Taxi Driver Page #5

DOUGH-BOY

I mean, you handle some pretty

rough traffic, huh?

TRAVIS:

(catching on)

I have.

DOUGH-BOY

You carry a piece? You need one?

TRAVIS:

Nah.

(a beat)

I suppose not.

22.

Waitress slaps down smudge-marked glass of water, and a

cheeseburger plate that looks more like a shrunken head on a

serving platter.

DOUGH-BOY

Well, you ever need one, I know a

feller that kin getcha a real nice

deal. Lotsa sh*t around.

WIZARD:

The cops and company raise hell

they find out.

Travis drops two Alka-Seltzer into his glass of water.

DOUGH-BOY

Truck drivers bring up Harlem

Specials that blow up in your hand.

But this guy don't deal no sh*t.

Just quality. If you ever need

anything, I can put you in touch.

WIZARD:

For a fee.

DOUGH-BOY

For a fee.

WIZARD:

I never use mine. But it's a good

thing to have. Just as a threat.

DOUGH-BOY

(getting up)

well, if there's this many hackies

inside, there must be lots of hares

outside. And I'm gonna hustle 'em.

WIZARD:

What ya gonna do with all that

money, Dough-Boy?

DOUGH-BOY

Support my kids. Can you dig it?

(pause)

nice to meet ya, Travis. So long,

Wizard. Say hello to Malcolm X for

me.

(nods to Charlie T.)

Charlie T. remains unmoved: He is sleeping.

23.

Dough-Boy exits. Travis smiles perfunctorily, then looks

back at Wizard. They really don't have much to talk about,

and the Wizard doesn't care to manufacture any more

conversations.

Travis scans the greasy spoon: The scene is unchanged.

CUT TO:

EXT. PALANTINE HEADQUARTERS - ANOTHER DAY

Traffic passes.

INT. PALANTINE HEADQUARTERS

Tom and Betsy are talking. She takes out a cigarette. He

takes out matches to light it.

BETSY:

Try holding the match like this.

TOM:

This is gotta be a game, right?

BETSY:

(putting on glasses)

This I gotta see.

TOM:

(burning fingers)

Ouch!

BETSY:

(giggling)

Oh, are you all right?

TOM:

I'm great. Always set my fingers on

fire. If you want to see another

trick. I do this thing with my nose.

BETSY:

No. I just wanted to see if you

could light it that way. The guy at

the newsstand can.

TOM:

Ah, yes, the guy at the newsstand,

Mr. Asbestos...

BETSY:

He happens to be missing fingers. I

first noticed when -

24.

TOM:

Is he Italian?

BETSY:

No, why?

TOM:

You sure he's not Italian?

BETSY:

He's Black, OK?

TOM:

Well, If he had been Italian, they

could have been shot off. Sometimes

the mob does that to teach guys a

lesson, If they blow a job or

something.

BETSY:

As I said, he isn't Italian.

Besides, I thought they just killed

them.

TOM:

Don't be naive. They can't kill

everybody. They have different

punishments for different things.

Like, if they kill a stool pidgeon,

they leave a canary on the body.

It's symbolic.

BETSY:

Why don't they leave a pidgeon

instead of a canary?

TOM:

I don't know. Maybe they don't

leave a canary. Don't be technical.

What I'm saying is if this newsstand

guy's Italian and his fingers are

gone, maybe he's a thief.

BETSY:

First, he's not Italian. Second

he's not a thief. I noticed the

fingers when he was getting my

change - the right change. Two of

his fingers are missing. Just stubs.

Like they were blown away. I was

putting my change in my purse when

I saw him get out a cigarette. I

couldn't help watching. I was dying

to see how he'd light it.

25.

TOM:

With the other hand, right?

BETSY:

No, stupid. With the stubs. That's

the whole point.

TOM:

I know that guy. His hand looks

like a paw. An old Black guy, the

newsstand at -

BETSY:

No, this is young - well, I'm never

sure how old Black people are -

but, anyway, he isn't old. That's

for sure.

TOM:

Show me how he did that again.

EXT. ACROSS THE STREET FROM HEADQUARTERS

Travis is striding briskly across Broadway toward the

Palantine Headquarters.

He s dressed the best we have seen him; his pants (not

jeans) are pressed, his boots shined, his hair combed. Under

his Army jacket he wears a freshly laundered shirt and ivy

league tie. He drops his cigarette, steps on it and walks in.

Watching Travis enter Palantine's Headquarters, we are

surprised to realize that Travis is really quite attractive.

His deformities are psychological, not physical. He believes

he is cursed, and therefore he is.

Travis walks briskly into the office, and heads toward

Betsy's desk. Tom walks over to greet him, but Travis

ignores him.

TRAVIS:

(at Betsy's desk)

I want to volunteer.

As the CAMERA examines Travis' face more closely, one can

see the hollowness wrought by lack of sleep and sufficient

diet.

TOM:

(at Betsy's desk)

If you'll come this way.

Travis elbows Tom off.

26.

TRAVIS:

(to Betsy)

No. I want to volunteer to you.

TOM:

(under his voice)

Bets.

BETSY waves TOM off with a short gesture, indicating

everything is OK. He walks away.

BETSY:

(curious)

And why is that?

TRAVIS is on his best behavior. He smiles slightly:

TRAVIS:

Because you are the most beautiful

woman I have ever seen.

BETSY is momentarily taken back, but pleased. TRAVIS'

presence has a definite sexual charge. He has those star

qualities BETSY looks for: She senses there is something

special about the young man who stands before her. And then,

too, there is that disarming smile. He is, as Betsy would

say, "fascinating".

BETSY:

(smiling)

Is that so?

(pause)

But what do you think of Charles

Palantine?

TRAVIS:

(his mind elsewhere)

Who mam?

BETSY:

Charles Palantine. The man you want

to volunteer to help elect president.

TRAVIS:

Oh, I think he's a wonderful man.

Make a great, great President.

BETSY:

You want to canvass?

TRAVIS:

Yes, mam.

27.

Betsy is interviewing Travis, but she is also teasing him a

little, leading him on in a gentle feminine way:

BETSY:

How do you feel about Senator

Palantine's stand on welfare?

This takes TRAVIS back a bit. He obviously doesn't have the

slightest idea what Palantine's stand on welfare is, in

fact, he doesn't have any idea about politics whatsoever.

TRAVIS thinks a moment, then improvises an answer:

TRAVIS:

Welfare, mam? I think the Senator's

right. People should work for a

living. I do. I like to work. Every

day. Get those old coots off

welfare and make 'em work for a

change.

Betsy does a subtle double-take: This isn't exactly

Palantine's position on welfare. She remain intrigued by

Travis.

BETSY:

Well, that's not exactly what the

Senator has proposed. You might not

want to canvass, but there is

plenty more other work we need

done:
Office work, filing, poster

hanging.

TRAVIS:

I'm a good worker, Betsy mam, a

real good worker.

BETSY:

(gesturing)

if you talk to Tom, he'll assign

you to something.

TRAVIS:

If you don't mind, mam, I'd rather

work for you.

BETSY:

Well, we're all working tonight.

TRAVIS:

Well, Betsy mam, I drive a taxi at

night.

28.

BETSY:

Well, then, what is it you exactly

want to do?

TRAVIS:

(bolstering courage)

If you don't mind, mam, I'd be

mighty pleased if you'd go out and

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