His Girl Friday Page #14

HILDY:

How about that check? All right, Mr.

Burns, but remember, no checkee --

no story. Well, as soon as they decide

whether you live or not will you

have that new man of mine call me

up? Yes, sir.

(she hangs up)

All right, boys. Up a dime.

ENDICOTT'S VOICE

Right back at you.

MED. SHOT

MCCUE:

(dropping his cards)

You fight it cut.

HILDY:

And up a dime.

ENDICOTT:

(studying a second)

I call. What you got?

HILDY:

(displaying her cards)

Three bullets! Any good?

ENDICOTT:

(throwing his cards

away)

Beats king up.

Hildy rakes in the money.

MCCUE:

What are you going to do with all

that money, Hildy?

WILSON:

Yeah -- you can't spend it in Albany.

HILDY:

Oh, I'll think of something.

MED. SHOT

taking in door and including group. Bensinger, another

reporter, comes in from the corridor. He stands out from the

others because of his tidy appearance, and carries a book

under his arm.

MURPHY:

Hello, Harvard! Got anything new on

the hanging?

CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

(cockily)

Why don't you fellows get your own

news?

CLOSE SHOT HILDY

HILDY:

Can't you say 'hello' to a fellow?

TWO SHOT FEATURING HILDY AND BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

Hildy!

He comes over to shake hands.

BENSINGER:

Are you back?

HILDY:

No, just a farewell appearance,

batting for Sweeney. I'm going into

business for myself.

BENSINGER:

What doing?

HILDY:

I'm getting married tomorrow.

BENSINGER:

Well, congratulations! Good luck!

THE TABLE ANOTHER ANGLE

ENDICOTT:

Why don't you use him for a

bridesmaid, Hildy?

SCHWARTZ:

Come on, Hildy, your deal.

CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER AT HIS DESK

He opens a drawer, the one in which Hildy put her stockings.

BENSINGER:

Say, who put these stockings in my

desk?

(he turns to the group)

McCUE's VOICE I don't know, but I think they got rats in the

building.

BENSINGER:

(makes a gesture of

disgust and picks up

telephone)

This is Bensinger. I just saw the

Sheriff. He won't move the hanging

up a minute... All right, I'll talk

to him again, but it's no use. The

execution is set for seven in the

morning. Get me a rewrite man.

CLOSE SHOT ENDICOTT

dealing the cards.

ENDICOTT:

Why can't they hang that guy at a

reasonable hour, so we can get some

sleep?

CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

(into phone)

Jake, new lead on the hanging. This

new alienist from New York -- Dr.

Max J. Egelhoffer -- is going to

interview Williams in about half an

hour -- in the Sheriff's office.

MED. SHOT AT TABLE - FEATURING MURPHY

Murphy reaches for the phone. Without dropping his cards, he

jiggles the hook.

MURPHY:

That must be the tenth alienist

they've had on Williams. Even if he

wasn't crazy before, he would be

after ten of those babies got through

psychoanalyzing him.

(into phone)

Gimme the desk.

ENDICOTT:

This Egelhoffer's pretty good.

MURPHY:

Yeah? What did he ever do for his

country?

ENDICOTT:

Don't you remember? He's the guy

went to Washington to interview the

Brain Trust, and gave out a statement

that they were all sane. It created

a sensation!

CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

He is referring to his notes as he talks:

BENSINGER:

(into phone)

Here's the situation on the eve of

the hanging:

CLOSE SHOT MURPHY

He continues playing his cards:

MURPHY:

(into phone)

This is Murphy. More slop on the

hanging.

CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

(into phone)

A double guard's been thrown around

the jail, municipal buildings,

railroad terminals, and elevated

stations to prepare for the expected

general uprising of radicals at the

hour of execution.

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