His Girl Friday Page #42

CLOSE SHOT HILDY

HILDY:

Where's Butch?

BURNS' VOICE

He's on the way.

HILDY:

(over her typing)

He'd better hurry. The boys'll be

coming back to phone.

BURNS:

(coming into shot to

peer over her shoulder)

Well, keep going! We want an extra

out on the streets before it's too

late!

HILDY:

(looking up suddenly)

Where's Bruce?

BURNS:

Bruce? Oh -- er -- he went out to

get the tickets.

HILDY:

What tickets?

BURNS:

Railroad tickets.

HILDY:

Is he coming back here?

BURNS:

Didn't you hear him? Of course he's

coming back here. Keep going, will

you?

MED. SHOT

as Burns leaves Hildy and goes over to desk and picks up his

phone again.

BURNS:

(into phone)

Duffy!

EXT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DOOR - NIGHT CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

Finding the door locked, he knocks.

INT. PRESS ROOM - NIGHT MED. CLOSE SHOT BURNS AND HILDY

as another knock comes, they take it big.

HILDY:

(calling)

Who is it?

EXT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DOOR - NIGHT CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

What's the idea of locking this?

INT. PRESS ROOM - NIGHT CLOSE SHOT BURNS AND HILDY

HILDY:

That's Bensinger. That's his desk.

BURNS:

(whispering)

What's his name?

The door knob is rattled violently.

HILDY:

Bensinger -- of the Tribune.

EXT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DOOR - NIGHT CLOSE SHOT BENSINGER

BENSINGER:

Open this door!

INT. PRESS ROOM CLOSE SHOT BURNS

He starts for the door.

BURNS:

I'll handle him.

CAMERA TRUCKS WITH HIM to the door.

BURNS:

The Tribune, eh? Watch me!

He opens the door.

AT DOOR:

BENSINGER:

(as he comes in)

Ain't you got any more sense than to --

?

(sees Burns and is

overcome)

Oh, h-hello, Mr. Burns. Why, quite

an honor having you come over here.

BURNS:

(casually)

Hello, Bensinger.

BENSINGER:

Excuse me, I just want to --

He starts for the desk. Hildy's typing goes on, coming in

over the scene.

BURNS:

(starting for the

desk, suddenly

blocking his path)

Quite a coincidence, my running into

you tonight. Isn't it, Hildy?

HILDY'S VOICE

Yeh.

BENSINGER:

How do you mean?

CLOSEUP BURNS AND BENSINGER

BURNS:

I was having a little chat about you

just this afternoon -- with our Mister

Duffy.

BENSINGER:

(essaying a pleasantry)

Nothing -- ah -- detrimental, I hope.

BURNS:

I should say not! That was one swell

story you had in the paper this

morning.

BENSINGER:

(deeply moved)

Oh, did you -- care for the poem,

Mr. Burns?

BURNS:

(startled)

The poem?... The poem was great!

BENSINGER:

(blinking at these

words)

Remember the ending?

(and he recites)

" -- and all is well, outside his

cell, But in his heart he hears the

hangman Calling and the gallows

falling And his white-haired mother's

tears..."

BURNS:

(overcome)

Heartbreaking! How would you like to

work for me?

BENSINGER:

What?

MEDIUM SHOT:

taking in table, Hildy typing there.

BURNS:

(to Bensinger)

We need somebody like you. All we've

got now are a lot of low-brows. Like

Johnson here.

He starts shoving Bensinger away from the desk, toward the

table.

BENSINGER:

Seriously, Mr. Burns?

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