumped on the couch. He

stubs out the cigarette, which is almost burnt down. He sees

someone coming toward him, slowly raises his eyes. Lorene

comes into shot, looks down at him.

PREW:

How's the surfboard rider?

LORENE:

That was a terrible way to have

acted. What you did.

PREW:

I was jealous.

LORENE:

(laughs)

You're a funny one.

PREW:

What do you dames want? To take

the heart out of a man and tie it

up in barbed wire?

LORENE:

(angry because she really

likes Prew)

Now, look here, what do you think

Mrs. Kipfer pays us for? We're

hired to be nice to all the boys.

They're all alike. Is it so

important?

PREW:

(stands; urgently)

Yes, it's important. Maybe we seem

all alike but none of us is ever

all alike.

(pause)

All right, I'm sorry about before.

LORENE:

(touched by his outburst)

That piano is about to drive me out

of my mind. Let's go up to Mrs.

Kipfer's suite and sit there. She

lets us use it sometimes... for

somebody special.

PREW:

Are you mad?

50.

LORENE:

No, I'm not mad.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes