Midnight Cowboy Page #9

Joe's black and white suitcase gleams on the bed.

JOE'S VOICE

Twenty-three bucks, I got to have

twenty-three bucks...

INT. ALL NIGHT MOVIE - NIGHT

From an apparently empty balcony -- an old science fiction

film grinds endlessly through the night -- a lost spaceman

trying to make contact with a tantalizing Martian maiden

across an invisible time barrier, theremin voices calling,

"Earthling, where are you?"

FAT BOY'S VOICE

Okay. Sure. I got twenty-five...

At the top of the balcony, Joe leans back, turning his face

away as the Fat Boy embraces him, kissing Joe's cheek and

neck, his head moving down out of frame to show -- on the

screen -- the spaceman and Martian maiden meeting, arms

outstretched. But the Martian maiden moves right on through

the spaceman, crying, "Earthling come back, however many

centuries it is, I'll wait!" Joe closes his eyes, forcing his

memory back...

INT. REMEMBERED MOVIE HOUSE - ANOTHER TIME

... repeating the remembered image of Anastasia and a younger

Joe, behind the movie screen...

ANASTASIA:

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

only one ever!

... the remembered passion continuing, mounting -- intercut

with flash impressions, like flipping pages of a nudie

magazine -- naked, half-draped blondes gazing into camera

with sultry eyes, including one comic strip sexpot and the

calendar girl in Joe's Texas hotel room...

ANASTASIA'S VOICE

You're the best, the very best,

yes, yes, kiss me, oh God please

kiss me, Joe, now, now, now!

... Joe's face in extreme close-up, sounds of both movie

houses merging, confused, dominated by the voices of

adolescent boys...

BOYS' VOICES

Hey, Joe, give someone else a

chance! What's he doing for

chrisake? He kissing Anastasia? You

better swallow a whole goddam

drugstore, man!

... an adolescent ratpack waiting in line behind the screen,

laughing in coarse whispers, watching Joe and Anastasia. O.S.

theremin voices call "Earthling, where are you?"

INT. ALL NIGHT MOVIE - NIGHT

On screen, the Martian maiden moves through the spaceman,

crying, "Earthling, come back, however many centuries it is,

I'll wait!"

INT. ALL NIGHT MOVIE RESTROOM - NIGHT

Joe watches the Fat Boy doubled over, retching.

JOE:

I'm awful damn sorry you're sick,

kid, but you gonna have to gimme

that money like you said.

FAT BOY:

I was lying. I don't have it.

What're you going to do to me?

JOE:

(controls fury)

What you got in your pockets?

Eagerly, the boy produces a family photograph, a subway

token, a dirty handkerchief. Joe grabs his wrist, revealing a

watch.

JOE (CONT'D)

How much's that worth?

FAT BOY:

I can't go home without my watch!

My mother'd die! She'd die! Take my

books! Not my watch! She'd die!

But Joe has already kicked open the door. Theremin voices

drown out the Fat Boy, calling "Earthling, where are you?"

INT. ALL NIGHT MOVIE - NIGHT

Joe sprawls, trying to sleep, his feet on the balcony rail,

the radio at his ear. On screen, once again, the Martian

maiden moves through the spaceman, crying, but we hear the

voice of a desperate woman on two-way radio. As she speaks, a

policeman moves along the aisle, slapping his palm with his

night stick.

DESPERATE VOICE:

Bill, can I call you Bill, Mister

Bonner? I feel like I know you from

listening. What I called about,

Bill, I'm gonna kill myself...

EXT. SIXTH AVENUE - DAY

From a high angle, only Joe's Stetson and radio can be seen

above a passing bus, its side panel advertising BILL BONNER'S

STRAIGHT LINE, A STRAIGHT TALK SHOW.

BONNER'S VOICE

Why call me, baby? If you want to

do it; just do it, don't talk about

it. Are we drunky? Feeling a little

sorry for ourselves maybe?

Joe appears in full figure as the bus passes. He stands

looking at the suitcases in a luggage shop window.

DESPERATE VOICE:

Well, Bill, what I got thinking, I

didn't want the neighbors to have

to find me, this young couple with

the boy I want to have my cat, see,

Bill?

INT. RADIO STATION - DAY

BONNER, tough in a grey crew-cut, talks on the phone.

BONNER:

Okay, baby, now listen, just hold

on while I leave the line for a

minute. And think about all the

kids that are dying overseas for

you, okay, baby? Got that? I'll be

back in exactly sixty seconds.

After this message from...

A taxi born blasts, interrupting the sponsor's message.

EXT. SIXTH AVENUE - DAY

Joe's fist slams a fender violently, using Ratso's fake

injury trick to stop traffic, running across the street

toward...

EXT. NEDICK'S - DAY

... Ratso staring out at Joe, paralyzed in the act of

lighting a cigarette -- intercut in flashing close-ups -- Joe

outside the window, Ratso inside -- reflecting their

conflicting emotions -- Joe's murderous rage -- Ratso's panic

-- one almost subliminal flash of each revealing something

like pleasure at finding a long-lost friend...

INT. NEDICK'S - DAY

... Ratso staring up into camera, holding his breath.

RATSO:

Don't hit me, I'm a cripple.

Joe's hand falls on Ratso's shoulder.

JOE:

Oh, I ain't gonna hit you, I'm

gonna strangle you to death...

The cigarette in Ratso's mouth burns into his lip. He jerks

spasmodically, choking on smoke as he rips skin away with the

butt and drops it in his coffee cup.

JOE (CONT'D)

... only first I'm gonna turn you

upside down and shake you out right

here and now.

Coughing, eyes tearing, Ratso empties his pockets on the

counter, finally producing: sixty-four cents, a few sticks of

gum, an almost empty cigarette package, a book of matches and

two pawn tickets. He raises his eyes, somehow ashamed. Joe

kicks the toe of Ratso's loafer.

JOE:

What's in your socks?

RATSO:

Not a cent, I swear to God, I swear

on my mother's eyes.

Ratso removes his loafers and shakes them, glancing at the

counter man. His socks don't even conceal his toes.

Disgusted, Joe shoves Ratso's small pile back at him.

RATSO (CONT'D)

You keep the sixty-four cents. I

want you to have it.

JOE:

It's sticky. What you do, slobber

on 'em? I wouldn't touch 'em.

Joe should leave -- Ratso obviously has nothing tangible to

offer -- but Joe hesitates, lighting a cigarette as Ratso

pulls on his loafers.

RATSO:

How do you like that O'Daniel,

flipping out like that? I wanted to

get in touch with you when I heard,

but I been laid up with this

cold...

Ratso touches his chest, forcing a cough which continues

itself beyond his intention.

JOE:

You want some free medical advice,

shut your goddam mouth about that

night.

RATSO:

Okay, right, right, okay. Another

subject. Where you living? Still at

the hotel?

INT. ROOM 1014 - DAY

The black and white suitcase lies open on the bed.

INT. NEDICK'S - DAY

Joe turns abruptly and walks away.

JOE:

Shee-it. I got better things to do

than talk to you.

EXT. SIXTH AVENUE - DAY

Joe strides north, pretending he doesn't hear...

RATSO'S VOICE

Hey, wait up, for crissake!

... Ratso hop-skipping to overtake Joe at the traffic light.

JOE:

Listen, keep away from me, hear?

You come near me again, I snatch

you bald-headed!

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