On the Waterfront Page #14

Father Barry starts off again. Terry follows him desperately, under a

terrible compulsion to bare himself to Father Barry. He grabs the

Father by the arm fiercely, half spinning him around.

TERRY:

(with relief, as he gets it out)

Listen, it was me who set Joey Doyle up for the muggers.

Father Barry stops and stares at him, realizing Terry is ready at last.

FATHER BARRY:

Come take a walk with me, kid,

and give it to me straight. There's nothing I

haven't heard.

They turn toward the exit of the church.

EXT—LONG SHOT—CHURCH

They enter the park, on rise overlooking the docks, Terry talking to

him eagerly.

CLOSE SHOT—TERRY AND FATHER BARRY

TERRY:

(pouring it out)

—It started as a favor— for

my brother— you know they'd ask me things and

it's hard to say no— a favor— Who am I kiddin'?

They call it a favor but it's do it or else. And this

time the favor turned out to be helping them

knock off Joey. I just thought they'd lean on him a

little but— Last night with Edie I wanted to tell

her only it— stuck in my throat. I guess I was

scared of drivin' her away— and I love her, Father.

She's the first thing I ever loved.

FATHER BARRY:

(almost brusquely)

What are you going to do?

TERRY:

About Edie?

FATHER BARRY:

Edie. The Commission. Your subpoena.

I know you got a subpoena.

TERRY:

It's like carrying a monkey around on your back.

FATHER BARRY:

(agreeing)

A question of who rides who.

TERRY:

If I spill, my life won't be worth a nickel.

FATHER BARRY:

How much is your soul worth if you don't?

TERRY:

But it's my own brother they're askin' me

to finger— and Johnny Friendly. His mother and

my mother was first cousins. When I was this

high he took me to the ball games... .

FATHER BARRY:

(violently)

Ball games! Don't break my heart!

I wouldn't care if he gave you a life

pass to the Polo Grounds. So you

got a brother. Well, let me tell you something

you got some other brothers— and they're all getting the

short

end while your cousin Johnny gets mustard on

his face at the Polo Grounds. If I was you—

(He catches himself and drops his voice.)

— Listen, I'm not asking you to do anything,

Terry. It's your own conscience that's got

to do the asking.

TERRY:

Conscience... .

(shakes his head ruefully)

I didn't even know I had one until I met you and

Edie... this conscience stuff can drive you nuts.

FATHER BARRY:

(sharply)

Good luck.

TERRY:

(waiting for someone to do it for him)

Is that all you've got to say to me, Father?

Father Barry looks off .

LONG SHOT—PIER WALL—DAY

Edie coming toward them in the distance.

MEDIUM CLOSE—FATHER BARRY AND TERRY

FATHER BARRY:

It's up to you. Just one more thing. You better tell Edie.

Terry turns in Edie's direction, reluctantly. He goes off toward her.

Father Barry stands looking after him.

CLOSER SHOT—EDIE AND TERRY—AT BURNED PIERS—DAY

TERRY:

Edie... Edie... ..

EDIE:

(turning to him)

Terry, what's wrong?

TERRY:

I've been sittin' in the church.

EDIE:

You?

TERRY:

(almost inarticulate)

Yeah, yeah, it's up to me, it's up to me—

he says it's up to me.

EDIE:

Who says?

TERRY:

The Father. The Father.

He is trembling.

EDIE:

Terry— what's happening to you?

TERRY:

I just told the Father.

EDIE:

Told him what?

TERRY:

What I did to Joey.

EDIE:

(whispered)

You... .

TERRY:

(louder)

What I did to Joey.

EDIE:

Don't tell me— don't tell me!

TERRY:

(plunging in)

Edie— it's—

What he starts to say is drowned out by an immense, prolonged blast of

the whistle from the departing ocean liner. Terry shouts his story out

to Edie compulsively but we cannot hear it over the rasping sound of

the whistle. Edie is horrified as she catches enough words to realize

what Terry is trying to say. The whistle pauses a moment, giving us

just enough to hear Terry shout—

TERRY:

Didn't know—

Then the blast of the boat whistle drowns him out again. When it

finally stops, Terry is finishing—

TERRY:

—but don't you see, Edie, I never thought they'd—

(then hysterically as he feels her turning away from

him)

I don't know what to do, Edie, I don't know

what to do! I swear to God I—

She looks at him, turns and strides off .

TERRY:

(calling, desperately)

Edie... Edie... What'll I do, Edie, what'll I do?

She doesn't look back. Terry watches her go, with mounting anguish;

then he lurches on in drunken confusion.

QUICK DISSOLVE:

EXT—ROOFTOP—DAY

As Terry, still dazed, enters onto the roof, Jimmy Conners, in his

Golden Warrior blazer,

is exercising the pigeons. He sees Terry and runs up to him. Jimmy

talks in a whisper.

JIMMY:

Hey, Terry, guess who's here... that joker

from the Commission... .

TERRY:

Looking for me?

JIMMY:

He's got his nerve, gum-shoeing around

here after what you told him.

TERRY:

(grabs Jimmy)

Jimmy, suppose I knew something,

say a mug somebody put on somebody... .

(violent gesture illustrates what he means)

You think I should turn him in?

JIMMY:

A cheese-eater! You're kidding!

TERRY:

Yeah, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You don't

think I should turn him in... .

JIMMY:

(gives him a look)

You was a Golden Warrior.

TERRY:

Yeah— us Golden Warriors.

(grabs Jimmy)

You're a good kid, Jimmy, a good tough kid. We

stick together, huh, kid?

JIMMY:

You was our first Supreme Commander,

Terry. Keep out of sight and I'll tell him you're

out.

TERRY:

But I ain't out. I'm in. I'm in. Who's lying

to who?

ROOFTOP—ANOTHER ANGLE

Terry walks over to where Glover is sitting, rubbing his feet.

TERRY:

You looking for me?

GLOVER:

Not exactly. Just thought I'd sit down

and rest my dogs a minute.

(smiles and rubs his ankle)

You know the next investigation we get into I hope

it's got buildings with elevators in them. This one

has been nothing but climbing stairs. And when

we hit the top ßoor the folks are usually out.

Jimmy gestures behind him as if to say "Get a load of this square."

TERRY:

(distractedly)

I guess it's pretty tough work at that.

GLOVER:

(casually)

Well, it'll be worth it if we can

tell the waterfront story the way the people have

a right to hear it. Don't you think?

Terry shrugs. Glover studies him.

GLOVER:

Didn't I see you fight in the Garden one night

three or four years ago? With a fellow called Wilson?

TERRY:

(still preoccupied)

Wilson— yeah— yeah— I fought Wilson.

GLOVER:

I thought you were going to take him that night but...

TERRY:

(this is the key that unlocks him)

You want to know something— I would have taken Wilson—

GLOVER:

I think you could have.

TERRY:

If I licked him I would have had the title

shot instead of him— boy, I was ready that night.

GLOVER:

You sure looked it. Something go wrong?

Terry has been growing more and more animated but now he becomes

sullen.

TERRY:

Yeah. Johnny Friendly and my brother

had other ideas.

GLOVER:

Such as what?

TERRY:

(suspiciously)

Listen, this ain't for publication.

GLOVER:

(amused)

I'm just resting my feet.

TERRY:

Remember the first round how I had him

against the ropes, and—

GLOVER:

I'll never forget it. I thought it was all

over.

TERRY:

Yeah. My own blood— and they sell me out

for a lousy bet— I had it in me to hit the top and—

(sighs)

Boy, if I wanted to, the things I could tell you

about them guys—

(then catches himself and pauses)

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