His Girl Friday Page #10

Boy goes, Burns rises, starts off, comes back for his cup of

coffee, which he then takes off with him.

TWO SHOT - BRUCE AND HILDY

BRUCE:

(looking after him)

You know, Hildy, he's not a bad

fellow.

HILDY:

(looking at him

maternally)

You're so nice, Bruce, you think

everybody else is.

BRUCE:

Oh, he's not the man for you. I can

see that. But I sort of like him.

Got a lot of charm.

HILDY:

He comes by it naturally. His

grandfather was a snake.

BRUCE:

(shaking his head)

If anybody had told me I'd be sitting

at lunch with him -- but he swept me

right off my feet.

HILDY:

That's what he did to me. Swept me

right off my feet -- and left me

lying on the floor.

INT. PHONE BOOTH FULL SHOT

Burns is listening, has coffee on ledge and sips it now and

then.

BURNS:

Get this -- get Sweeney off that

yarn and out of town on a two weeks'

vacation -- and right away... All

right, Duffy, keep your shirt on.

Hildy's coming back... No. She doesn't

know it yet. But she'll be there. I

promise you, Duffy. And tell Louie

to stick around.

He hangs up, smiles, and finishes the coffee. Then he girds

himself for being crushed. He gradually begins to look sunk.

He pulls out a small mirror to study his expression till he

finally gets what he wants. He holds that expression as he

comes out of the booth.

INT. RESTAURANT MED. SHOT AT TABLE

Gus is entering the scene.

GUS:

Your milk, sir.

He serves Bruce.

GUS:

And I brought you another cup of

coffee, Hildy.

Gus serves her and puts still another cup in front of Burns'

chair.

HILDY:

Thanks, Gus.

She takes a sip and almost chokes.

BRUCE:

Too hot?

HILDY:

(gasping for breath)

No. It's strong.

(quickly)

But I like it that way.

Gus goes, smiling.

BRUCE:

(looking off)

Say, what's happened to Burns? He

looks sunk, doesn't he?

HILDY:

(beaming)

He certainly -- hic -- does!

Burns comes into scene, looking like a 1929 banker just before

jumping off a roof, and sits down.

BRUCE:

Anything the matter?

BURNS:

Just Sweeney again. One of my best

reporters.

HILDY:

What now?

BURNS:

His wife had twins and he went out

to celebrate and got as drunk as a

lord. They can't even find him.

(he sips his coffee)

I tell you, drink is the ruin of

this nation.

HILDY:

(sipping hers)

You said it.

BURNS:

So -- Sweeney gets twins -- and Earl

Williams gets hanged tomorrow.

BRUCE:

Just what is the lowdown on Williams?

BURNS:

It's simple. A poor little dope who

lost his job went berserk and shot a

cop who was coming after him to quiet

him down.

HILDY:

If he's nuts, why doesn't the State

just put him away?

BURNS:

Because it happened to be a colored

policeman.

HILDY:

(for Bruce's benefit)

The colored vote happens to be very

important to the Mayor of this town.

BURNS:

Especially with an election coming

up in a few days.

BRUCE:

Are you sure Williams is not all

there?

BURNS:

All you've got to do is talk to him.

But the Mayor would hang his own

grandmother to be re-elected.

BRUCE:

But couldn't you show the man wasn't

responsible?

CLOSEUP - BURNS

BURNS:

(there's a sly

expression on his

face)

How?

HILDY'S VOICE

You could run an interview that would

prove it. Remember the interview I

wrote with Jimmy Wellman? That saved

his life.

BURNS:

(slapping hands

together)

Yes, you could do it, Hildy. You

could save that poor devil's life.

You could -- but --

(the enthusiasm dies

away)

-- you're going away. I forgot.

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