The Day the Clown Cried Page #11

CLOSE - THE GUARD - AT THE DOOR

He's been peeking all the while ... He figures he's had his

laugh, and it's the first time we see he can laugh ... he

steps into the barracks area, and yells:

GUARD:

Doork! Move it out,

and on the double!!

Helmut jumps with fright, unravels his shirt, runs towards

the open door putting on his shirt as we

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BARRACKS H - NIGHT

Most of the men are clustered around their bunks, and in the

dull light we see some of them in the aisles, talking,

playing cards ... while most of the others are whistling,

clapping, and laughing as Uhlmann does his silly little clog

dance ... it is apparent the ugly episode between Galt and

Uhlmann has been forgotten for the moment.

The lights are hung from cords down off the ceiling and for

a complex this size it could use ten ... there are but two.

Uhlmann is having the time of his ignorant life ... the more

the men applaud, the more he "clog dances".

MED. CLOSE SHOT - LUDWIG AND ADOLF

They are both seated on their top bunk, Adolf enjoying the

poor dance Uhlmann is giving as Ludwig looks down the aisle

towards Helmut's bunk.

LUDWIG:

(nudging Adolf)

It looks like Helmut found some new

ears to listen to his Super Star fantasies ...

Adolf takes a look, shrugs his shoulder, as if to say I

couldn't care less ... and goes on watching the action of

Uhlmann and the other men ...

LUDWIG:

(to himself, but for Adolf to hear as well;

a la Shakespeare, mimicking Helmut)

Ringling Brothers would have done

anything for me to appear with them

but I had to do what was best for me!

CLOSE - HELMUT AND THE FOUR NEW PRISONERS

The four new men are surrounding Helmut on the top of his

bunk listening to his bragging.

HELMUT:

So I told Mr. Ringling if he wanted "Helmut"

he'd have to bring his circus to Germany ...

I am a German, I told him, and my responsibility

is to my own people who are my biggest fans.

1ST PRISONER (new one)

Did you really say that?

HELMUT:

(proudly)

Of course I did ... they offered me anything ...

anything I wanted to go with them.

2ND NEW PRISONER

Hey! I saw the circus in Berlin about four years ago ...

Didn't you make your entrance in a long tail coat

with a pair of tails on the jacket about fifty feet long?

Sure! And a funny little clown at the very end

carrying the tails like a woman's train?

Helmut studies the prisoners glare and decides he couldn't

even remember the clown he saw was Gustav the Great, why

not? No one would ever know ... and he nods with a kind of

studied humility ... yes.

2ND NEW PRISONER

You were great!

Helmut eats it up.

2ND NEW PRISONER

You should have seen him ... You'd never know it was

him ... with the long tails and white tie ... red nose ...

long hair ... and a battered top hat ... with the hair

hanging way down to his shoulders ... and, ah, let me

see ... oh, yeah ... your mouth went from ear to ear.

HELMUT:

(softly)

Right!

3RD NEW PRISONER

How do "clowns" ever come up with

such ideas for faces and make-up?

HELMUT:

It doesn't happen overnight ... it takes years

and years ... You try many faces, then finally

you hit the one that's just right for you.

4TH NEW PRISONER

My kids will never believe this,

I can't wait to ... tell ...

His voice trails off as he realizes the hopelessness of what

he was about to say. This puts a damper on the discussion

and the men start to break up and get down off the bunk.

Helmut, seeing his captive audience leaving ... panics.

HELMUT:

(emotionally)

Wait, let me tell you some other things ...

I mean things that are really exciting and ...

please! Please... let me just have a few more ...

1ST NEW PRISONER

(ignoring Helmut completely)

What's going on with those guys?

He's looking off down the aisle where Uhlmann has his

audience ... The four prisoners move out into the aisle to

get a better look, leaving Helmut perched on his bunk with a

pleading and broken look of despair ...

HELMUT:

(a last attempt)

Did you know "clowns" literally bequeath

their faces to their sons, or sometimes to ...

He realizes it's futile as the four new prisoners move

towards Uhlmann and the others down the aisle ...

3RD PRISONER

Come on, let's see what's such fun ...

He moves and the others move along with him. Helmut thinks

about joining them, and starts to move off his bunk but his

body won't respond ... he just hangs there limply ... his

head lowered, a sad man.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

SHOOTING OVER the men placing Helmut in the very deep b.g.

as we see the four new prisoners walk over to watch the

action ...

MED. CLOSE - UHLMANN, GALT, KELTNER, AND OTHERS

Uhlmann is just finishing his dance with a spin, when he

finally gets dizzy and topples over on one of the bunks.

All the men applaud wildly. Uhlmann laying half down and

half up on the lower bunk he landed on, breathing heavily

... yells over to Galt ...

UHLMANN:

Hey, Galt, it's your turn, how about

doin' one of your belly dances for us?

All the men agree and start yelling for Galt to do it ...

Galt moves out into the center of the aisle in the clearing

made by the men, and holds up his hands for silence ... they

quiet down and Galt looks around until he spots Keltner.

GALT:

Reverend?

The men become very still, they look from Galt to Keltner

and back to Galt, their eyes reflecting suspicion of him,

wondering what he's up to now. Galt is fully aware of this.

GALT:

Well, Reverend, what do you think? Would a

little belly-dancing be too much for the boys?

Keltner studies Galt for a beat, then accepts his offer of a

truce.

KELTNER:

(moving over towards Galt)

A little fun is what we need ... so...

if you'll all hold the noise down, I'll join in.

A hushed cheer goes up from the men as Keltner stands

besides Galt. Galt holds his hands over his head and nods

for Keltner to do the same thing. The Reverend does, and

now Galt begins undulating his hips. Keltner studies the

move for a beat and then does the same thing but with

comical awkwardness. Franz starts playing a slow sensuous

rhythm on his harmonica. The men clap and whistle softly.

CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT

He is sitting upright on top of his bunk, watching what Galt

has Keltner doing, a look of disgust passes his face as he

turns away from what he'd been watching and gets busy with

his papers and figuring again.

MED. SHOT - GALT, KELTNER

They are just finishing their dance. The men applaud wildly

but softly ... Keltner, puffing, moves over to the side and

sits on one of the bunks to catch his breath. Galt takes a

few bows, and the men react with applause and whistling

that's beginning to take on "noise" proportions ... Keltner

motions for the men to hold it down ... and they do.

4TH NEW PRISONER

Say, why don't we get the clown

to do something?

GALT:

A clown? Who's a clown??

HERMAN:

You've heard of "Helmut Doork".

That's him down there!

LUDWIG:

Don't waste your time. You'll never

get the Great Doork to do anything.

WIDER SHOT:

as he starts walking towards Helmut's bunk ...

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