Pool of London Page #4

Take time off from Harry for a while.

If you want to know,

I wasn't thinking of Harry.

I haven't been thinking of Harry at all.

Now, that is something new.

Yes. Yes, I suppose it is.

About time.

I suppose he was just a habit.

Yeah, I know. I got one, too.

Some habits are hard lo break.

Especially bad ones.

It all seems so silly now.

Why did it take all this time

to get wise to yourself?

Well, you know...

It was nice waiting for his ship

and to go out with him,

all the girls in the office knowing.

If you're on your own...

Yeah, I know.

I'm on my own, too.

I got a girl whenever I got a pair

of nylons, but it don't mean much.

But I don'! Kid myself.

I'm not the kind a real girl would go for.

Two pink gins, sir.

Thanks, Charlie.

- Here, drink the change.

- Thank you, sir.

Come on, Sal, what do you say

we go back and dance?

- I'd love to.

- Might stop me from talking.

- Twelve o'clock.

- Sunday.

We're not often in over a weekend.

- What will you do with yourself?

- I don't know.

Stay on board, I guess.

Not much to do on a Sunday.

But there's lots of things.

Even here in the City

it's quite different on a Sunday.

I'll show you if you like.

But how about your friends?

I thought you were going out.

I can go with them any Sunday.

You...

- You mean it?

- Why not?

Here we are.

Sally's palais.

Hey! Come back out of there.

Shh!

I've been locked out.

Open the door, Richard!

You'll get me turned out!

There!

It's all got to tick to a split second.

Now, let's get your end.

You got to get the car in time to pick up

me and Alf and all the gear by 10:50.

At 10:
58, we drive up Eastcheap

in the car, OK?

OK.

At eleven precise,

you're standing on that roof.

You've got six minutes to fix the watchman

and have the door opening

as we drive up outside. 11:06.

And from the moment the safe blows

and the alarm goes off,

we can only reckon on three minutes.

ls all that clear?

Where are you meeting the sailor?

In church.

Hey, steward.

You there! Come here.

Yes, sir?

- Fetch me some more water, steward.

- Yes, sir.

You wonder, perhaps,

why I never set fool in this accursed city?

- No, sir.

- Well, I'll tell ye.

Behold from afar,

it gleams like a jewel.

But walk within the shadows of its walls,

and what do you find?

Filth!

Squalor!

Misery!

- Who said that?

- I don't know, sir.

Never mind, never mind.

Go ashore? Be lucky if I can afford to

by next Christmas.

How did the old man sting you for?

Enough to keep me in quarantine

for the next couple of years.

- Aprs vous.

- Merci, monsieur.

What happened

to you and Pat last night?

Nothing.

Maisie say something?

No.

Er... here, I brought yours in.

Good boy.

- Johnny'!

- Yeah?

- Wouldn't like to do me a favour?

- What is it'?

Just a little matter

of walking on board with something,

giving it right back to me

the moment we're clear of customs.

Don't you take enough chances

coming in with stuff?

That's just the beauty of it.

They never stop anybody going on board.

Not in a month of Sundays.

Not unless they got it in for them.

That's why I can't do it.

So, you want me to stick my chin out.

But, Johnny... if I thought there was a

chance in a million of you getting caught,

I wouldn't be asking you to do it.

You know that.

I know you wouldn't.

OK.

Good boy. And this time

I'm gonna make you take your cut.

- I don't want any.

- We'll talk about that later.

And don't pay any attention to Maisie.

She's just got a bad temper.

I guess so.

Some people just can't mind

their own business. Ignore them.

Sure. About this job of yours -

we'd better meet somewhere.

- How about the pub just before sailing?

- OK. Want a cuppa?

No. And, er... another thing.

Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.

Thanks.

Going to church today?

As a matter of fact, I am.

What?

What happened to you last night?

...! Never again!

- Sally was waiting for you at the Palais.

- Blast!

What did you tell her?

The one about the sailor.

I There's a better world, they say

I So bright, so bright

I Where sin and woe are done away... I

Here you are, my darling.

The wages of sin.

Been working overtime?

I And music fills the balmy air

I And angels with bright wings are there I

Look, you can see

the whole of the Pool from up here.

Takes your breath away, doesn't it?

What you've got left

after climbing those stairs.

Look, isn't that a man

climbing on that roof?

There.

I can't see anyone.

Hello, p*ssy.

Want your milk?

Come on, then.

All set?

Station Officer.

What's wrong?

Bottle of milk?

What about it?

He's usually taken it in by this time.

All right. I'll go back.

- OK'?

- Come on, Ms gs.

- Get an ambulance quickly, Constable.

- Very good, sir.

Slay with him.

Come on, Evans.

There they are!

The police!

Keep back, Keep back.

Keep back, please.

- All correct, sir.

- Inspector Moss still here?

He's inside, sir.

Move along, please.

Detective Inspector Williamson

from Scotland Yard, sir.

- Hello, Jim. Hows it going?

- They seem to have made a good job of it.

They've messed up

my Sunday dinner all right.

Always ready on the job?

I hope you've all the wheels at the Yard

working for us?

We're checking on all the likely ones.

We'll pull you through.

- Petrol?

- No, you.

- Me? What have I done?

- Just a few questions.

And only last night, one of our

greatest captains of industry -

I can't reveal his name to you -

said to me, and I agreed with him,

"Edward," he said, "there is only one

policy which has never failed to pay,

"and that's honesty."

Hear! Hear!

You've said it, Edward.

I was at Slim's place

all last night. Ask him.

We will.

Who, me?

All correct, sir.

- Any luck'?

- Yes, sir. Just coming up.

Good. It should give us a lead.

Hurry along, please.

Hum!'

Right away.

What's that?

It's a figurehead.

He'd scare the crows away all right.

- All ships had them atone time.

- What a face!

Careful! Might hear what you say.

- What, him?

- Yeah, might take of fence.

They were supposed to be able

to see and hear.

Help the ship find her way -

in storms and in the dark.

- Did they?

- They've got radar now. Works better.

Had to know the ropes

to sail a ship in those days.

- Johnny! What time does your ship sail?

- On the tide about eight.

- What a pity!

- Why?

I got some free tickets

for the Camberwell Palace.

You could have come, too.

Variety Bandbox.

I'm sorry. It's the first time

I've been ashore in London

that I haven't been glad

to get back to sea.

It always seemed before to be such a big,

lonesome son of place.

Not when you get to know it

and make a few friends.

- It's the same as anywhere then.

- You've got lots of friends.

Yes.

Well, thanks for...

well, everything.

It's been fun.

I've loved it.

Come on,

let's walk up to the observatory.

- We've just got time.

- Sure.

The Greenwich Meridian.

But what does it mean?

It means that everything

starts from here,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes