On the Beach Page #3

Synopsis: In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Stanley Kramer
Production: United Artists
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
75%
APPROVED
Year:
1959
134 min
660 Views


WATCH THE WRONG MOUSE HOLE.

COME AGAIN ?

BUT THEN WHO WOULD KNOW

YOU WERE SO TOUGH

AND DRANK STRAIGHT MILK ?

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?

WHICH STATE ?

[ Laughs ]

I'M FROM IDAHO.

IDAHO ?

I KNOW BETTER:

THAN THAT.

THERE'S NO NAVY IN IDAHO

BECAUSE IT'S TOO HILLY.

WELL, I WAS BORN IN IDAHO.

I LIVE IN CONNECTICUT NOW.

NEAR NEW LONDON,

WHERE I'M BASED.

WHERE WERE YOU DURING

ALL THE WATCHAMACALLIT ?

OH, NO. I DIDN'T MEAN

TO ASK YOU THAT.

PETER SAID NOT TO.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER.

I CAN'T DECIDE IF

I'M MORE OBJECTIONABLE

DRUNK OR SOBER.

IT'S PERFECTLY ALL RIGHT.

WE WERE AT SEA...

BETWEEN KISKA AND MIDWAY,

WHEN IT BEGAN.

WE GOT ORDERS TO GO

TO THE WEST PACIFIC,

AND WHEN WE PUT OUR NOSE UP

NORTH OF IWO JIMA...

THE AIR WAS FILLED

WITH RADIOACTIVE DUST.

SO WE DUCKED.

LATER ON,

TOOK A LOOK AT MANILA...

THROUGH THE PERISCOPE.

IT WAS STILL TOO HO TO SURFACE, SO WE CAME DOWN

THE COAST OF AUSTRALIA...

AND ENDED UP HERE.

THERE WASN'T MUCH

OF ANYPLACE ELSE TO GO.

[ Pouring A Drink ]

YOU LOOK MARRIED.

OH, I AM.

MY WIFE'S NAME IS SHARON.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF KIDS:

RICHARD, EIGHT;

HELEN, FIVE.

[ Chuckles ]

DICK IS THE REAL SAILOR

OF THE FAMILY.

HE IS GOING TO ANNAPOLIS.

[ Chuckles ]

OH, THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED.

HE'LL PROBABLY

CHANGE HIS MIND.

WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG ?

CAN YOU:

EXPLAIN IT TO ME ?

NOBODY CAN:

EXPLAIN IT TO ME.

AND DON'T TELL ME ABOU THOSE DAMN WINDS AGAIN.

HOW THE NORTHERN

HEMISPHERE AND THE

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE...

GET ALL MIXED UP

AND OVERLAP.

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR

ABOUT THAT ANYMORE.

ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS...

IF EVERYBODY WAS SO SMART,

WHY DIDN'T THEY KNOW

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ?

THEY DID.

WELL, I--

I CAN'T TAKE IT.

I--

[ Sighs ]

OH, YES, I CAN TAKE IT.

BUT IT'S UNFAIR.

IT'S UNFAIR BECAUSE

I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING...

AND NOBODY I KNOW

DID ANYTHING.

MAYBE I'M STUPID.

I HAD TO TAKE ALGEBRA TWICE.

THE ONLY THING I COULD

UNDERSTAND WAS GEOGRAPHY.

I LIKE GEOGRAPHY.

YOU KNOW WHA I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO ?

I WANTED TO WALK DOWN

THE RUE DE RIVOLI.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN

TO THE RUE DE RIVOLI ?

YES.

I WANTED TO WALK DOWN

THE RUE DE RIVOLI,

AND I WANTED TO BUY GLOVES.

I KNOW THE FRENCH WORD

FOR GLOVES--

[ Sobbing ]

NO, YOU'VE GOT I ALL BACKWARDS.

WHAT'S THAT ?

I WAS SUPPOSED TO COMFORT YOU,

AND YOU'RE COMFORTING ME.

I'M CRYING.

EVERYBODY WAS SO AFRAID

THAT YOU MIGHT CRY.

THEY WERE ?

ISN'T THAT FUNNY ?

[ Chuckling ]

NO.

SOMETIMES I DO.

YOU BETTER GO TO BED.

MM-HMM.

BUT YOU'RE IN MY BEDROOM.

OH.

WELL... I'LL CLEAR OUT.

DWIGHT.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME,

WOULD YOU PLEASE HOLD ONTO ME

JUST FOR A MOMENT LONGER ?

THIS FELLOW JULIAN--

AND HERE ON SOME KIND

OF SCIENTIFIC JOB.

WHAT'S HE DO, EXACTLY ?

[ Bridie ]

I THINK PROFESSOR JORGENSON

SHOULD OUTLINE HIS PLAN...

BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION.

[ Jorgenson ]

SIMPLY STATED, OUR VIEW,

OUR STRONG OPINION, IS THIS:

DURING THE LAST WINTER

IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE,

RAIN AND SNOW MAY HAVE

WASHED THE AIR, SO TO SPEAK,

CAUSING THE RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS

TO FALL TO THE GROUND MORE

QUICKLY THAN ANTICIPATED.

BUT THE TRANSFER

OF RADIOACTIVITY TO US...

WOULD BE PROGRESSIVELY

DECREASED,

AND HUMAN LIFE COULD GO ON HERE

OR, AT LEAST, IN ANTARCTICA--

THAT'S CLEAR ENOUGH,

PROFESSOR JORGENSON.

IT'S A HOPE.

WE AGREE AND THE GOVERNMEN AGREES THAT IT'S WORTH

TRYING TO FIND OUT, ANYHOW.

HOW FAR NORTH:

COULD A VESSEL PROCEED ?

OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THA THE SUBMARINE SHOULD GO...

AS FAR NORTH IN THE PACIFIC

AS POSSIBLE,

TO POINT BARROW,

AND MAKE THE NECESSARY

RADIOACTIVITY READINGS.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S

INSTRUCTION, INCIDENTALLY,

IS THESAWFISHBE EXPOSED

TO AS FEW DANGERS AS POSSIBLE.

COMMANDER,

HOW ABOUT ICE THAT FAR NORTH ?

SHE'S NO ICEBREAKER.

WE CAN FEEL OUR WAY.

I MAKE IT OVER 13,000 MILES

ROUND TRIP.

ENOUGH POWER IN YOUR REACTOR

FOR THAT, COMMANDER ?

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S

A CONSIDERABLE STOCKPILE

OF URANIUM HERE.

ENOUGH FOR TEN TRIPS

LIKE THIS.

WISH WE HAD SOMETHING

WE COULD USE IT IN.

YOU MIGHT TRY USING I IN MY CAR.

[ Men Chuckling ]

GET A LOAD:

OF THE CHARLIE WHEELER.

MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE ?

YES, I'M LOOKING

FOR CAPTAIN TOWERS.

I'LL TRY

TO LOCATE HIM:

FOR YOU.

PAULSON, SHOW THE LADY

TO CAPTAIN TOWERS' CABIN

ON THEMELBOURNE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT'S A PLEASURE.

RIGHT THIS WAY,

PLEASE.

RELAX.

[ Wolf Whistle ]

CAPTAIN.

THERE'S, UH...

SOMEBODY TO SEE YOU.

I ASKED HER TO WAI IN YOUR STATEROOM.

OH.

HELLO.

A VERY NICE MAN:

ASKED ME TO WAIT HERE.

I DON'T THINK

HE KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH ME.

THAT'S DEBATABLE.

DID YOU--

DID YOU ASK ME TO VISI YOUR SUBMARINE ONE DAY ?

HMM... NO.

OH, I COULDN'T REMEMBER.

OH, IN THE MEANTIME,

I'VE BEEN SNOOPING.

REGULAR FISH,

THESE KIDS.

I'LL HAVE TO GET THEM

A BOAT OF THEIR OWN

ONE OF THESE DAYS.

SIT DOWN.

THANK YOU.

HERE, HAVE A CIGARETTE.

THANK YOU.

I'M GLAD YOU CAME.

OH...

I JUST BET YOU ARE.

NO, I AM.

REALLY.

AND I'LL JUST BE THAT MY CREW DIDN'T MIND

TOO MUCH EITHER.

YES, I HAVE

A SNEAKING SUSPICION

THEY DIDN'T MIND AT ALL.

[ Laughs ]

[ Knocking ]

COME IN.

I SEE THEY FOUND YOU.

OH, MR. CHRYSLER.

SEE IF YOU CAN FIND

MISS DAVIDSON SOMETHING

SHE CAN WEAR...

TO GO DOWN:

IN THESAWFISH.

YES, SIR.

I, UH--

I TAKE I YOU PUT ME TO BED.

YES.

I ARRIVED AT THA BY DEDUCTION.

I ASKED PETER AND MARY,

AND THEY DIDN'T.

[ Sighs ]

I'M AFRAID I WAS

A BIT OF A MESS.

YOU DRANK TOO MUCH BRANDY.

YOU PASSED OUT.

YES, I'VE BEEN DRINKING

QUITE A BIT RECENTLY.

THAT'S NO BIG SECRET.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I--

I'VE NEVER HAD IT HAPPEN

QUITE LIKE THAT BEFORE.

MY OBVIOUS JOB:

WAS TO SEDUCE YOU.

SO I SUPPOSE:

MY PRIDE IS HURT.

I OUGHT TO FEEL ASHAMED.

WHY DID YOU BOTHER

ABOUT ME ?

THERE'S A REGULATION

IN HERE SOMEWHERE.

IT'S UNDER "SHORE DUTY."

I'LL READ IT TO YOU.

NO, TELL ME.

[ Tosses Book On Shelf ]

IT SAYS WHEN A YOUNG LADY

HAS HAD SO MUCH TO DRINK, SHE

DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING,

YOU PUT HER TO BED...

AND GO BACK TO THE SHIP.

THAT'S WHA IT SAYS ?

THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS.

[ Knocking ]

YES ?

WELL, THIS REQUIRES QUITE

A COMPREHENSIVE CHANGE.

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS ?

YOU CAN'T GO DOWN IN A SUBMARINE

IN THAT BALLET COSTUME.

[ Laughs ]

I'LL GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES.

UNPACK THAT ONE NEXT, PLEASE.

THAT ONE.

EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL,

MR. OSBORNE ?

OH, I GUESS SO.

BLASTED IDIOTS SENT ME

TWO WRONG COMPONENTS.

I'LL HAVE TO GET THEM

REPLACED THIS AFTERNOON.

AS LONG AS THEY'RE RIGH WHEN WE SAIL.

WHAT IS HE DOING HERE ?

MR. OSBORNE'S BEEN ASSIGNED

BY THE C.S.I.R....

TO LOOK AFTER OUR HEALTH

ON THE TRIP.

"HEALTH" ?

IT'S YOUR SUBMARINE.

CAPTAIN...

MAY I SEE YOU A MINUTE, SIR ?

HALF A SECOND.

VERY BECOMING OUTFIT.

YOU KNOW, JULIAN,

THEY DON'T ALLOW DRINKING

ON AMERICAN SUBMARINES.

I CAN'T IMAGINE

WHAT ELSE YOU'D DO.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ?

OH, KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER.

CHECK ON RADIATION.

I GUESS I'M SOR OF A SCIENTIFIC CRUISE DIRECTOR.

THEN IT CAN BE:

DANGEROUS ?

I WOULDN'T KNOW, REALLY.

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John Paxton

John Paxton (May 21, 1911, Kansas City, Missouri - January 5, 1985, Santa Monica, California) was an American screenwriter. He was married to Sarah Jane, who worked in public relations for 20th Century Fox.Some of his films include Murder, My Sweet in 1944, Cornered in 1945, Crossfire in 1947 (an adaptation of the controversial novel The Brick Foxhole that earned him his only Oscar nomination). He helped adapt the screenplay for the controversial movie The Wild One in 1953 starring Marlon Brando. Paxton's work twice received the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, for Murder, My Sweet and Crossfire. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "On the Beach" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/on_the_beach_15190>.

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