One Way Passage Page #11

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SKIPPY:

I wonder if I'm hearing all this

right.

Betty pointedly folds up the bills and stuffs them down her front.

BETTY:

Scram.

Skippy tips his hat as he retreats and exits.

SKIPPY:

Good night, Countess.

Left alone, a smiling Betty brushes her hair even more vigorously.

CUT TO:

INT. SHIP'S LOUNGE - LATER

Skippy rushes up to the bar in great excitement.

SKIPPY:

Quick, bartender, give me a drink,

quick!

BARTENDER #3

Yes, sir.

SKIPPY:

Quick! Before the fight begins!

BARTENDER #3

Yes, sir. Here you are, sir.

The bartender rapidly pours a shot which Skippy knocks back just as rapidly.

Agitated, Skippy looks off, then back to the puzzled bartender.

SKIPPY:

Good. Gimme another, another one,

quick. Quick! Before the fight

begins!

The bartender pours another shot.

BARTENDER #3

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! What

fight?!

Skippy knocks back the second drink.

SKIPPY:

(suddenly calm)

The fight between you and me. I

can't pay for these drinks.

The bartender watches with amazement as Skippy laughs his obnoxious laugh and

staggers away.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

A MAP OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN

The dotted line, marking the ship's progress, stretches all the way from

Honolulu to San Francisco.

A superimposed text reads: 24th DAY

A superimposed image of the S. S. Maloa appears over the map, heading into the

San Francisco Bay.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DECK - DAY

Dan and Joan stand at the deck. Bells ring.

DAN:

The Golden Gate.

JOAN:

I remember an old hymn. How'd it go?

"Keep those golden gates wide

open ..."

DAN AND JOAN:

"Keep those gates ajar ..."

DAN:

Yes, I remember that. I was born

here in San Francisco. And when I

was a youngster, I used to think

they were singing about this Golden

Gate. I thought it was the only one.

JOAN:

I hope you were wrong.

DAN:

(nods)

I hope so.

A FORWARD TRACKING SHOT

of the city as seen by Dan and Joan from the bay. Whistles and horns blow.

DAN AND JOAN:

taking in the view.

JOAN:

Lovely, isn't it?

DAN:

lost in thought. VISIONS of SAN QUENTIN and a silhouetted GALLOWS are

SUPERIMPOSED across his face.

DAN AND JOAN:

stand silently together at the railing, both lost in thought.

BURKE AND BETTY:

emerge on deck, walking side by side to the railing in another part of the

ship.

BETTY:

Voila! Your San Francisco, hm? Home.

BURKE:

(unhappy)

Yeah.

RADIO ROOM - THAT MOMENT

A headphone-wearing radio operator hands a newly-received wire to the British

steward.

RADIO OPERATOR:

Here, get a load of this.

As an ominous horn blows, the steward reads the telegram:

S6 KPH 26 HONGKONG 312 PM DEC 15 1932

STEVE BURKE:

SS MALOA HONGKONGRADIO

WOMAN MASQUERADING ON SHIP AS COUNTESS

BARILHAUS POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS

BARREL HOUSE BETTY NOTORIOUS

CONFIDENCE WOMAN STOP INVESTIGATE

CHIEF OF POLICE:

The steward hands the message back to the radio operator who puts it in an

envelope for delivery.

STEWARD:

I've seen some royalty in my time

but I thought she was the grandest

of the lot. I hate to deliver it.

Amused, the radio operator hands the envelope to the steward who promptly

exits the radio room with it and heads off grimly down the deck.

BURKE AND BETTY:

standing together at the rail.

BURKE:

You know, I'm sort of tired of bein'

a copper.

Betty looks at him, puzzled.

BURKE:

Oh, I don't know. I - I just sort of

feel that I won't enjoy being the

Law any more, after what's happened.

And I was wondering if you'd be, well,

I sort of - I sort of thought that--

Well, anyway, I got a ranch half

paid for.

BETTY:

A ranch?

BURKE:

Sure. I got a chicken ranch in

Petaluma.

Betty is, of course, stunned. She reaches a decision.

BETTY:

Oh, I'd love it, Steven, but--

There's something I have to tell

you, first.

(drops her phony accent)

Aw, you're a right guy and I'm gonna

come clean with ya.

Now, it is Burke's turn to be stunned.

BETTY:

In the first place, I'm not a

countess--

Abruptly, the steward arrives and hands Burke the envelope.

STEWARD:

Beg your pardon, sir.

Betty turns away in embarrassment. Even as he stares at her, Burke accepts the

envelope and waves off the steward who departs. Burke opens the message and

reads it. He looks up and squints at Betty, then crumples the message in his

fist.

BURKE:

(darkly)

You were sayin'?

Betty turns back to him, bluntly.

BETTY:

I was sayin' I'm not any of the

things you think I am. I've been a

long way. And I've left a wide

trail.

BURKE:

If it's your past, mine ain't been

no bed of violets.

Burke takes Betty's hand and smiles.

BURKE:

What do you say we forget about it?

Let's start from scratch.

BETTY:

You on the level, Steve?

BURKE:

On the level. What do you say ...

"Countess"?

BETTY:

Don't smear my bangs.

They kiss. Behind his back, Burke drops the crumpled telegram overboard.

CUT TO:

INT. SHIP'S LOUNGE - LATER

DAN AND JOAN:

Smiling into each other's eyes, they stand at the bar, holding drinks.

JOAN:

Remember our first?

DAN:

We thought it was our last. You

never can tell.

JOAN:

Four glorious weeks. So many happy

hours. And there's so many more,

too. Aren't there, Dan?

DAN:

Of course, dear.

JOAN:

Mustn't miss one of them.

Dan offers his hand.

DAN:

We won't, dear.

Joan takes his hand. A pause.

JOAN:

Where shall we dine tonight?

DAN:

Does it matter?

JOAN:

Not as long as we're together but

... it's fun to plan ahead. Let's

see. I'd like to ... to be in

Caliente for New Year's.

DAN:

That's just a month, isn't it? Well,

then.

(a toast)

Here's to Agua Caliente, New Year's

Eve.

They are suddenly serious.

JOAN:

Nothing can keep me away.

DAN:

Nor me.

They clink glasses gently and drink, never taking their eyes off one another.

They drain their glasses and break into smiles again. And they smash their

glasses on the side of the bar -- simultaneously.

THE BARTENDER, nearby, winces.

DAN AND JOAN:

cross the stems on the countertop.

THE BARTENDER, frustrated, snatches up two glasses in front of him and throws

them to the floor with a crash.

BURKE:

sits reading a magazine nearby. He looks up to see:

DAN AND JOAN:

exiting the lounge, arm in arm.

BURKE:

nods to Dan, making eye contact.

DAN:

looks at Burke, knowing his time is up. Dan turns to Joan.

DAN:

I'll finish packing and ... join

you.

DAN AND JOAN:

holding hands.

JOAN:

All right, sweet.

Joan smiles and exits. Dan watches her go, then turns and moves off to join Burke.

CUT TO:

EXT. S. S. MALOA

Passengers line the deck as the ship pulls up to the noisy, crowded dock.

CUT TO:

INT. JOAN'S CABIN

Joan checks her wristwatch and looks out the window at the crowd.

CUT TO:

INT. DAN AND BURKE'S STATEROOM

Burke, holding the handcuffs, confers with Dan.

BURKE:

Sorry, Dan.

Dan peers down unhappily at the cuffs.

DAN:

You have to use those?

Behind the two men, the British steward appears in the doorway -- he

overhears:

BURKE:

I've got to deliver you according to

Hoyle. You know, this ain't any petty

larceny rap, it's murder.

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