The Day the Clown Cried Page #3

GUSTAV:

Schmidt! Don't make me put it

on a "either him or me basis".

SCHMIDT:

All right ... all right ... I'll give him --

CUT TO:

OUTSIDE OFFICE TENT - HELMUT - NIGHT

listening.

SCHMIDT (v.o.)

-- his two weeks notice tomorrow. Will that satisfy you?

GUSTAV (v.o.)

Perfectly!! Let's have a drink ...

Helmut drops his head, completely discouraged and saddened

by what he knows is a losing battle. As he starts to walk

away we can HEAR the tinkling of glasses and the slight

laughter of the two men as we watch Helmut slowly scuff his

way towards the backstage circus exit, as we:

DISSOLVE (12-ft) HOLDING his walk over his limp body at bar.

INT. THE BAR - NIGHT

Helmut has had more than a few and really looks beaten and

shoddy -- he waves for the bartender to bring another.

CLAUSE:

(pouring still another blast)

It's your funeral.

HELMUT:

(not too clearly)

A funeral is usually in order

when someone dies.

Up to now, we have no idea, whatever, as to the time (in

history) we are indeed in Germany, but as Helmut downs

another blast we SLOWLY CREEP our CAMERA to include more of

the bar than we have seen before and it includes pictures,

framed, of soldiers, arms interlocked (looking somewhat like

summer camp stills), the German flag (1933 vintage /

crisscrossed with the Swastika), a large banner marked

"Deutchland" Ober Aliss ... and finally, the larger han life

photograph of "Hitler". Helmut slowly CROSSES CAMERA as he

takes another drink and starts spouting again.

HELMUT:

(continuing)

The trouble with man today is that he

takes everything for granted ...

he thinks things he's told to think ...

and accepts it! Just because we know

meanings of words we use them

and we fool ourselves ... people should

use the dictionary more ... look up words

like good ... bad ... honest ... loyal ...

especially loyal, I know what loyal means,

and I have always been that ..

but does anyone care?

HELMUT:

(continuing)

No! Of course not ...

Only when it is expedient ...

When it isn't ---

(he slashes his throat with his finger)

--- ZIPPPP! You're out!

Helmut stops with his BACK TO CAMERA looking straight

at "Hitler" and screams:

HELMUT:

(continuing)

And that goes for you too ... Mine Fuhrer ...

He shoves his right arm up and out at the photograph of

"Hitler".

HELMUT:

(continuing)

... you, too, are a fool. You allow yourself

to think you have "loyal" followers ...

Ha! Wait until they've had it with you ...

You'll get yours ... all the smiling, bowing,

heel clicking idiots will shaft you too.

And you will deserve it because if

you allow people like Herr Schmidt

to got about his business of lying,

and cheating, and being disloyal,

one day all the Schmidts in Germany

will turn on you and you will finish

as the dumb little corporal you started as,

and never know what hit you ...

During the above dialogue, two S.S. men along with two

Gestapo men walk into the bar and sit at a table unseen by

Helmut, and as they sit, Helmut continues:

HELMUT:

He really has to be stupid --

(indicating Hitler)

I could help him by telling him

about the people he thinks are

good Germans ... Ha!

The two S.S. men and the two Gestapo ment just happened to

stop in the pub, they can't really believe what they are

hearing, and the two S.S. men make a move to get up and

secure Helmut. The head Gestapo man nods to them to stay

seated and wait and listen. Helmut continues his rave and

gets more violent as he goes on. Clause, the bartender,

would love to tell him the Germans are there, but chooses to

go about his business.

Helmut is really getting the effects of the booze now and is

bordering on flipping his lid, completely.

(He does the stagger routine trying to get to the table on

the other side of the bar furthest away from where the S.S.

men and Gestapo men are sitting) ... We play this for visual

humor, but at the same time showing just how swacked he

is!!! Helmut finally reaches the table he has been trying

desperately to get to and falls into it, exhausted and

emotionally drained. He looks around at the few people who

have been watching him, most of which are frightened at what

he has said, trying vainly to stay out of it. Helmut

catches the eyes of the four men (S.S. and Gestapo) just

looking at him.

HELMUT:

(continuing; angrily)

What are you staring at? Didn't

you ever see a man drink before?

The four men just stare at him with no answer.

HELMUT:

(continuing)

What's the matter? Haven't you

guys got a sense of humor?

You must have! Look how you're

dressed! Grown men in their

little soldier suits ... And the black

coats and gloves ... Like in a movie ...

Helmut gets up and walks over to their table ... mumbling,

and staggering as he goes ...

HELMUT:

(continuing)

Real cloak and dagger stuff ...

Didn't you Gestapo guys ever know

that everybody can spot you a mile away?

(leaning over and whispering)

Listen, if you really wanted to be unnoticed ...

You should dress like plain people, then

nobody would know you ... You might even

wear straw hats and shorts ...

(he hears this and gets hysterical laughing)

HELMUT:

(continuing)

Straw hats and shorts!! That's funny!

Now that's really funny, isn't it?

Straw hats and shorts!

They just stare!

HELMUT:

(continuing)

Well, isn't that funny? Think of it ...

That's funny! Why don't you laugh?

HELMUT'S POV - THE S.S. AND GESTAPO MEN

They are really staring now, hard to believe their ears and

eyes.

HELMUT:

(gets an idea)

I know why you're not laughing ...

Because things you hear, you have to

think about ... I'll show you something

that you'll laugh at because all

you'll have to do is watch ...

DIRECTOR'S MEMO!!! (INSERT CHAPLIN FOOTAGE)

Helmut goes over to the bar, where a little man is standing

drinking his beer. Alongside of the beer is a small plate

with crackers and brown jam. Helmut takes a comb out of his

pocket, dips it in the man's glass of beer, combs his hair

down over one eye, takes a finger full of the brown jam and

makes a shicklegruber mustache from it ... and turns on the

four men yelling:

HELMUT:

(continuing)

Ve vill conquer the world ...

Heil me! Heil me! Heil me!

He screams the last "Heil" and collapses on the floor. The

four men get up and proceed to pick him up and carry him out

of the bar. As they get to the doorway and exit we STAY on

... Ada who has just arrived to see them pick him up and

carry him away. She is shocked. We STAY on a CLOSEUP OF

HER FACE showing the strain, pain and sadness as we:

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LT. REICHER'S OFFICE - OUTER OFFICE - BERLIN GESTAPO

HEADQUARTERS - DAY

We OPEN on the shiny black boots swinging the door open in

front of him and as we PULL BACK we see Helmut seated in a

slumped position on the hard wood bench as we introduce the

wearer of the black boots -- LT. REICHER -- he enters his

office as we go with him ... (Feather Edge Set) ... he walks

briskly to the desk where there are briefs and papers

stacked high on his desk ... he bellows, after looking at

the top folder.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes