The Day the Clown Cried Page #14

GUARD:

(continuing)

I don't know what caused the trouble last night,

but I'm not blaming you entirely.

(fatherly)

I failed you. I should have seen that you

all have much too much energy for the

confined life you lead here.

(he smiles benevolently)

GUARD:

(continuing)

We're going to correct that. I've been

told that energy comes from food.

MED. SHOT - PRISONERS

Their faces reflect that they know what is coming.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

SHOOTING PAST the line of prisoners in f.g. to the Guard,

who has paused to let his words sink in.

GUARD:

(continuing)

So ... to help you ... all rations are

cancelled for the next ... forty-eight hours.

A hushed ripple of ad lib grumbling and growling rolls along

the line of prisoners.

GUARD:

(continuing)

And, if that doesn't quiet you down,

I'll think of some other ideas you'll

like even less. I'm going to make this

barracks the quietest in the camp.

(roaring)

Is that clear?

The prisoners are silent but their faces register their

resentment.

GUARD:

(continuing)

Now, don't blame me.

(with sly meaning)

I didn't start the trouble last night.

The truth of what he has said is reflected in the faces of

the men.

GUARD:

(continuing)

Fall out.

ANOTHER ANGLE - FAVORING HELMUT, KELTNER

As they stand with the other prisoners, watching the guard

move off. Keltner looks worried, the others are angry,

Helmut seems undecided as his eyes follow the guard.

HERMAN:

Bastard!

STOUT PRISONER:

I can't go without food. I'll starve.

Suddenly Helmut makes up his mind and starts off after the

Guard. Keltner, sensing the mood of the men, puts a

restraining hand on his arm, whispers to him hoarsely.

KELTNER:

Helmut, don't.

But Helmut shakes him off and hurries away.

The other prisoners notice where he is headed and exchange

looks. Keltner shakes his head. Galt's eyes narrow as he

watches Helmut run off after the guard.

GALT:

(loudly)

He's the one we can thank for the diet.

MED. SHOT - GUARD - MOVING

The CAMERA MOVES BACKWARD as the Guard strides toward it,

his face sour. Behind him we can see Helmut running to

catch up to him. When he is close enough ...

HELMUT:

Sir? Corporal ...

The guard stops and turns so abruptly that Helmut almost

runs into him.

GUARD:

What?

HELMUT:

(obsequiously)

Doork. Helmut Doork. Remember?

The papers ... You said ... Remember the

special forms for the Gestapo to review my case.

GUARD:

No papers.

He stalks off. Helmut starts to say something more but

thinks better of it. Crushed, he starts back towards his

barracks, head down. He walks sadly for several steps, then

looks up and stops, his expression changing to one of

uneasiness.

MED. SHOT - PRISONERS - HELMUT'S POV

A dozen of Helmut's barracks-mates, including Galt, Uhlmann,

Adolf, Ludwig, Herman, the Stout Prisoner, several of the

New Prisoners, are drifting across the yard towards him, and

the looks on many faces bode no good for Helmut.

FULL SHOT - HELMUT, PRISONERS

The men converge and form a half circle around him.

As the men close in on him, he moves back until we cna see

the barbed wire fence behind him. Helmut senses their

disposition and remains warily silent. Keltner and Franz

stand slightly behind the pack.

GALT:

What'd you say now, Mr. Doork, Almighty!

(to men)

Last night he wouldn't give us a laugh.

Today they won't give us food.

LUDWIG:

(venemously)

What were you doing? Making a deal

with your guard pal to slip you some food?

HELMUT:

(indignantly)

No! I was asking him about the

forms he'd promised to get me.

(admonishing)

Because of last night ... I'm not getting them.

Keltner, seeing how disappointed Helmut is, moves up through

the group.

KELTNER:

(encouragingly)

When this blows over, Helmut, we'll ...

LUDWIG:

(interrupting)

Don't feel sorry for him. He's got

no one to blame but himself.

The whole thing was his doing.

ADOLF:

He's been telling us how great he is;

how funny. Why? Why couldn't he

have done a trick or two for us?

UHLMANN:

The Reverend did a turn.

What's so special about him?

The men voice agreement ... Helmut should have performed.

Helmut starts to go around one end of the semi-circle but

the men bar his way.

KELTNER:

Don't start anything here.

We're in enough trouble.

The other prisoners in the b.g., those who have remained in

the yard to see what was going to happen to the men of

barracks H, sense trouble, the kind they want no part of,

and begin scurrying back to their own barracks.

UHLMANN:

We're not starting anything,

we're finishing something.

GALT:

We've decided Doork here is going

to keep us laughing so hard we won't

be able to hear our stomachs growling.

STOUT PRISONER:

Better hurry it up, clown. 'Cause my

stomach's growling already. Can you hear it?

HERMAN:

Hear it! The whole place hears it.

The men take a few steps toward Helmut as they call for him

to perform.

MEN:

Yeah, Doork, do a trick. How about

that night in Munich when they

wouldn't stop laughing.

How about it, Doork? Come on,

just a little trick. Give us one laugh.

That's all we're asking for.

Come on, Helmut, do something.

Helmut, hoping to stall the inevitable, still hoping to

preserve for a while longer his beautiful myth of being a

great clown, holds up his hands for the men to be quiet.

Franz interpreting the gesture as giving in to the demands

of the men ...

FRANZ:

(excitedly)

He's going to do it! He's going to do it!

The men quiet down and move back a few steps to give Helmut

room.

HELMUT:

(grandly)

Nothing pleases an artist more than to perform.

I'm going to do a real show for you.

All I ask is that you give me a little time ...

time to get things together ...

things I can use as props ...

I'll even try to make a costume, and ...

ADOLF:

You don't need a costume.

We've got imagination.

(to men)

Right?

Murmurs of agreement.

HERMAN:

Do the drunk pretzel like

the kid suggested last night.

GALT:

(commanding)

And do it now, clown. No more stalling.

Helmut, still trying to hold on to his dream of greatness,

draws himself up proudly and begins to move forward.

HELMUT:

Let me through.

ADOLF:

Aren't we good enough for you?

LUDWIG:

He'd do his tricks fast enough if

his guard pal asked him.

Wouldn't you, Doork?

As the mention of the word "guard" the mood of the men turns

ugly.

MED. SHOT - PRISONERS - HELMUT'S POV

Their faces show their determination that Helmut will

perform or ... else.

KELTNER:

Do something, Karl.

For God's sake, do something.

GALT:

And be sure it's funny.

MED. SHOT - HELMUT, GALT

Helmut is frightened. He strains to look beyond the men for

help. He opens his mouth to scream for the Guard, but Galt

puts his hand over Helmut's mouth.

GALT:

(his face pressed

close to Helmut's)

You make us scream ... scream with laughter ...

or I'll tear you to shreds on the wire.

Galt presses Helmut right up to the barbed wire fence so he

can feel the barbs in his back.

FULL SHOT - HELMUT, MEN

Galt takes his hand away from Helmut's mouth. Helmut

doesn't utter a sound. He knows that Galt and the men mean

business and he now must do something. He nods his head.

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