Midnight Cowboy Page #3

JOE:

You throw in Sister Rosella and you

got a deal, right, old timer?

Joe glances across the aisle. The Old Cowhand manages a

faint, humorless smile.

JOE (CONT'D)

Going far?

OLD COWHAND:

Up the line. Not far.

JOE:

I'm bound for New York City.

The Old Cowhand reappraises Joe's wardrobe even more

curiously.

JOE (CONT'D)

Ever happen to come across a cowman

name of Woodsy Niles? Friend of my

grammaw Sally Buck...

The Old Cowhand considers, shakes his head. Joe leans back,

laughing to himself.

INT. REMEMBERED BEDROOM - ANOTHER TIME

Little Joe's head is lost in a beat-up cowboy hat, similar to

the one worn by the old Cowhand. Sally Buck smiles on WOODSY

NILES -- a long-legged cowboy with a shock of black hair --

who stands at her dressing table, admiring himself in a new

Stetson.

SALLY BUCK:

Like it, honey? Does it fit?

WOODSY:

You do me good, Sal, you do me real

good. You know what I gonna give

you for that Stetson?

Woodsy grabs Sally Buck, lifting her off her feet, carrying

her to the bed. Struggling, they fall across the covers

together, Little Joe laughing with them.

SALLY BUCK:

Woodsy Niles! The boy!

WOODSY:

He don't know what makes little

apples by now, it's time he found

out.

INT. BUS - NIGHT

Joe shakes his head, grinning, offering the old Cowhand a

cigarette.

JOE:

Smoke?

The old Cowhand shakes his head, showing the rolled cigarette

Joe lit for him. Joe nods, still bemused.

INT. REMEMBERED BEDROOM - ANOTHER TIME

Little Joe is cuddled in Sally Buck's arms, under the covers,

watching Woodsy, sitting cross-legged on the bed, naked

except for his Stetson and guitar, singing drunkenly.

WOODSY:

... git along little dogies!

EXT. MIDWEST TOWN - MORNING

From a high angle -- the bus slows to a stop.

INT. BUS - MORNING

Joe awakens, stiff-necked, momentarily confused. He

straightens in his seat as he sees the old Cowhand lifting a

sweat-stained saddle down from the overhead rack, starting

toward the front of the bus. Joe calls after him.

JOE:

Nice talking to you, old timer.

Joe stuffs a stick of gum in his mouth, turns to wave at the

Old Cowhand through the window as the bus pulls away.

WOODSY'S VOICE

She-dogs squat, boy. He-dogs stand

up and lift their leg...

INT. REMEMBERED MEN'S ROOM - ANOTHER TIME

Woodsy, in his new Stetson, watches Little Joe in his beat-up

cowboy hat, trying to balance on one foot, one leg lifted in

front of the trough. Woodsy roars with laughter.

WOODSY:

... but he-men stand and shoot from

the hip.

INT. BUS RESTROOM - DAY

Joe laughs, flushes, checks his hair in the mirror.

EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY

The bus streaks past a brightly-colored billboard -- IN NEW

YORK, A WELCOME AWAITS YOU AT THE TIMES SQUARE PALACE HOTEL!

INT. BUS - DAY

Joe is now sitting in the wide rear seat, between two young

MARINES and a group of VETERANS wearing campaign caps and

convention buttons, passing a bottle, singing "From the Balls

of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli..." Joe follows the

conversation between a VETERAN and a MARINE, participating

only because he's sitting beside them, adopting a remembered

military stance.

VETERAN:

Ever stationed at Kennedy? Those

Florida chicks...

MARINE:

Instant V-goddam-D.

VETERAN:

This Pensacola teeny-bopper -- jail

bait -- but built? Ten bucks she

wanted. Three of us made a deal

for, twenty-five, see, big goddam

bargain?

MARINE:

Big peni-goddam-cillin bargain,

right?

VETERAN:

You got it.

MARINE:

No. You got it.

JOE:

Jesus goddam Christ, I ain't

laughed so hard since I was out at

Fort Benning, Georgia.

MARINE:

Did you make the Viet?

JOE:

What? Oh, hell no. Motor pool

mostly...

(shakes his head)

Kee-rist...

INT. REMEMBERED WHOREHOUSE - ANOTEER TIME

A plump, aging PROSTITUTE laughs up into camera.

PROSTITUTE:

Hey, hey, what you try to do to me?

You gonna cost me money, soldier!

INT. BUS - DAY

Joe laughs as he passes the bottle, trying to sing along

without knowing the words as the Veterans segue into "Over

hill, over dale, we will hit the dusty trail, as the caissons

go rolling along..."

INT. REMEMBERED BEAUTY SALON - ANOTHER TIME

Sally Buck fondly wipes lipstick from Joe's lips.

SALLY BUCK:

Keep your meat hooks off my

operators, sugar, hear?

INT. BUS - DAY

Joe slaps one of the Veterans on the back, trying to follow

the song into "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder..."

INT. REMEMBERED MOVIE HOUSE - ANOTHER TIME

ANASTASIA clutches a younger Joe, eyes wild, gasping.

ANASTASIA:

You're the only one, Joe, the only,

only one ever!

INT. BUS - DAY

Joe is leaning across the two Marines, staring out of the

window as the Veterans switch to "Anchors aweigh, my boys,

anchors aweigh..."

EXT. MANHATTAN SKYLINE - DAY

A stunning view through the bus window past Joe's reflection.

JOE'S REFLECTION

Gonna swing my lasso and rope that

whole goddam island, yeah!

EXT. BROADWAY PARADE - DAY

Drum majorettes leading the parade -- ticker tape and

confetti -- girls at skyscraper windows.

INTERCUT NEWSREEL CLIP

Charles Lindberg (or James Stewart) waving at the crowd.

EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - DAY

Girls lining the piers -- flags, banners, bunting -- ship

horns, whistles, bells.

INT. BUS - DAY

Joe crowded as the veterans prepare to leave the bus, lifting

down banners and flags.

EXT. LINCOLN TUNNEEL - DAY

The bus suddenly surrounded by converging traffic, horns

honking, segueing into the noises of Times Square.

EXT. MARQUEE - DAY

Flag draped, reading: WELCOME VETERANS.

EXT. STREET - BANNER - DAY

Flapping in the wind -- WELCOME VETERANS!

EXT. TIMES SQUARE PALACE HOTEL - DAY

The marquee announces TRANSIENTS WELCOME. O.S. a singing

radio station break blares "W-I-N-S NEW YORK..."

EXT. RADIO TOWER - DAY

The sign flashes WINS "... ten-ten on your dial!" A torchy

woman's voice sings from a lonely echo chamber -- introducing

a love theme which will haunt Joe throughout the film.

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

Joe sets his radio on the dresser, his suitcase on the bed,

then turns to examine his new home -- as anonymous as his

Texas hotel room -- but boasting a coin-operated television

set. Fascinated, Joe inserts a quarter.

... the love song continues over a television talk Show

featuring a POODLE WIGMAKER defending his profession against

a Joe Pyne-type PANEL HOST, "...well, I perform a real

service, there's a need, so many people, you know, really

live in their pets, I mean, lonely, I grant you, but their

feeling is real. They want to lavish as much love, give them

as much, yes, pamper them like they were really human

children or whatever..."

SALLY BUCK'S VOICE

There's a TV dinner in the fridge,

lover boy...

INT. REMEMBERED PARLOR - ANOTHER TIME

Little Joe stares sullenly at an antique TV box while Sally

Buck puts her hat on at the fireplace mirror. There is a

framed picture of Woodsy Niles on the mantle.

SALLY BUCK:

You be okay, won't you? Maybe I

bring you a treat if you're a good

boy...

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