One Way Passage Page #4

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DOCTOR:

You state it very cruelly.

Joan rises and crosses to her cabin's window. She looks out.

JOAN:

It's not a pretty picture, is it?

(reluctantly)

All right. All right, doctor. I'll

do what you say.

(chuckles)

Funny how we cling to life even

after it's worthless.

Joan hears the sound of Dan's voice drifting in through the open window.

DAN'S VOICE

She's about so tall, black hair,

large brown eyes. Her first name is

Joan.

Peering through the window, Joan sees Dan walking the deck with a steward.

Delighted, she watches them pass and then turns back to the doctor.

JOAN:

Oh, no. No, I was wrong. I know now

what I want. I want to crowd all the

intense, beautiful happiness possible

into what life I've got left. That's

all living's for. If it's only for a

few hours, I want to have it. And I'm

going to have it -- all I can get my

hands on.

Joan leaves the window, moves toward the door. The doctor tries to stop her.

DOCTOR:

Joan, I--

JOAN:

Now, doctor, I am going on deck.

DOCTOR:

But, Jo--

JOAN:

Goodbye!

With a huge smile, she breaks away from him and is instantly out the door,

slamming it shut behind her.

CUT TO:

INT. SHIP'S LOUNGE - MOMENTS LATER

DAN:

sits at the bar as a young bartender mixes him a drink.

BARTENDER #2

(to Dan)

I don't know, she might've been in

here, but I didn't notice her.

JOAN:

enters the lounge and looks around anxiously. She spots

DAN:

who is busy lighting a cigarette and fails to see her.

DAN:

(to the bartender)

Mm, then she wasn't here. You'd've

noticed her.

JOAN, smiling radiantly, checks her hair and then moves toward Dan.

AT THE BAR:

Joan joins Dan at the bar, approaching him from behind so that he doesn't see

her. The bartender, having just poured Dan's drink, now looks up from his work

and notices her. He raises his eyebrows and smiles in recognition.

She indicates with a gesture that he should pour her the same drink -- which

he promptly does, with a grin. The bartender watches with interest as Dan puts

his glass to his lips at the same moment Joan speaks to him:

JOAN:

Hello, Dan.

Dan turns and looks at her, pleased and surprised. We hear their love theme.

DAN:

Hello, Joan.

JOAN:

The luck's come back.

Dan nods, noticing that, once again, they both hold the same drink.

DAN:

This time, in full glasses.

JOAN:

We mustn't lose a drop, Dan.

DAN:

(toasts her)

Health.

A dark look crosses Joan's face. She recovers with a smile and corrects him:

JOAN:

Luck.

Once again, they swallow their drinks, never taking their eyes from one

another. They exchange grins.

The bartender smiles warmly at this.

Joan, holding her glass by the stem, smashes it against the bar.

The bartender's eyes pop in surprise.

Joan places her stem on the countertop. Then, Dan smashes his glass.

The startled bartender flinches.

As before, Dan crosses his stem with Joan's. They smile at each other as we

TRUCK FORWARD for a CLOSER VIEW of the crossed stems on the countertop between

them.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SHIP'S DECK - SUNSET

Dan and Joan stand at the railing together watching the sun go down.

JOAN:

The day knows how to go out. In a

blaze of glory. Forgive me if I'm

going poetic on you. But life is

wonderful, Dan.

DAN:

And its best moment is when we

find it out.

Joan thinks about this a moment and then turns to look at the ocean.

FADE OUT:

IRIS IN:

EXT. S. S. MALOA - NIGHT

The ship sails east under a night sky.

CUT TO:

EXT. DECK - NIGHT

Dan and Burke, in dinner clothes, stand outside the ship's lounge, peering in

through the well-lit windows. Classical piano music. The two men enter through

a nearby door.

CUT TO:

INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT

A smartly-dressed crowd listens as an attractive, aristocratic woman elegantly

plays a grand piano. We get a CLOSE VIEW of the woman, known to her fellow

passengers as Countess Bettina de Barilhaus, but whom we shall call BETTY for

short.

Dan and Burke arrive as Betty concludes her number. The crowd applauds. Betty

rises and catches sight of Dan and Burke. Burke stares at her with interest.

Dan lowers his eyes and tries to look bored.

Betty, carrying an expensive fan, joins her stiff British date -- a tuxedoed,

monocled nobleman named SIR HAROLD.

BETTY:

(pleasantly, with a

vaguely European accent)

Now, we must be going.

Sir Harold nods and the two begin to walk off together. Members of the crowd

groan and protest, "Aw, Countess ..." "Please!" -- but she waves them off

politely.

BETTY:

No, no, no, no. You'll forgive me.

I'm very fatigued. Some other time.

But before she can get away a bejeweled dowager stops her.

DOWAGER:

Oh, Countess, are you of the Bavarian

Barilhauses?

BETTY:

(coolly)

Mm, the elder son.

DOWAGER:

I had the pleasure in meeting them

last summer.

BETTY:

(unenthusiastic)

Delightful. We must have tea

together some time.

Betty moves off. Sir Harold follows like a puppy dog.

SIR HAROLD:

Countess, you play divinely.

As she passes, Betty ignores Burke but pauses ever so slightly to get a good

look at Dan who pointedly shows no sign of recognizing her. Burke watches

Betty, struck by her beauty.

Betty and Sir Harold stand apart from the others.

SIR HAROLD:

Shall I see you ... later, Countess?

BETTY:

Not tonight, Sir Harold. Tomorrow

night, I promise you.

Betty puts her hand in his.

SIR HAROLD:

I shall live ... in anticipation.

Sir Harold kisses Betty's hand grandly.

Burke jealously watches all this with interest -- it's not the sort of

activity a Frisco cop sees much of.

DAN:

(amused, to Burke)

Don't let the royalty get you down.

Dan moves off as Burke smiles self-consciously and gives him a dismissive

wave.

Fanning herself, Betty watches Sir Harold walk away. He pauses, turns, and

delivers a courtly bow to her. She nods in reply and they turn from one

another. As they do, Skippy abruptly enters and nearly bumps into Betty. His

face lights up with recognition:

SKIPPY:

Well! If it ain't--

Skippy offers a hand in greeting. But Betty ignores this, instantly dropping

both her voice and her European accent:

BETTY:

(American accent)

Play dead, chump. Tail me to my

joint.

Skippy watches with surprise as Betty, fanning herself, briskly walks off. He

puts on his hat and nonchalantly strolls after her.

AT THE BAR:

Burke joins the same young bartender who waited on Dan and Joan earlier. Self-

conscious about his garlic breath, Burke screws up his face and glances in

Dan's direction while deciding what to order.

BARTENDER #2

Something I can do for you, sir?

BURKE:

(unhappily)

Buttermilk.

BARTENDER #2

Yes, sir.

Bartender pulls out a tall glass and a pitcher of buttermilk.

BURKE:

Say, pal, will ya do me a favor?

BARTENDER #2

Yes, sir?

BURKE:

What do you call a countess when you

wanna speak to her?

BARTENDER #2

Hmm.

(unconvincingly)

"Madame la Countesse."

We PAN DOWN the bar to another bartender who assembles an elaborate tray of

bottles, glasses, ice, and other mixings. A steward takes the tray and carries

it off.

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