On the Waterfront Page #12

MEDIUM CLOSE—BIG MAC

Standing on the deck just above the open hatch. A wordless message

passes between him and Specs. Then he looks down into the hatch.

INT—HATCH—DAY

Terry works grimly, glancing up anxiously at Nolan, Pop and Moose whose

mood, in contrast, is a whiskey-inspired euphoria.

POP:

You see, Kayo, the good Lord watches over

us after all.

NOLAN:

(in an undertone, gaily)

When we knock off let's have a bit of a party.

We'll drink to God and Ireland, its whiskey and its women,

to Joey and Edie— and death to tyrants everywhere... .!

As he finishes this he reveals surreptitiously the neck of a whiskey

bottle concealed in his deep-pocketed jacket.

POP:

(with mock concern)

You think one bottle's enough for all

them toasts?

NOLAN:

(grins)

Patrick, me lad, I'm ahead of you.

With a wink he reaches into his other pocket and draws up the neck of

another bottle.

NOLAN:

I was afraid one bottle might get lonely by itself.

(reaching into still another pocket and revealing

still more bottles)

Now you see the advantage of a little man in

a big coat.

POP:

(laughing)

Definitely! Nolan, my boy, you're a

walkin' distillery.

NOLAN:

I wonder how many Hail Marys the

Father'll make me say at confession.

(reflects)

It'll be worth it!

The pallet is loaded now. Terry turns and approaches Nolan.

TERRY:

(with a nervous glance upward)

Listen— Nolan—

NOLAN:

(backing away suspiciously)

What are you down here for— to see we don't make

off with any of Mister Friendly's precious cargo?

TERRY:

(miserably)

Nolan... .

MEDIUM CLOSE—BIG MAC

Looking down into the hatch. Above him we can see Specs at the winch

controls.

BIG MAC:

Come on, Kayo, get it up!

INT—HATCH—DAY

Nolan and Pop look up at him and then back to their work with

mischievous resentment.

BIG MAC:

(continuing to bellow)

And don't be walking off with any of that.

You know how the boss feels about individual pilferage.

INT—HATCH—DAY

NOLAN:

(pretending to clean out his ears)

Talk louder. I can't hear you.

BIG MAC:

If you kept your ears wide open instead

of your mouth—

NOLAN:

(shouting back)

If I talk too loud it's the fault of the nuns.

BIG MAC:

And what in blazes have the nuns got

to do with it?

NOLAN:

(lowers his voice and confides in the hatch gang)

When I was a mere spit of a lad on Ferry Street in

Dublin the nuns used to say to me, "Nolan, don't

be swallowin' ye words like fishballs. When you

got something to say—

(Now he shouts up at Big Mac.)

—Talk with your mouth wide open," so if I'm loud

don't blame me— it's the fault of the nuns!

Pop laughs, at Big Mac's expense. The laughter is infectious and sweeps

the hatch. Moose lets go with his loud "haw haw." Everyone laughs

except Terry, who watches in a cold sweat.

BIG MAC:

(furiously, from above)

Come on, knock it off!

The men laugh even louder.

MOOSE:

Haw haw— that's a good one, Kayo.

BIG MAC:

(able to shout above their laughter)

Knock it off! Stand clear.

(to Specs, the winchman, above the hatch)

All right, take it away.

Big Mac looks at Specs, touches his cap in a signaling gesture and

nods.

CLOSE—ON SPECS AT WINCH ABOVE HATCH

He catches the signal. From below the laughter of the men can be heard

O.S.

CLOSE—ON CARGO SLING

Full of whiskey cases, from angle of Kayo Nolan, Pop, Terry, and

others, watching it rise out of the hatch. The general laughter

continues. Terry is stiff with fear.

CLOSE SHOT—SPECS

Suddenly he appears to lose control of the winch, guiding the up-and-

down fall.

CLOSE—ON NOLAN

Standing in the middle of the hatch, looking up, as the cargo net

begins to plunge downward. The general laughter stops. From farther

back in the hold Terry cries:

TERRY:

(horrified)

Nolan...!

And tries to pull him back out of danger. Too late. The overloaded

cargo net crashes down on Nolan. Wood splinters—glass shatters—and

whiskey sprays. Kayo Nolan is pinned under the broken pile of cases.

TOMMY:

(shouting up)

Get a doctor.

POP:

(hard, flat tone)

A doctor— he needs a priest

QUICK DISSOLVE:

INT—HATCH—DAY

CLOSE—ON FATHER BARRY

He stands over the body of Kayo Nolan, which lies on the pallet and has

been covered by a tarpaulin.

GROUP SHOT—HATCH

Pop, Moose, Luke and the others stand near him. On the deck around the

hold some seventy-five longshoremen have gathered, including Big Mac.

Others look down from the dock and the loft. Terry is in the same

position we left him.

FATHER BARRY:

(aroused)

I came down here to keep a promise.

I gave Kayo my word that if he stood up to the

mob I'd stand up with him all the way. Now

Kayo Nolan is dead. He was one of those fellows

who had the gift of getting up. But this time they fixed

him good— unless it was an accident like Big Mac says.

Pop, Moose, and some of the others glare at Big Mac, who chews his

tobacco sullenly. Some of the others snicker "accident."

FATHER BARRY:

Some people think the Crucifixion

only took place on Calvary. They better wise

up. Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from

testifying is a crucifixion— Dropping a sling on Kayo

Nolan because he was ready to spill his guts

tomorrow— that's a crucifixion. Every time the

mob puts the crusher on a good man— tries to

stop him from doing his duty as a citizen— it's a

crucifixion.

CLOSE—ON TERRY

Voice of Father Barry continues.

FATHER BARRY:

And anybody who sits around and lets it happen,

keeps silent about something he knows has happened—

shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier

who pierced the flesh of Our Lord to see if He was dead.

SHOT OF EDIE—ON DOCK

Listening, moved. Terry has come up behind her and stands nearby. She

notices

him but barely reacts. He listens intently to the Father's words.

(NOTE:
I am not indicating in detail the other necessary reactions—

those of Pop, Moose, the Negro Luke, the watchful hostility of Sonny

and Truck, the murderous arrogance of Johnny Friendly, and the

sophisticated cynicism of Charley Malloy.

But most important of all is the impression being made on Terry.)

CLOSE—ON TRUCK

TRUCK:

Go back to your church, Father.

INT—HATCH—DAY

FATHER BARRY:

(looking up at Truck and pointing to the ship)

Boys, this is my church. If you don't think

Christ is here on the waterfront, you got another

guess coming. And who do you think He lines up

with—

CLOSE—ON SONNY

SONNY:

Get off the dock, Father.

Sonny reaches for a box of rotten bananas on the dock and flings one

down into the hatch.

CLOSE—ON FATHER BARRY

The banana splatters him, but he ignores it.

BACK TO SONNY—ON DOCK

Terry turns to him. Edie notices this and watches with approval.

TERRY:

Do that again and I'll flatten you.

SONNY:

What're you doing. Joining them—

TERRY:

Let him finish.

SONNY:

Johnny ain't going to like that, Terry.

TERRY:

Let him finish.

Edie looks at him amazed. Terry catches her eye, and then looks down,

embarrassed at his good deed. They both turn to watch Father Barry.

CLOSE SHOT—CHARLEY

Near Johnny, watching Terry and then looking at Johnny apprehensively.

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