The Day the Clown Cried Page #22

GUARD:

(continuing; to the children)

Go on. Get back.

The children don't move. Their eyes are on Helmut. The

guard shouts over to the adults standing behind the

children.

GUARD:

You back there, get them out of here.

The adults begin to gather up the children.

HELMUT:

They had nothing to do with it.

It was all my doing.

The guard turns and comes up to face Helmut. He studies him

for a moment, then hits him a vicious backhand slap across

the face. Taken by surprise, Helmut staggers backward and

falls. A murmur runs through the prisoners. The children

still near the fence, cry out with alarm. Seeing their

terror, Helmut is determined to make it look like just

another act. With a painful effort he gets to his feet,

smiles at the children, turns and salutes the guard,

knocking himself down again. A couple of children giggle.

The FIRST SS OFFICER quickly steps forward to stand behind

the guard.

He holds a swagger stick in his right hand, which he

repeatedly whacks into the palm of his left hand. He looks

down at Helmut.

FIRST SS OFFICER

Get up.

Helmut struggles to his feet. He glances over at the

children. They are all watching him. He takes a deep

breath, winks at the little ones, then salaams before the SS

Officer and the guard. Some of the children giggle. This

infuriates the SS officer. He raises the swagger stick and

brings it down hard on Helmut's head knocking him to his

knees. The children scream with terror. The SS Officer

raises the stick to hit Helmut again, but Keltner, in an

almost instinctive reaction, catches hold of his arm.

KELTNER:

The children! Not in front of the children!

TWO SHOT - FIRST SS OFFICER - KELTNER

The SS Officer turns and brings the stick down on Keltner.

He hits him over and over, each blow more vicious.

MED. SHOT - HELMUT - FRIGHTENED CHILDREN IN B.G.

Helmut turns away from the beating, pulls his jacket up over

his head and starts to walk around like a headless man

stumbling and falling over his own feet. The children, many

still screaming, turn their eyes away from the SS Officer to

watch Helmut's antics.

FULL SHOT - FRANZ, GALT, UHLMANN, LUDWIG, ADOLF, HERMAN AND

OTHER PRISONERS:

The horror-stricken men stand frozen as the SS Officer

continues to hit Keltner until he drops to the ground.

Suddenly Franz breaks away from the men and charges at the

First SS Officer.

MED. SHOT - SS OFFICER - FRANZ

Franz runs INTO CAMERA and attempts to stop the First SS

Officer. The Second SS Officer whips his pistol out, aims

carefully and FIRES a shot into Franz's head.

VARIOUS SHOTS OF THE PRISONERS

Uhlmann stands speechless and dumbfounded. Galt cowers.

Beads of perspiration pour from his brow. Adolf weeps

bitter tears as Herman places his arm around his shoulder to

comfort him, and himself as well. Ludwig, dead to any

emotion, simply turns and walks away into the crowd.

MED. SHOT - HELMUT

Helmut is now, more than ever, the clown, as he goes into a

frenzied version of the "Clap Dance". The complete

incongruity of his behavior leaves the spectators stunned.

WIDER ANGLE - SHOWING THE CHILDREN IN B.G.

The children are no longer screaming, instead they are

watching Helmut as though they are hypnotized.

FULL SHOT - HELMUT, GUARD, SS MEN, OTHER GUARDS

The guard, fully aware that the sadist SS men may take

action against Helmut, quickly motions for two of the other

guards to take Helmut away. The First SS Officer, still

panting with exhaustion, shows his approval of the action

taken by the guard. The two guards seize Helmut by the arms

and begin dragging him off toward the administration

building. The prisoners move away before the guards holding

Helmut, forming a sort of line of march for them. As they

drag Helmut along, he waves back at the children, makes a

funny face and moves his feet in something approaching a

dance step.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT CELL - NO LIGHT

SHOOTING FROM THE BACK of the cell toward the door. The

cell is about eight feet long and four feet wide with a

steel door at the far end. The cell is bare. We HEAR men

approaching, and a guard opens the door letting in a shaft

of bright light. Two guards hoist the unconcious Helmut

into the cell and drop him onto the floor.

CLOSE SHOT - HELMUT

He lies in a heap on the floor, his face swollen from a

severe beating.

MED. SHOT - CELL

The guards walk out, slamming the door shut leaving the cell

pitch dark.

DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE SHOT - WINDOW WITH WINDOW SHADE

Window shade quickly rolls up letting in a steam of blinding

sunlight.

INT. COLONEL BESTLER'S OFFICE - DAY

Lt. Scharff is by the window, having just rolled up the

window shade. Colonel Bestler is on the phone and

obviouslyl exasperated by what he is hearing.

MED. SHOT - BESTLER, SCHARFF

BESTLER:

(on phone)

Yes.

(pause)

Yes. Yes, I understand perfectly. However,

I don't see how we can be held responsible.

(pause)

BESTLER:

(continuing)

Our orders were very clear.

We were to have the freight car

ready to be picked up at midnight.

(pause)

Of course, I'm aware the

operation must be kept secret.

(pause)

I just don't have the staff to send

down there now and ... Yes, I'll wait.

He puts hand over mouthpiece to talk to Scharff.

BESTLER:

The freight car wasn't picked up.

SCHARFF:

It's still down there on the siding!

BESTLER:

Some stupid mix up. If they think ...

The SOUND of the voice coming over the phone causes him to

literally snap to attention.

BESTLER:

(continuing)

Yes, General.

(pause)

Yes, I'm as distressed about

the situation as you are.

(long pause during which he nods his head)

Yes. Personally! Immediately!

Yes, General. You can leave it in my hands.

(pause)

Heil Hitler!

He puts down the instrument and turns at once to Scharff.

BESTLER:

(continuing)

Who did you leave in charge down there?

SCHARFF:

Sergeant Hoffman. Very reliable.

BESTLER:

Apparently not reliable enough. The

cargo seems to be raising quite a fuss.

SCHARFF:

(explanatory)

Fifty children, sir! In a boxcar!

BESTLER:

I know. I know. But the siding isn't far

from town. The General doesn't want

unauthorized persons getting curious.

Understand?

SCHARFF:

I'll get some men down there right away.

BESTLER:

Men! You'll get yourself down there.

And take at least a dozen guards with you.

Don't let anyone get close to that boxcar ...

under any circumstances. No one !

SCHARFF:

Yes, sir.

Scharff turns to leave the office, but after a few steps he

stops and turns back toward Bestler, a look of concern on

his face.

SCHARFF:

(continuing)

Sir?

Bestler looks up.

SCHARFF:

(continuing)

I wondered, sir, if you might have

any suggestions as ... well ...

how do we quiet children?

BESTLER:

Use any method you can, but

shut them up. That's an order.

Scharff is disappointed at not getting some help from

Bestler. Suddenly his face brightens.

SCHARFF:

Sir, the clown!

Bestler looks at him quizzically.

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