Taxi Driver Page #13

TRAVIS:

Thanks a lot.

TRAVIS exits. 'MELIO picks up the phone and starts dialing.

The bloody BODY lies on the floor unmoving.

TRAVIS, still carrying his pint of chocolate milk and

sandwich, walks down the empty sidewalk and enters his cab.

The street is deserted.

CUT TO:

DIRECT CUT TO PORNOGRAPHIC MOVIE: this is the first time we

have actually seen the porno movie itself.

64.

SEVERAL ACTORS and ACTRESSES are dallying on screen in

whatever manner the ratings board deems permissible.

Whatever the action, the movie's decor is strictly Zody's --

ersatz landscape paintings, tufted bedspreads. As in most

porno films, the ACTORS look up occasionally toward the

CAMERA to receive instructions. Studio grunts, groans and

moans of pleasure have been dubbed in.

Action on screen begins to go into SLOW MOTION, the ACTORS

and ACTRESSES gradually transforming obscenity into poetry.

CUT TO:

TRAVIS, sitting in his chair in his APARTMENT, watching

afternoon soap opera. He is cleaning his .38 and eating

from a jar of applesauce. Soap opera audio continues.

He watches the soap opera without expression.

SOUND TRACK of film also SLOWS DOWN, gradually mixing with

and then becoming the sound track of a midafternoon TV soap

opera.

A YOUNG GIRL and BOY are talking in those familiar soap

opera voices and a third party, the GIRL's mother, who had

tried to terminate their "relationship."

CUT TO:

TELEVISION:
The BOY is visiting the GIRL in her hospital

room. Both look as if they've stepped out of the Blue Chip

stamp catalogue.

SOAP OPERA BOY:

Is it that she just doesn't -- like

me?

SOAP OPERA GIRL:

(hesitantly)

Well, Jim, it's just that -- I

don't know how to say this -- it's

that she thinks your parents

aren't... good enough, I guess.

TRAVIS, through cleaning his gun, begins to play a game with

the television set.

He places the heel of his boot at the top of the melon crate

which supports the TV. Then, slowly rocking his heel back

and forth, he sees how far he can tip the melon crate

without knocking it over.

65.

The TV, still broadcasting the hospital room melodrama,

rocks back and forth.

TRAVIS pushes the TV farther and farther until finally the

inevitable happens -- the crate tips backward, sending the

portable TV crashing to the floor.

There is a short flash and the TV screen turns white.

TRAVIS, realizing what he has done, bends over, turns the TV

upright on the floor, fiddles with the knobs, slaps it, and

tries to reactivate the vanished image. TRAVIS' efforts are

futile; a tube has broken, and the TV will not come back to

life.

TRAVIS:

(to himself)

Damn, damn.

TRAVIS bends over in the chair and places his head in his

hands, despairing of himself.

FADE TO:

About 1 a.m. TRAVIS pulls his cab behind a line of empty

taxis parked outside the Bellmore Cafeteria, a cabbie

hangout on Park Avenue South.

He locks his cab and walks past the line of taxis. He

sidesteps TWO DRUNKEN FIGHTING BUMS and enters the Bellmore.

A LOUD BUZZER RINGS as TRAVIS steps INTO THE BELLMORE. He

pulls a ticket from the dispenser (silencing the buzzer) and

walks toward the wall-length counter.

An assortment of CABBIES are seated around a formica-topped

table near the rear of the cafeteria. Some are barely

awake, some are eating, the rest are swapping stories and

smalltalk.

Wizard, Dough-Boy, Charlie T and a FOURTH CABBIE are seated

at a long table.

WIZARD:

You know Eddie, he's the new hippie

kid in our group, long hair...

Wizard demonstrates length of hair and others nod.

WIZARD:

...he called up the Dispatcher last

night. Charlie McCall, our

dispatcher...

66.

DOUGH-BOY

One-Ball McCall?

WIZARD:

That's the guy. Eddie calls him up

and says, "Hey, what do you want me

to do. I'm over here at Poly Prep.

I got a girl in the back and she

doesn't have the fare. She wants

me to come in back and collect.

What should I do?

The cabbies laugh. Across the cafeteria Travis selects a

cup of coffee and some pastries.

CHARLIE T:

This is on the two-way with about a

hundred and fifty cars listenin in.

WIZARD:

McCall says. "How much on the

meter?" Eddie comes back and says

"Two-fifty." McCall says, "Is she

worth it".

More laughter.

DOUGH-BOY

F***in One-Ball.

WIZARD:

And the kid says, "Yeah. She's

about 19, good-lookin." McCall

says, "What can I tell you?"

FOURTH CABBIE:

She should have told him to get an

OK from the front office.

(laughter)

WIZARD:

McCall says, "Well, if you want

some help I'll see if I can send

some units out."

CHARLIE T:

Yeah. About a hundred and fifty.

DOUGH-BOY

I hope he had a checker.

67.

WIZARD:

She was just a kid. Stoned, you

know.

Travis, carrying his coffee and pastries, walks over to

their table. Charlie T spots him.

CHARLIE T:

Hiya Killer.

Charlie forms his hand into a pistol, c*cks and fires,

making the SOUND, "Pgghew." TRAVIS nods.

WIZARD:

You're getting a rep, Travis.

TRAVIS sits down and the other CABBIES resume their

conversation.

CHARLIE T:

Got the five you owe me, Killer?

TRAVIS reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of small

denomination bills. The crumpled $20 bill falls onto the

table. TRAVIS stares at it a moment. He unfolds a five,

gives it to CHARLIE T, then picks up the crumpled $20 and

puts it back into his jacket pocket.

WIZARD (O.S.)

(to Travis)

What's the action around?

TRAVIS:

Slow.

CHARLIE T:

Sh*t yes. Night woulda been dead

if I hadn't grabbed an outatowner

at Kennedy. Took him roun the horn

and got a five dollar tip to boot.

WIZARD:

(joking)

One of these days we're gonna turn

you in, Charlie T. Fleecin the

hicks like that.

DOUGH-BOY

Remember the time this cat picks up

four dudes from the other side,

Pakastanis I think they were, holds

up their passports, to the toll

booth collector on the bridge and

charges em ten bucks each for

'crossing the border?

68.

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