On the Waterfront Page #7

FATHER BARRY:

(cutting through)

Now listen, if you know who the pistols are,

if you see them on the dock every day, are

you going to keep still until they cut you

down one by one?

(turns from one to the other)

Are you? Are you? How about you, Nolan?

NOLAN:

Father, one thing you got to understand.

On the dock we've always been D 'n D.

FATHER BARRY:

(puzzled)

D 'n D?

NOLAN:

(nodding)

Deef 'n dumb. Somethin' c'n

happen right in front of our noses and we don't

see nothin'. You know what I mean. No matter

how much we hate the torpedoes we don't rat.

Moose, Luke, and others mutter agreement.

FATHER BARRY:

Boys, get smart. I know you're

Getting' pushed around but one thing we got in

this country is ways of fightin' back. Getting' the

facts to the public. Testifyin' for what you know is

right against what you know is wrong. What's ratting

to them is telling the truth for you. Can't you

see that?

(turns from one to another)

Huh? Huh?

The men do not respond. A few look back at Terry apprehensively. Father

Barry subsides, feeling defeated. Father Vincent comes forward and

takes over the meeting.

FATHER VINCENT:

(dismissing them)

This seems to be just about all we can

do at this time, I think you'll agree, Father,

and so I'd like to close with a few words from

St. Paul, "Come unto me... ."

He is interrupted by the shattering of glass as a rock comes hurtling

through the long

narrow stained-glass window. Everyone looks at each other in alarm.

Some jump up.

NOLAN:

(thumbing toward the window)

That's our friends.

CLOSE UP—TERRY

Looking at Edie; then he cases the room for other exits.

MEDIUM CLOSE—FATHER BARRY AND FATHER VINCENT

FATHER VINCENT:

What did I tell you about

sticking your neck out?

FATHER BARRY:

These fellers need help, Vince.

FATHER VINCENT:

(striding off)

Okay. Don't blame me when they pack

you off to Abyssinia.

FATHER BARRY:

I'll take my chances.

(turnstoward the group, picking up the rock)

We must be on the right track or they wouldn't

be sending us this little calling card.

(pause)

Who's got a cigarette?

(as he takes one)

You better go home in pairs.

They all start out tensely, Father Barry helping to pair them off at

the door. Edie lingers behind them, frightened. As she starts forward,

Terry suddenly approaches.

TERRY:

Not that way.

She looks at him in surprise. Terry pulls her back with rough

solicitousness.

TERRY:

Come on, I'll get you out.

Before she has time to protest he is leading her rapidly to another

exit.

DISSOLVE:

EXT—LONG SHOT—CHURCH EXIT—DAY

Moose and Nolan come down the steps of the church. They do not realize

they are being ambushed but the audience does. The goons leap out at

them, and we see the effect of this action in the giant shadows across

the face of the church, the flailing bats looming as large as telephone

poles. We hear the cries of pain, then groans.

EXT—MEDIUM CLOSE—STREET—DUSK

As Father Barry runs up, Sonny and Truck are working Nolan over with

baseball bats. Father Barry wrestles with them, taking a glancing blow

in consequence, and the goons take off. Nolan sinks to the sidewalk

with blood streaming from his head and Father Barry kneels beside him.

FATHER BARRY:

You all right, Nolan?

NOLAN:

(furiously)

Yeah, considerin' they was usin'

my head for a baseball!

FATHER BARRY:

(taking a handkerchief to blot the blood on

Nolan's face)

Nice fellows.

NOLAN:

(rubbing his head angrily)

Those blood suckers. How I'd love to fix

those babies but—

FATHER BARRY:

But you still hold out for silence?

Nolan hesitates.

FATHER BARRY:

You still call it ratting?

NOLAN:

Are you on the level, Father?

FATHER BARRY:

What do you think?

NOLAN:

If I stick my neck out, and they chopped

it off, would that be the end of it? Or are you

ready to go all the way?

FATHER BARRY:

I'll go down the line, Kayo, believe me.

NOLAN:

Baseball bats— that's just for openers.

They'll put the muscle on you, turned-around collar

or no turned-around collar.

FATHER BARRY:

And I still say you stand up and I'll stand up with you.

NOLAN:

Down to the wire?

FATHER BARRY:

So help me God!

NOLAN:

Well, I had my fun, I've drunk my fill and I

tickled some good-lookin' fillies— I'm on borried

time.

Nolan says this with a slight smile as he makes an effort to rise.

FATHER BARRY:

(as he helps Nolan to his feet with a grin)

We're off and running, Kayo.

MEDIUM CLOSE—AT CHURCH ENTRANCE—DUSK

Father Vincent is nervously closing the doors.

EXT—RECTORY—FIRE ESCAPE—DAY

Leading down to a dark side street. Terry pulls Edie along at a flying

pace. He jumps down from the bottom landing, then looks up to catch

her, for whom the height is too great. He holds her for a moment. Then

he stops and listens. Heavy rapid footsteps approach. It is Moose and

Luke, closely followed by goons wielding baseball bats. Terry pulls

Edie back against the wall into the

shadows. The goons run past and Terry starts racing with Edie down a

narrow alley

in the opposite direction.

MEDIUM CLOSE—WATERFRONT STREET—NIGHT

The one that meets the alley at the other end. As Terry reaches the

street with Edie, he looks around to be sure all's quiet.

TERRY:

(looking back)

I think we're O.K.

EDIE:

(catching her breath)

Thanks.

(shakes her head)

Steel pipes and baseball bats.

TERRY:

They play pretty rough.

EDIE:

(puzzled)

Which side are you with?

TERRY:

(pointing to himself)

I'm with Terry.

EDIE:

(straightening her dress)

I'll get home all right now.

TERRY:

I better see you get there.

She looks at him wonderingly. The rummy longshoreman, Mutt Murphy,

shuffles over toward Edie with his hand out, frightening her closer to

Terry.

MUTT:

A dime. One thin dime for a cup of coffee.

TERRY:

Coffee, that's a laugh. His belly is used to

nothing but rotgut whiskey.

MUTT:

(ignoring Terry and coming closer to Edie)

One little dime you don't need.

(He brings his whiskered, sodden

face very close to Edie's and stares at her as if

througha

dense fog.)

I know you— you're Edie Doyle. Your

Brother's a saint—

(crosses himself quickly)

–only one ever tried to get me my compensation.

He points a wavering (unconsciously accusing) finger at Terry.

MUTT:

Remember, Terry, you was there the night he

was'?

CLOSE UP—EDIE—STREET—NIGHT

Looking at Terry in surprise.

TERRY:

(nervously reaching into his pocket)

Yeah, yeah—

Here's half a buck, go have yourself a ball.

MUTT:

I can't believe it— a small fortune.

(He kisses the coin, then pulls from

his shirt a small tobacco pouchful of

coins in which he deposits this one.) (then turns on

Terry again)

You can't buy me— you're still a bum!

(raises his cap to Edie with unexpected formality)

'Bye, Edie. Lord have mercy on Joey.

(crosses himself quickly and he goes off)

TERRY:

(sourly)

Look who says bum!

EDIE:

(looking after Mutt)

Everybody loved Joey. From the little kids to

the old rummies.

(looks up at Terry)

Did you know him very well?

TERRY:

(evasively)

Everybody knew him. He got around.

EDIE:

(looking after Mutt)

What did that man mean when he said you were... .?

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