On the Waterfront Page #20

INT—JOHNNY FRIENDLY'S OFFICE ON WHARF—DAY

Johnny looks across at the isolated figure of Terry. Sonny, Truck, and

Specs are with Johnny. On the desk are tabloids with headlines

reading NAME JOHHNY FRIENDLY AS WATERFRONT MURDER BOSS. Under the

banner head is a large picture of Johnny.

TRUCK:

That ain't a bad picture of you, boss.

Johnny glares at him and pushes the paper aside angrily.

SONNY:

I wish you'd let us go to work on that

cheese-eater.

JOHNNY:

(with both hands working)

After we get off the front page. Then he's mine.

I want him.

EXT—CLOSE—PIER ENTRANCE—ON TERRY AND BIG MAC—DAY

Sonny returns with "the first man he saw"—Mutt Murphy. Mutt and Terry

glance at each other.

SONNY:

Here's your man, Mac.

MAC:

Okay.

Mac nods Mutt on into the pier, the one armed derelict turning back

with an apologetic gesture. Terry's fury grows. Mac growls at him—

MAC:

You want more of the same? Come back tomorrow.

Terry looks at him, and then across at Johnny's office on the wharf.

His hands begin to tremble.

He turns and starts walking slowly, resolutely, down the gangplank

leading to Johnny's headquarters.

INT—JOHNNY FRIENDLY'S OFFICE

SONNY:

(seeing Terry through window)

He's comin' down!

JOHNNY:

He's gotta be crazy!

TRUCK:

(glancing out, growls)

Yeah, here comes the

bum now. I'll top 'im off lovely.

Behind Johnny's back the click of a revolver safety latch is heard.

Johnny whirls on him quickly

JOHNNY:

Gimme that.

TRUCK:

(offended)

How are we gonna protect ourselves?

JOHNNY:

Ever hear of the Sullivan Law? Carrying

a gun without a permit? They'll be on us for anything

now. The slightest infraction. Give.

(turns to the other goons)

All of you? Give— give— give—

Sonny, Truck and the others reluctantly give up their guns. Johnny

turns to the safe and begins to open it.

JOHNNY:

We're a law-abidin' union. Understand?

(As he puts the guns in the safe and slams the safe

door.)

A law-abidin' union!

EXT—UNION LOCAL OFFICE ON WHARF—DAY

Terry walks compulsively down the ramp to the office.

TERRY:

(shouts)

Hey, Friendly! Johnny Friendly,

come out here!

Johnny comes out of his office followed by his goons.

JOHNNY:

(shouts)

You want to know the trouble with you?

You think it makes you a big man if you

can give the answers.

TERRY:

Listen, Johnny—

JOHNNY:

Go on— beat it. Don't push your luck.

TERRY:

You want to know somethin'—?

JOHNNY:

I said beat it! At the right time I'll catch

up with you. Be thinkin' about it.

As he starts to turn back into his office, Terry advances, steaming

himself up.

TERRY:

(louder)

You want to know something? Take

the heater away and you're nothin'— take the

good goods away, and the kickback and the

shakedown cabbage away and the pistoleros—

(indicating the others)

—away and you're a great big hunk of nothing—

(takes a deep breath as if relieved)

Your guts is all in your wallet and your trigger finger!

JOHNNY:

(with fury)

Go on talkin'. You're talkin'

yourself right into the river. Go on, go on... .

TERRY:

(voice rising defiantly)

I'm glad what I done today, see?

You give it to Joey, you give it to

Nolan, you give it to Charley who was one of your

own. You thought you was God Almighty instead

of a cheap— conniving—good-for-nothing bum!

So I'm glad what I done— you hear me? —glad

what I done!

JOHNNY:

(coldly)

You ratted on us, Terry.

TERRY:

(aware of fellow longshoremen watching the duel)

From where you stand, maybe. But I'm standing

over here now. I was rattin' on myself all them

years and didn't know it, helpin' punks like you

against people like Pop and Nolan an'... .

JOHNNY:

(beckoning Terry with his hands, in a passion of

hate)

Come on. I want you. You're mine. You're

mine! Come on!

FIGHT ON UNION OFFICE DECK—SERIES OF SHOTS

As Johnny takes an aggressive step forward, Terry runs down the ramp

and hurls himself at him. They fight furiously on the deck of the

houseboat. A fight to the death. A violent brawl with no holds barred.

First one, then the other has the advantage. In B.G., longshoremen

we know creep forward and watchi n amazement.

LONGSHOREMEN WATCHING

LUKE:

That kid fights like he useta!

Others nod but show no inclination to join in and face the goons.

BACK TO FIGHT:

Which mounts in intensity as CAMERA FOLLOWS it around the narrow deck

bordering the union offi ce. Johnny knees Terry but Terry retaliates

with desperate combinations that begin to beat Johnny to the deck. Both

of their faces are bloody and hideously swollen

ANOTHER ANGLE—GOONS

At this point Sonny, Truck and the other goons jump in to save their

leader. Terry fights them off like a mad man, under vicious attack from

all angles.

LONGSHOREMEN WATCHING

They'll kill 'im! It's a massacre! etc.

But they still hang back, intimidated by Johnny Friendly and his

muscle.

TERRY FIGHTING:

His face a bloody mask, being punched and kicked until he finally goes

down. Goons are ready to finish the job when a battered Johnny Friendly

mutters:

JOHNNY:

That's enough. Let 'im lay there.

Terry is crumpled on the deck, senseless, in a pool of blood.

REVERSE—ON EDIE AND FATHER BARRY

Pushing their way anxiously through the crowd of longshoremen.

FATHER BARRY:

(tight-lipped)

What happened? What happened?

EDIE:

(to young longshoreman)

Tommy, what happened?

POP:

Where you goin'?

EDIE:

(fiercely)

Let me by.

BACK TO TERRY:

Blood seeping from his many wounds as Father Barry and Edie run in and

kneel at his side. Johnny Friendly near by.

JOHNNY:

You want 'im?

(as he goes)

You can have

'im. The little rat's yours.

FATHER BARRY:

(to longshoreman)

Get some fresh water.

EDIE:

Terry...?

FATHER BARRY:

Terry... Terry... .

Terry groans, barely conscious.

ENTRANCE TO PIER—ON BOSS STEVEDORE

In felt hat and business suit, symbols of executive authority.

BOSS STEVEDORE:

Who's in charge here? We

gotta get this ship going. It's costing us money.

The longshoremen hang back, glancing off toward the fallen Terry.

BOSS STEVEDORE:

(waving them towardhim)

Come on! Let's get goin'!

The men don't move.

BOSS STEVEDORE:

I said— c'mon!

TOMMY:

How about Terry? If he don't work, we don't work.

Others around him murmur agreement.

JOHNNY:

(from B.G.)

Work! He can't even walk!

JOHNNY ON RAMP:

Surrounded by longshoremen ignoring Stevedore's command, tries to drive

them on.

JOHNNY:

Come on! Get in there!

(grabbing Pop and shoving him forward)

Come on, you!

From force of habit, Pop begins to comply. Then he catches himself and

turns on Johnny.

POP:

(sounding more sad than angry)

All my life you pushed me around.

Suddenly he shoves Johnny off the ramp into the water scummy with oil

slick and riverbank debris.

JOHNNY IN WATER:

Cursing.

POP AND LONGSHOREMEN

Cheering Johnny Friendly's humiliation.

JOHNNY:

(from water)

Come on, get me outa here.

BACK TO STEVEDORE

BOSS STEVEDORE:

Let's go! Time is money!

MOOSE:

You hoid 'im. Terry walk in, we walk in with 'im.

Others facing Stevedore mutter agreement.

TERRY,FATHER BARRY AND EDIE

Terry's eyes flutter as they bathe his wounds.

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