Memphis Belle Page #6

VAL:

We better tell Dennis he's sick

and get someone else.

LUKE:

We can't! A new man's bad luck.

VAL:

What's a drunk navigator, good

luck?

LUKE:

So, you're the doctor. Sober him

up.

VAL:

He's going to endanger every man

in that...

LUKE:

Come on, he's not so bad. He's

just a little high.

Sound of a TRICKLE from the stall. Val glances at his

watch.

VAL:

I timed that. Forty-five seconds

to find his own dick.

Val and Luke look at each other.

INT. LATRINE STALL

Val bends Phil over the toilet.

VAL:

Stick your finger down your

throat.

Phil shakes his head.

VAL:

Do it or I'll do it for you.

(CONTINUED)

31.

29 CONTINUED:

Phil tries to get away. Val shoves him up against the

wall, pries open his mouth and sticks his own finger

down Phil's throat. Phil gags and vomits, right on

Val's shirt and tie.

30 INT. ENLISTED MEN'S BARRACKS

The enlisted men are getting dressed and shaving. Danny

takes a picture of the hut, and the men groan. The men

are tense, nervous, but they cover their anxiety with

jokes and foolishness.

JACK:

I can see it. I get back home,

I'm making love to my wife, the

door breaks open and it's Danny,

taking a f***ing picture!

Danny laughs. He turns his camera on Eugene, who's

searching his bunk, in a state of near panic.

EUGENE:

Anybody seen my St. Anthony medal?

DANNY:

Isn't he the patron saint of

missing things?

EUGENE:

Yeah, I can't find him!

Danny takes the picture.

31 INT. LATRINE

Val is shaving Phil, who's shivering, a wreck. Val's

shirt is wet -- he has washed off the vomit. Luke comes

in.

LUKE:

Coast's clear. Dennis went for

chow.

Phil pulls a Boy Scout knife out of his pocket.

PHIL:

Luke, I want you to have my

penknife. It's real nice.

LUKE:

Keep it. If Dennis sees you like

this, you'll need it to cut your

throat with.

(CONTINUED)

32.

31 CONTINUED:

Luke rips open a little packet and empties it in Phil's

mouth.

LUKE:

Sen-sen.

32 INT. BARRACKS

Danny takes the bottle of champagne from his locker.

Rascal snatches it away from him.

RASCAL:

You're not thinking of sneaking

this on the plane, are you?

Danny, I am shocked. And Virge

goes out for the pass!

He tosses it across the room to Virge.

DANNY:

Don't!

JACK:

Hey, wiseguys, cut the crap!

EUGENE:

I found it!

He finds his St. Anthony medal under his bed. He slips

the chain over his head, kisses the medallion and falls

to his knees to say a little prayer. Rascal and Virge

continue to play keepaway from Danny, annoying the other

men.

33 INT. OFFICERS' BARRACKS

Phil is dressed and Val is tying his shoes. Phil

hiccups.

VAL:

Stop it!

Phil hiccups again. Just then, a quick KNOCK, the door

opens and Dennis comes in.

DENNIS:

There you are, Phil. I just want

to remind you both to keep quiet

about you know what.

VAL:

What? Oh, sure.

(CONTINUED)

33.

33 CONTINUED:

Phil nods.

DENNIS:

Okay. See you at briefing.

He goes out, closing the door behind him.

VAL:

(to Phil)

You did good.

Phil lets out a loud hiccup he'd been saving up.

34 INT. MESS HALL

It's crowded and smoky. The enlisted men are jammed

together on one side of the hall. The officers have

more space on their side. Val and Phil are going down

the line. A tough Army COOK is serving eggs, bacon and

pancakes.

COOK:

We're counting on you today, sirs.

Kick Hitler's butt.

VAL:

Give him extra. He's real hungry.

The Cook heaps some more eggs on the plate. Phil

watches, nauseated.

CUT TO:

CLAY, VIRGE, EUGENE, JACK, RASCAL AND DANNY

are crowded at a table, all smoking and drinking coffee.

Jack is the only one eating.

JACK:

These powdered eggs would gag a

buzzard.

He takes Virge's plate and scrapes the eggs onto his

plate and eats those, too. Luke and Dennis come over.

DENNIS:

How are we doing this morning,

men?

Luke puts a hammerhold on Rascal's neck.

(CONTINUED)

34.

CONTINUED:

RASCAL:

Stop it! You won't have a chance

to do that after today, Luke, sir.

LUKE:

I wouldn't be so sure. Right,

Dennis?

Suddenly, across the room, a CRASH and CLATTER. Everyone

looks. Val is scurrying to retrieve a box of silverware

Phil knocked over. Dennis watches. Luke watches Dennis.

DENNIS:

I guess we've all got the jitters

this morning. See you after

briefing.

Dennis walks off. Luke breathes a sigh of relief.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM

Up front, a small stage. On stage, a board covered by

a curtain. On the left side, a spool of red yarn, the

yarn leading behind the curtain. The room is crowded,

noisy and smoky. Val escorts Phil to a seat in the

back. He's nearly comatose. Luke comes up to them,

holding his dog, a brown and white speckled mutt.

LUKE:

How the hell's he going to get

through the navigator's briefing

afterwards?

VAL:

On a wing and a f***ing prayer.

Val and Phil sit. Luke leaves them to take his seat

down front with Dennis.

CUT TO:

DANNY AND ROOKIE

sitting across the aisle with the other radio operators.

ROOKIE:

I thought we'd have a little more

practice before we went up.

DANNY:

You'll do fine.

(CONTINUED)

35.

35 CONTINUED:

Danny takes out a couple of pencils and gives the Rookie

one, then turns to a fresh sheet in his notebook.

Suddenly, a sharp voice calls out.

VOICE (O.S.)

Tenn-hut!

Everyone rises to attention. The CO steps up on stage.

CO:

At ease, gentlemen.

Murmuring and shuffling as everyone sits.

CO:

I hope you all had a good time

last night. But now it's back to

business. The target for today

is...

The S-2 pulls back the curtain to reveal a map of

Northern Europe. The red yarn extends from East Anglia

all the way across the North Sea, then turns sharply

and penetrates into Germany.

CO:

Bremen.

The room erupts into disbelief, gasps, groans, nervous

laughter. First we see Dennis and Luke, then Phil and

Val, then Danny and the Rookie, all looking at the map

in shock. They weren't expecting this.

36 EXT. BRIEFING ROOM

The CO hurries out of the briefing room. Bruce is

waiting for him.

BRUCE:

(angrily)

Are you crazy? Bremen's one of

the most heavily-defended cities

in Germany! They'll get blown out

of the sky. You've got to pull

the Memphis Belle from this

mission.

CO:

No.

BRUCE:

I need those men. This whole

public relations junket depends...

(CONTINUED)

36.

CONTINUED:

CO:

(interrupting)

I have orders to put every plane

in the sky that I can.

BRUCE:

Craig, if we present a united

front, the two of us, we can get

the Belle pulled. You talk to

H.Q. I'll talk to Washington.

CO:

I promised General Eaker 24 planes

today. I lost one yesterday. The

Memphis Belle has to go.

BRUCE:

You don't really care if those men

live or die, do you? They're just

another plane to you. Just so you

can reach your quota.

CO:

Colonel, I'm in command here and

I've made my decision!

BRUCE:

Your decision is inhuman and

irresponsible, and I'm going to

make sure everybody knows about

it, starting with General Eaker.

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