On the Waterfront Page #18

JOCKO:

(to the newcomers)

What'll you have?

NEWCOMER:

Thanks just the same.

The two men bolt out the doorway. In the silence we hear the creaking

of the ancient swinging doors. The silence is oppressive. Terry works

his hand over his bleeding shoulder.

JOCKO:

You ought to go home and take care of that—

TERRY:

(watching the doorway, growls)

First things first.

Once more steps are heard on the sidewalk outside the bar. Once more

everyone is on edge for the showdown between Terry and Johnny. All

eyes are on the swinging doors.

MEDIUM CLOSE—SWINGING DOORS—NIGHT

Father Barry enters, followed by Moose, Tommy, Luke. CAMERA goes with

Father Barry as he walks right up to Terry.

FATHER BARRY:

I want to see you, Terry.

TERRY:

You got eyes. I'm right in front of you.

FATHER BARRY:

Now don't give me a hard time.

TERRY:

What do you want from me, Father.

FATHER BARRY:

(putting out his hand)

Your gun.

TERRY:

Mind your own business, Father.

FATHER BARRY:

This is my business.

TERRY:

Why don't you go and chase yourself?

FATHER BARRY:

(slowly) Give me that gun.

TERRY:

You go to hell.

FATHER BARRY:

(advancing)

What did you say?

TERRY:

(just a trifle disconcerted)

You go to—

Father Barry throws a good right hand punch that catches Terry by

surprise and knocks him down. Terry rises, feeling his shoulder, which

is oozing blood now and weakening him. He charges Father Barry like a

tormented animal.

TERRY:

Why you... .

Moose and Luke grab him, although Father Barry waits calmly.

TOMMY:

(to Terry)

Get wise to yourself, you bum.

The word hits him. Terry drops his hands slowly, weaving as if weak

from loss of blood.

TERRY:

(chastened)

Take your hands off me. What you call me?

FATHER BARRY:

(to Terry)

A bum. Look what you're doing. You want to be brave?

Firing lead into another man's flesh isn't brave. Any bum

who picks up a .45 in a pawn shop can be that

brave. You want to hurt Johnny Friendly? You

want to fix him for what he did to Charley— and a

dozen men who were better than Charley? Don't

fight him like a hoodlum down here in the jungle.

That's just what he wants. He'll hit you in the

head and plead self-defense. Fight him tomorrow

in the courtroom— with the truth as you know

it— Truth is the gun— Drop that thing and tell the

truth— a more dangerous weapon than this little —

(reaches into Terry's pocket and removes the gun as

he talks)

—cap pistol.

The two men look at each other. Father Barry's words cut him.

FATHER BARRY:

That is, if you've got the guts. If you haven't, you

better hang on to this.

Father Barry offers the gun back to Terry contemptuously. Terry takes

the gun, and holds it self-consciously.

FATHER BARRY:

You want a beer?

(to Jocko)

Two beers.

Jocko sets them up and Father Barry and Terry drink them off, looking

at each other. The drink seems to refresh Terry. He turns around to

Jocko and slams the gun down on the bar.

Behind the bar is a large picture, in the place of honor, showing

Johnny Friendly arm-in-arm with "Mr. Upstairs," beaming with self-

confidence.

TERRY:

Father, there is one thing I'd like to do.

So saying, he takes his revolver and hurls it into the face of the

picture.

TERRY:

(feeling better)

Tell Johnny I was here.

Terry looks around defiantly at the tense gunmen—and starts out with

Father Barry and the group.

MEDIUM CLOSE—JOCKO—BEHIND BAR

Watching Terry leave. Breathing a sigh of relief as he picks up the

gun.

JOCKO:

(inadvertently)

... nice boy... .

Then he catches the dark looks of Sonny, Truck, Barney, etc., and

busies himself at the bar.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT—TRAVELING SHOT—COURTROOM—DAY

A court room door opens. It is the door out of which the witnesses are

brought to testify for hearings of the Waterf ront Crime Commission. A

counsel is just finishing questioning Big Mac...We don't photograph

this.

We show Terry walking slowly towards his seat. Edie and Father Barry

are in the audience. Also Johnny and some of the mob. We hear the

dialogue (O.S.)

COUNSEL (O.S.)

You mean to sit there and tell

me that your local takes in sixty-five thousand,

five hundred dollars every year and keeps no

financial records?

BIG MAC (O.S.)

Sure we keep records!

COUNSEL (O.S.)

Well, where are they?

BIG MAC:

(indignantly)

We was robbed last night and we can't find no books.

CLOSER SHOT—COUNSEL AND BIG MAC

COUNSEL:

Doesn't it seem odd to you that five

different waterfront locals were broken into last

night and the only articles removed were financial

records?

BIG MAC:

(steadfastly)

What do you mean, odd? We was robbed like I told you.

COUNSEL:

(waving him aside)

That's all. Next witness!

Big Mac steps down, mopping his brow. Terry steps up to the stand. They

glare at each other as they pass. We CUT to Edie looking on anxiously

from the spectators' section, to Father Barry, Pop, Moose, Tommy, and

Luke sitting together leaning forward.

CLERK:

Name?

TERRY:

Terrence Francis Malloy.

CLERK:

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole

truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

There is a momentary pause.

CLOSE SHOT—EDIE, FATHER BARRY

Sitting with Pop, Moose, Luke, and Tommy. Waiting for his answer.

CLOSE—ON TERRY

His hand raised for the oath. When he answers, it seems more than a

mere judicial formality.

TERRY:

(firmly)

Right... I do.

COUNSEL:

(rising)

Mr. Malloy, is it true that on the

night Joey Doyle was found...

CLOSE—ON LARGE TV SET IN AN ELEGANT STUDY

We see Terry testifying on the TV screen.

COUNSEL:

...dead you were the last person to see him before he

was pushed off the roof, and that you went immediately

to the Friendly Bar where you expressed your feelings

about the murder to Mr. Johnny Friendly?

TERRY:

That's right.

During the above a butler's hand sets a highball glass down beside a

rich leather chair, and a strong, manicured hand wearing an expensive

ring picks up the glass.

VOICE OF BUTLER:

Will there be anything else, sir?

VOICE OF "MR. UPSTAIRS"

(an impressive, heavy voice)

Yes, Sidney, if Mr. Friendly calls, I'm out, and

you don't know when I'll be back.

VOICE OF BUTLER:

Very good, sir.

The CAMERA moves in on the TV screen, the court room image spins, and

when it fi nally stops, we are back to—

INT—MEDIUM CLOSE—COURTROOM—ON TERRY — DAY

COUNSEL:

.. Thank you, Mr. Malloy, you've done

more than to break the case of Joey Doyle, you

have held up a lamp of truth in the dark cave of

waterfront crime. You may step down now.

As Terry steps down, he is quickly surrounded by police bodyguards, who

lead him toward the chamber behind the court-room. As he steps into the

aisle Johnny Friendly leaps up from a long bench facing the aisle.

JOHNNY:

(struggling to get at Terry)

You're a walkin' dead man! You're dead on this waterfront

and

every other waterfront from Boston to New

Orleans. You won't go anywhere, drive a truck or

a cab or push a baggage rack without one of my

guys have the eye on you. You just dug your own

grave, dead man, go fall in it!

(spits in Terry's face)

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