The Day the Clown Cried Page #6

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PRISON YARD - FULL SHOT - DAY

There are two rows of prisoners quarters, wooden buildings,

weather beaten each row consists of about a dozen barracks

each ... joined at the ends, farthest from the CAMERA by the

administration building, a two story type making a "U" shape

of the compound ... The entire yard is surrounded by two

high wire fences about ten yards apart and fifteen feet

high. At intervals of about twenty-five yards, in the area

between the fences, are the guard towers, each about

eighteen feet above the ground equipped with searchlights,

sirens, machine guns, with three Guards on duty. Along

outer fence, also about twenty-five yards apart, other

powerful lighting equipment mounted on high poles.

It is morning and although the sun shines brightly it

doesn't in any way alter the drabness of the compound ...

nor does it help change the look of the men ...

There are about three hundred men milling about, some still

chewing what was their breakfast, some pulling brown bread

from their shirt fronts and exchanging bread for cigarettes

or just making deals, one with another ... some sit along

the barracks walls trying to get some sun ... others walking

in circles ... some talking, laughing, even playing cards

... doing whatever they can to kill time ...

PAN the entire camp. At completion of the long PAN

introducing the prison camp, we pick up the sixtyish JOHANN

KELTNER (formally ANDERLICH), a warm, sensitive looking

greying man, thin but with a dignity and a serenity about

him ... He walks briskly (and we know he'd love to walk

slowly and tiredly, but we can see he knows his attitude and

conduct will help those that can't help themselves...)

His face tells us he is good, kind and the reason men want

to live, he is special and he smiles at all those he passes,

greets the men and is generally what man wishes he could be

under the same circumstances ...

He walks into the building, which we learn is the barracks

...

INT. BARRACKS - DAY

The barracks are empty ... Keltner enters the huge room and

looks around and sees Helmut at the other end of the

barracks just walking back and forth like a caged lion ...

angry, hurt, sad, and generally out of sorts ... he can't

even hear Keltner approaching him ... he finally stops at

the back wall of the barracks and lays his head against the

barracks wall ...

HELMUT:

(not aware Keltner

is behind him)

Dear God, please hear me!

KELTNER:

He hears you, my son ...

Helmut jumps, scared ... throwing his back against the wall,

like a man who fears being attacked at any time ...

KELTNER:

(sympathetically)

Here, here, easy,

you can't do this to yourself ...

HELMUT:

You frightened me, Johann, I'm sorry ...

KELTNER:

(softly)

You have nothing to be sorry for ...

Fear isn't something controlled by man ...

fear can not be conferred with ...

there isn't anyway known to mankind

where man can say to himself ...

"I will not be afraid" ... Oh, certainly man

can try to fight it ... but faith and believing

are man's only chance ...

You must have faith ... you must!

HELMUT:

I have faith ... but not always ...

sometimes it eludes me ...

I can't remember to remember it.

KELTNER:

But that's natural ... you can't expect

to be perfect in what you try to do ...

HELMUT:

I don't know ...

He starts pacing again.

KELTNER:

I heard what happened at breakfast

this morning with ROTHMAN, the guard ...

Helmut spins around, frightened again ...

HELMUT:

Will they do something to me? What have you heard?

KELTNER:

(putting his arm around him)

Nothing, absolutely nothing ... don't worry

about it ... I just wanted you to know

that I believe you handled yourself admirably ...

HELMUT:

That was one time I didn't care for the laughs

I was getting from some of the men ...

KELTNER:

Of course you didn't ... but I'm sure you know

man laughs for two reasons ... one because

something is funny ... two, because they

fear showing fear ... they laughed because

"there but for the grace of God go I!"

HELMUT:

Do you really think so?

KELTNER:

I'm certain of it!

Helmut smiles and takes Johann's hand, tenderly, and warmly:

HELMUT:

Thank you, Johann. I always feel

so much better after you talk to me ...

KELTNER:

I'm glad, Helmut, I'm very glad ... you know

you can always talk to me, about anything ...

HELMUT:

(remembering)

Oh! I almost forgot ...

Helmut puts Johann around the back of the barrack area near

the wall out of sight of anyone coming in ...

HELMUT:

Before breakfast this morning, I spoke to one

of the guards, a very intelligent one, and he seems

quite nice and friendly too. Well, he said that the

Gestapo has set up a special review board to handle

cases just like mine. And he said he would get me a form,

a special form. Just been printed up. And I'm to fill it

out.

Isn't that good?

Keltner looking at him, like a child that believes in the

boogie man:

KELTNER:

How many times since you've been

here, have you filled out forms?

Twenty? Thirty times??

HELMUT:

(in fast)

But this is different. It's entirely new.

Helmut takes out a set of papers from his back pocket to

show Keltner.

HELMUT:

See? These are made up by the Gestapo

itself ... and the form will go directly to Berlin,

to Gestapo headquarters. That's the important

thing about this ... the Gestapo's in on it.

That's a very good sign.

(a beat)

Isn't it a good sign?

KELTNER:

(sympathetically)

Yes, my son, it is a good sign.

HELMUT:

(in fast, excited; scanning the papers)

And I have to be very careful of everything

I put down on the form. The tiniest detail could

make the difference. Don't you agree?

Helmut looks up and notices Johann is looking up towards the

ceiling of the barracks ... watching something ... Helmut

looks up, too.

THEIR POV - THE BIRDS

Up and under the eaves of the barrack just above their

heads, two small birds are perched (apparently they flew in

from outside and decided to nest there).

BACK TO HELMUT AND KELTNER - TWO SHOT

KELTNER:

Isn't it strange? They are free to go anywhere

they want, and they come here to nest.

Helmut doesn't react to Keltner's dialogue, but goes back to

his creased and soiled papers that he's read a thousand

times before, and reads them again ... as he reads ...

Keltner takes a piece of brown bread from his shirt pocket

and crumbles it and throws the crumbs up to the little birds

...

HIS POV - THE BIRDS

They scramble to chew the crumbs, and they do ...

DOWN SHOT - KELTNER

watching. Johann just watches, smiling at the birds, turns

and looks to see if Helmut is watching, too ...

HELMUT - CLOSE

Intense at scanning through the papers and totally oblivious

to Keltner and the birds ...

KELTNER - CLOSE

KELTNER (softly)

Watch the birds eat, Helmut ... it's so cute ...

HELMUT:

I'm sure I've got everything here ...

The important facts from the moment

I was arrested, the questions the

Gestapo officer asked me ...

now what was his name again?

I can't seem to remember what his name was ...

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