On the Waterfront Page #11
- NOT RATED
- Year:
- 1954
- 108 min
- 3,867 Views
TERRY:
(pent up with his guilt and his frustrated feeling
for her)
Okay, get in hot water. But don't come hollerin' to
me when you get burned.
EDIE:
Why should I come hollering to you at all?
TERRY:
Because... because...
(apologetically, as if this were a sign of weakness)
Listen Edie, don't get sore now—
but I think we're getting in love with each other.
EDIE:
I can't let myself fall in love with you.
TERRY:
(fervently)
That goes double for me.
As they stare at each other in entangled hostility and love, a man
turns from the food counter behind them, just finishing a hot dog and
steps into Terry's path. It is Mr. Glover, the Commission investigator.
In the B.G. is Gillette.
GLOVER:
Mr. Malloy, I was hoping I might find you here.
Terry turns as if to dart off. Glover puts a restraining hand on his
arm.
GLOVER:
You're being served with a subpoena, Mr. Malloy.
TERRY:
What?
GLOVER:
(reaching quickly into his briefcase)
Be at the State House, Courtroom Nine, at ten o'clock
tomorrow.
TERRY:
I told you I don't know nothin' and I ain't
saying nothin'.
GLOVER:
You can bring a lawyer if you wish. And you're privileged
under the Constitution to protect yourself against
questions
that might implicate you in any crimes.
TERRY:
(more in pain than anger now)
You know what you're askin'? You're askin'—
GILLETTE:
(stepping in from B.G.) (sternly)
Mr. Malloy, all we're asking you to do is tell the truth.
GLOVER:
(more gently)
Goodnight, kid.
Terry looks at the subpoena in tortured confusion.
EDIE:
(softly)
What are you going to do?
TERRY:
(viciously reverting to type)
I won't eat cheese for no cops, that's for sure.
EDIE:
(with sudden intuition)
It was Johnny Friendly who killed Joey, wasn't it?
Terry looks off and then looks down, unable to speak.
EDIE:
He had him killed or had something to do with it,
Didn't he? He and your brother Charley?
Terry drops his eyes again; he can say nothing.
You can't tell me, can you? Because you're a part
of it. You're as bad as the worst of them, aren't
you, Terry? Aren't you? Tell me the truth!
TERRY:
Edie, your old man's right, go back to
that school out in daisyland. You're driving yourself
nuts— you're driving me nuts— stop worrying
about the truth— worry about yourself.
EDIE:
Look out for number one. Always number
one.
I should've known you wouldn't tell me.
Pop said Johnny Friendly used
to own you. I think he still owns you.
(then gently, and hating to have to say it)
No wonder everybody calls you a bum.
TERRY:
(as if struck)
Don't say that, Edie, don't...
Edie is crying softly, without sobs.
EDIE:
(with a half-sob)
It's true.
TERRY:
I'm tryin' to keep you from being hurt—
What more do you want?
EDIE:
Much more, Terry. Much, much more!
She runs off. Terry looks after her, pained; the subpoena weighs in his
hand. He stares at it in agony, while the party swirls around him. Then
the blare of an auto horn cuts through the music.
VOICE OF JOHNNY:
(O.S.)
Hey, genius.
Terry looks up.
MEDIUM LONG SHOT
Johnny Friendly's black Cadillac parked across the street. A driver,
Sonny, Truck, Big Mac, and Charley are in it. Terry hurries up to them.
TERRY:
(lamely)
I— I was just on my way up, Johnny.
JOHNNY:
By way of Chicago?
Sonny starts to laugh but Johnny cuts him short .
How many times you been knocked out, Terry?
TERRY:
(surprised)
Only two times, why, Johnny?
Throughout the following tirade, Charley would like to intervene in
Terry's behalf, but Johnny roughly nudges him into silence.
JOHNNY:
It must have been once too often. I
think your brains come apart. What you got up
there, Chinese bells?
TERRY:
Aw, Johnny... .
JOHNNY:
I thought you were gonna keep an eye
on that church meeting.
TERRY:
Nothing happened, Johnny.
JOHNNY:
Nothing happened, he says. Some operator
you got yourself there, Charley. One more
like him and we'll all be wearing striped pajamas.
TERRY:
(turning to Charley for help)
It was a big nothing! The Father did all the talking.
JOHNNY:
Oh, he did. Half an hour later a certain
Timothy J. Nolan went into secret session with
the Commission and he did all the talking.
TERRY:
You mean Kayo Nolan, the old timer? He
doesn't know much.
JOHNNY:
He don't, huh?
(produces a bound folder of testimony
from his pocket and slams it on the fender)
Well, he knows thirty-nine pages worth of our operation.
TERRY:
How'd you get that.
JOHNNY:
(thumbing 'upstairs)
I got it. Hot off the press.
CHARLEY:
The complete works of Timothy J. Nolan.
TERRY:
Nolan? I knew he had guts but—
JOHNNY:
Guts! A crummy pigeon who's looking
to get his neck wrung! (to Charley) You should have
(to Charley)
You should have known better than to trust this
punched out brother of yours.
He was all right hanging around
for laughs. But this is business. I don't like goofoffs
messing in our business.
TERRY:
Now just a minute, I—
CHARLEY:
(suddenly)
What the hell are you doing with his sister?
(then turning to Johnny)
It's that girl, Johnny, the little Doyle broad has him out
on his
feet. An unhealthy relationship.
SONNY:
Definitely!
JOHNNY:
Don't see her no more. Unless you're
both tired of living. Barney, you got her address?
(then to others, businesslike)
Now listen, if we don't muzzle Nolan, we're into the
biggest stink this town ever seen. We got the best
muscle on the waterfront. The time to use it is now—
pronto— if not sooner.
(to Terry, as he climbs in the car)
And you know where you're going? Back in the hold—
no more cushy job in the loft. It's down the hold
with the sweat gang till you learn your lesson.
Johnny twists Terry's cheek, but not in fun this time, as he has often
done before. Now it is hard enough to draw blood. Then he turns to the
driver.
JOHNNY:
Let's go!
The car drives off fast, almost running Terry down. He stands there
looking after it, alone in the street, feeling his wounded cheek and
then scowling as he looks down at the subpoena in his hand.
DISSOLVE:
EXT—FREIGHTER—DAY
The ship is being unloaded. An empty pallet is swung from the pier and
lowered into the open hatch by the up-and-down-fall tackle. Our CAMERA
rides the pallet down into the hatch, to the second level, where Terry
is working. A little removed from him are Pop, Moose and Nolan. They
are unloading Irish whiskey.
NOLAN:
(lifting a case onto the pallet joyously)
An Ir-rish ship loaded to the gunnels with foine Ir-rish
whiskey!
He does a little jig and kisses the case as he sets it on the pallet.
Pop and Moose laugh. But Terry looks over at Nolan tensely. Then he
looks up out of the hatch.
EXT—DOCK—DAY
Johnny Friendly comes up to the edge of the dock with Sonny and Truck.
Johnny mumbles something under his hand to Sonny and Sonny nods and
jumps down onto the deck of the ship.
MEDIUM CLOSE—ON DECK—NEAR HATCH—DAY
Sonny motions to Specs Donahue, glimpsed as Joey's killer at the
opening. Specs nods and goes over to the winchman guiding the tackle
over the hatch. He nods to him, and takes his place. Then he catches
the eye of—
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"On the Waterfront" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 4 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/on_the_waterfront_372>.
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