Joe Versus the Volcano Page #5

19INT. JOE'S KITCHEN - MORNING (COUPLE OF HOURS LATER) 19

The loaf of bread is almost gone and the pot of coffee is

empty. Now we PULL BACK and see Joe sitting by the

window with his feet up, some crusts of toast lying on

the plate next to him. The sun has risen a goodly bit,

and can no longer be seen by us. But Joe is dappled with

sunlight. He is no longer in the thrall of a big

emotion, but he is extremely deep in the thought. The

DOORBELL RINGS. Joe doesn't move. It RINGS AGAIN. Did

he hear the doorbell? It RINGS AGAIN. He is now

satisfied the doorbell is ringing. He gets up and out

into the foyer.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 22.

20INT. JOE'S FOYER - DAY 20

The DOORBELL starts to RING AGAIN as Joe opens the door.

In the hallway is a powerful, glittering-eyed old man of

seventy, MR. GRAYNAMORE. He's wearing a long, black

cashmere overcoat, a dramatic but not silly black fedora,

and cowboy boots. He carries a vacuum-sealed can of

Planter's Peanuts in his pocket. He's got a cane with a

duck's head.

GRAYNAMORE:

Joe Banks? Mr. Joe Banks?

JOE:

Yeah?

GRAYNAMORE:

Have I come at a bad time?

JOE:

Yeah. No. I don't know how

to answer that question.

GRAYNAMORE:

Can I come in? Can we talk?

Joe throwing the door open. He's in his bathrobe.

GRAYNAMORE:

You're not dressed?

JOE:

No.

GRAYNAMORE:

Doesn't bother me if it

doesn't bother you.

Graynamore strides past Joe into Joe's living room. Joe

looks after, in a bit of a daze. Then he follows.

21INT. JOE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY21

It's modest, to say the least. It's messy and cheaply

furnished. An enormous crack runs up the wall and across

the ceiling. Graynamore takes the room in.

GRAYNAMORE:

Not a nice place you have

here, Joe. Mind if I call you

Joe?

JOE:

No.

Graynamore smacks a hole in the wall with his cane.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 23.

21CONTINUED:
(Al) 21

GRAYNAMORE:

Dingy, shabby, dinky, not

much.

He rips off his coat with gusto and tosses it away. He

sings a little of "Someone's in the Kitchen With Dinah."

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 4/14/89 24.

21CONTINUED:
21

He's a rich man, from out West, and that's what his

clothes look like. He seems to be enjoying himself very

much. He sticks out his hand to Joe.

GRAYNAMORE:

I see it as a sign of

tremendous sophistication that

you haven't demanded my name

or asked me what I'm doing

here. My name is Samuel

Harvey Graynamore.

They shake hands.

JOE:

Joe Banks.

GRAYNAMORE:

I know.

(stares into Joe's

face)

I'm trying to see the hero in

there.

JOE:

What do you mean?

GRAYNAMORE:

You dragged two kids down a

six-story burning staircase.

That was brave. But then you

went back up for the third.

That was heroic. Com'on,

you're a hero.

JOE:

That was a long time ago.

GRAYNAMORE:

Yes, it was.

Graynamore opens the nuts and dumps them on the table.

JOE:

How do you know my name?

GRAYNAMORE:

I know all about you. As much

as I could learn in twenty-

four hours, anyway. Peanuts?

JOE:

No.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 4/14/8924A.

21CONTINUED:
(1A) 21

GRAYNAMORE:

Quit your job, huh?

JOE:

Yeah.

GRAYNAMORE:

Well, sounded like a dumb job.

No family?

JOE:

No.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 25.

21CONTINUED:
(2) 21

GRAYNAMORE:

Good for you. Families are a

pain in the neck. What do you

know about superconductors ?

JOE:

Nothing.

GRAYNAMORE:

Me neither. But I own a huge

company that dominates the

world market for

superconductors.

JOE:

Really.

GRAYNAMORE:

Yes. Sit down.

Graynamore sits down, suddenly grounded and serious.

GRAYNAMORE:

I got a call from Dr. Ellison.

You were at his office

yesterday?

Joe nods.

GRAYNAMORE:

He told me your news. I hope

you won't be angry with him.

He thought you and I might be

able to help each other. Got

any whiskey?

Joe shakes his head. Graynamore produces a pipe.

GRAYNAMORE:

I want to hire you, Joe Banks.

I want you...

Graynamore strikes an enormous match and lights up.

GRAYNAMORE:

to jump into a volcano.

Joe jumps up.

JOE:

I do have some whiskey.

Joe pulls a bottle of cheap scotch out of a cabinet,

along with two glasses. He pours them both a drink and

sits down. Graynamore downs his whiskey which makes his

eyes glitter all the more. He leans forward and speaks

with great intensity.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 26.

21CONTINUED:
(3) 21

GRAYNAMORE:

There's an island in the South

Pacific called Waponi Woo. The

name means 'The Little Island

With the Big Volcano.' The

Waponis are a cheerful people

who live a simple existence

fishing in the lagoon and

picking fruit. They have one

fear. That's a big volcano,

they call it The Big Woo. They

believe an angry fire god in

the volcano will sink the

island unless, once every

hundred years, he is appeased.

It's been ninety-nine years,

eleven months, and eleven days

since the fire god got his

propers and the Waponis are

scared.

JOE:

How's the god appeased?

GRAYNAMORE:

Of his own free will, a man's

got to jump into the volcano.

Now as you might imagine, none

of the Waponis are anxious to

volunteer for the honor of

jumping into the Big Woo. And

the problem is that whoever

does it gotta do it of his own

free will so what do you do?

JOE:

What do you do?

Graynamore gets up and starts to move around the room.

GRAYNAMORE:

You do some tradin'. There's

a mineral on that island, Mr.

Banks. It's called bubureau.

I don't know anywhere else on

the planet where you can find

more than a gram of this

stuff, and believe me I've

looked. Because without

bubureau I can't make my

superconductors. I've tried

to get the mineral rights from

the Waponis, but I don't seem

to have anything they want.

But they do want a hero, Mr.

Banks. And they'll give me

the mineral rights if I find

them one.

JOE:

Why would I jump into a

volcano?

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 27.

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