His Girl Friday Page #24

Hartman starts to take gun out, hesitates.

HARTMAN:

I don't know --

EGELHOFFER:

(insistently)

Come, come, Sheriff, lightning doesn't

strike in the same place twice.

Nothing's going to happen.

Hartman hands him the gun.

EGELHOFFER:

Now, the Sheriff will be Mollie

Malloy, in whose room you were. You

will be Earl Williams. And I will be

the policeman. Follow me, Mr.

Williams?

WILLIAMS:

Yes, sir.

Egelhoffer hands the gun to Williams and then backs up a few

paces.

EGELHOFFER:

So -- now I say to you: 'Earl

Williams, you are under arrest!' and

you point your gun at me.

WILLIAMS:

(hesitantly)

Well, it wasn't exactly that way --

EGELHOFFER:

(insistently)

Point the gun at me!

Williams does so.

EGELHOFFER:

Then what did you do?

Williams hesitates for a moment and then pulls the trigger.

Hartman promptly dives under the desk as Egelhoffer topples

over.

WILLIAMS:

(pathetically)

Now can I go, please?

There is a loud banging on the door and a voice calling:

VOICE:

Hey, Sheriff! Open up! What happened?

Williams, alarmed by voice, turns and starts toward window.

INT. PRESS ROOM MED. GROUP SHOT

Hildy is now wearing her hat and gloves. She picks up her

bag and starts for the door.

ENDICOTT:

Goodbye, Yonson.

MCCUE:

So long, Hildy.

MURPHY:

Send us a postcard, kid.

SCHWARTZ:

Who'll keep the lamp in the window

for you.

BENSINGER:

Goodbye, Hildy.

Hildy has crossed to doorway, the CAMERA TRUCKING WITH HER.

She turns and faces the room to make a last bravura speech.

HILDY:

Well, goodbye, you wage-slaves. When

you're crawling up fire escapes,

getting kicked out of front doors,

and eating Christmas dinners in one-

armed joints, don't forget your pal,

Hildy Johnson! And, remember, my

husband sells insurance!

She turns and starts on a bit of verse:

HILDY:

"It takes a heap o' livin' to make a

house a home."

She is interrupted by a terrific fusillade of shots in the

courtyard. A roar of excited voices comes up. For a tense

second, everyone is motionless. There is another volley of

shots. Wilson, Endicott and Murphy jump for the window.

CLOSE SHOT AT WINDOW

VOICES FROM COURTYARD

Get the riot guns! Spread out, you

fellows! Etc.

WILSON:

There's a jail-break!

MURPHY:

(at window,

simultaneously)

Cooley! What's the matter What's

happened?

VOICES FROM YARD

Watch the gate! He's probably trying

the gate!

Outside, a siren begins to wail.

ENDICOTT:

(out the window)

Who got away? Who was it?

VOICE OUTSIDE:

Earl... Williams!!!

THE REPORTERS:

Who? Who'd he say? Earl Williams! It

was Earl Williams! He got away! Etc.

SHOT AT DESK:

MCCUE:

Holy ---! Gimme that telephone!

(works hook frantically)

Hurry! Hurry up! This is important!

MED. SHOT TAKING IN DOOR

Searchlights hit the windows, sweeping from direction of the

jail. Hildy stands paralyzed, her bundle in her hand. There

is another rifle volley. Two windowpanes crash into the room.

Some plaster falls. Gongs sound above the siren. The boys

are jumping for their telephones. Another windowpane goes.

MCCUE:

(screaming)

Look out!

CLOSE SHOT AT WINDOW

MURPHY:

(out the window)

Look out where you're aiming, will

you?

A QUICK MONTAGE:

of reporters at their various phones follows: "Gimme the

desk!" "Flash!" "Earl Williams just escaped!" "Don't know

yet -- call you back.", etc., are shouted into the phones by

Schwartz, Wilson, McCue, Endicott, Bensinger and Murphy.

After each man communicates with his paper, he dashes for

the door.

MEDIUM SHOT:

The last of the reporters is gone.

CLOSE SHOT - HILDY

Her bag, almost unnoticed, falls to the floor. CAMERA TRUCKS

WITH HER as she moves back into the room, absently grabbing

and trailing a chair.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

HILDY:

Ahhh --

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes