Midnight Cowboy Page #4

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

Joe watches the Panel Host, "... you're a nut case, fella, a

real nut case..."

INT. REMEMBERED BEAUTY SALON - ANOTHER TIME

Little Joe massaging Sally Buck's neck -- continuing the

earlier scene.

SALLY BUCK:

I'm so beat, no point you waiting

round, toots, think I'll stop in

for a beer or two...

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

Joe sits on the edge of the bed, watching the poodles primp.

INT. REMEMBERED PARLOR - ANOTEER TIME

Little Joe stares unblinking at the TV screen as Sally Buck

kisses him on the forehead, dressed for the street.

SALLY BUCK:

Expect me when you see me. Looks

like I got me a new beau, lover

boy, how's that for an old grammaw?

I'll leave you movie money...

Sally Buck tucks a dollar bill under a framed picture of

Jesus, who has replaced Woodsy Niles on the mantle.

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

As a fairy godmother's magic wand removes sticky hair spray

from a pretty model's head, Joe's quarter runs out and the

screen goes blank. At the same moment, the love song is cut

off by a singing station break "W-I-N-S NEW YORK" Joe rises,

flipping the dial of the radio to a cultured woman's voice

reading "...the Dow Jones averages, brought you by Morgan

Vandercook. Up your income with sound investment

counseling..."

JOE:

Up yours, lady.

... but Joe leaves the lady on, savoring the expensive sound

of her voice reading the stock quotations. Joe seats himself

at the desk, pleased to find a postcard photograph of the

hotel. He picks up a ballpoint pen, counts ten floors up from

the street and marks a huge X -- THIS IS ME, then turns the

card over, pen poised over the address blank.

INT. CAFETERIA SCULLERY - DAY

Ralph stares at the card, surrounded by dirty dishes.

RALPH:

Hell, he know I can't read...

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

Joe's pen wavers, starts to write and stops.

EXT. SALLY BUCK'S BEAUTY PARLOR - DAY

As we saw it last, deserted, a FOR RENT sign in the window.

Joe's reflection appears, staring at himself, dressed in his

dishwasher's clothes.

JOE'S VOICE

After all them dishes are washed,

what?

JOE'S REFLECTION

Then they bring some more dishes

and I wash them and then I, uh,

sleep some and then wash some more

dishes and then I...

JOE'S VOICE

Say it, lover boy!

JOE'S REFLECTION

Die.

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

Joe stares at the postcard, bemused,

JOE'S VOICE

Well, you better just shake your

tail, lover boy, and root, hog or

die.

Joe rises abruptly, rips up the postcard and tosses it out

the window.

JOE:

Goddam if I came to this town to

write postcards.

EXT. TIMES SQUARE - DAY

The torn fragments flutter down on the crowd -- a woman

brushing irritably at her hair -- a man grimacing, glancing

up -- a cop removing his hat to examine it.

EXT. TIMES SQUARE PALACE HOTEL - DAY

From a low angle -- identical with the postcard photograph --

an unseen hand scrawls a huge X--- THIS IS ME. Camera zooms

up to a close-up of Joe at the window.

EXT. FIFTH AVENUE - DAY

From on high -- as though Joe were watching himself -- the

Stetson moves through a crowd of Fifth Avenue shoppers...

EXT. GLASS BUILDING - DAY

... passing a glass bank, lady tellers counting money...

EXT. CAR SHOWROOM - DAY

... passing a display of imported luxury cars...

EXT. JEWELRY STORE - DAY

... passing a window which features a single gem -- pausing

as horns blast O.S. and a mod blonde in a stalled sports car

motions to Joe -- she needs a push. Joe grins, glances at

himself in the window, runs a comb through his hair, then

turns back to see a cop helping the mod blonde.

EXT. PARK AVENUE - DAY

Joe's heels drag as he walks a deserted block of luxury

apartment houses. O.S. The torchy woman's voice sings Joe's

love theme in counterpoint to the blasting horns, a siren, a

fire bell, a screech of brakes. Joe's spirits rise as he

hears the tic-tac-tic of high heels overtaking the heavy

click-clack-click of his boots. He adjusts his pace to arrive

at the corner at the same time as a smart and -- in Joe's

eyes -- very RICH LADY. Joe grins boyishly, holding his

Stetson over his heart.

JOE:

Beg pardon, ma'am, I'm new here in

town, just in from Houston, Texas,

and looking for the Statue of

Liberty.

The delicate profile gives no signs of hearing. Joe follows

her to the parkway in the middle of the avenue. There she

stops and turns, neither friendly nor hostile.

RICH LADY:

Were you looking? About the Statue

of Liberty?

JOE:

Joking? No, ma'am. Oh no! I mean

business!

RICH LADY:

I'm sorry. I thought you were --

never mind -- I've never actually

been there, but let me see, you

take the Seventh Avenue subway, I

think, to the end of the line...

JOE:

You sure are a pretty lady.

The Rich Lady tries to frown, taken aback, blushing.

RICH LADY:

You're not looking for the Statue

of Liberty at all.

JOE:

No, ma'am, I'm not.

RICH LADY:

Why, that's perfectly dreadful.

Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

A twinkle of amusement and sympathy reveals the age lines at

the corner of her eyes. Then she continues on quickly, just

as the light turns. Joe's view is blocked for a moment by

traffic, then he sees...

... the Rich Lady, newly aware of her flanks as she climbs

the steps of a brownstone and searches for her key. Still

from Joe's viewpoint, he sees himself move into frame and

follow the Rich Lady up the steps. The love theme swells O.S.

as the Rich Lady leads him into the house and closes the

door...

... leaving Joe standing alone on the parkway island,

surrounded by towering wealth. The love theme continues

over...

EXT. LEXINGTON AVENUE - DAY

... a pair of high-heeled pink slippers, walking a miniature

poodle -- slowing slightly, reacting to Joe's cowboy boots as

they pass, pause and turn back.

CASS'S VOICE

Hurry up, Baby. Do um goody-goods

for Mama.

Joe grins, holding his hat over his heart as he approaches

CASS TREHUNE, a blonde lady in a tight black dress, with the

look of a movie star who wrecked her career with food.

JOE:

Beg pardon, ma'am. I'm brand

spanking new to this town, come

from Houston, Texas, and hoping to

get a look at the Statue of

Liberty...

CASS:

You're hoping to get a look at

what?

JOE:

The Statue of Liberty.

CASS:

It's up in Central Park, taking a

leak. If you hurry, you'll make the

supper show. Now get lost.

But as she turns, Cass winks, dimpling the corners of her

mouth, signaling Joe to follow her.

INT. APARTMENT HOUSE ELEVATOR - DAY

Cass holds the DOOR OPEN button till Joe enters the elevator,

then the doors close with a soft expensive little kllooosh

and Cass turns with the smile of a very tiny girl...

CASS:

Hi.

... her lips closing on Joe's as the poodle yaps shrilly at

their feet. Superimposed, almost subliminally, a golden

dollar sign appears, halating like a star, and the bell of a

pinball machine rings O.S.

INT. CASS'S APARTMENT - DAY

A princess telephone is ringing on a gold and white desk.

Cass runs to grab it...

CASS:

Hello?

... as Joe steps from the elevator, which opens directly onto

Cass's penthouse. Cass beckons him toward her, hooks a finger

into his neckerchief and pulls his mouth toward hers while

she talks on the phone.

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