The Day the Clown Cried Page #8

HELMUT:

(anxiously)

Excuse me, sir, the papers ...

Did they arrive yet?

GUARD:

(annoyed)

They'll have to wait!

He exits, closing the door behind him. Helmut, with a look

of despair on his face, goes back to his bunk.

MED. SHOT - HELMUT AND KELTNER

HELMUT:

You'd think, since he was coming

over here anyway, the least he could do

was bring the papers with him.

KELTNER:

This moving men around has undoubtedly

kept him very busy ... don't worry, he'll bring them.

HELMUT:

I'm sure if I asked him again he'd

really become annoyed with me.

Would you remind him for me, please?

KELTNER:

(kindly)

Of course I will.

Helmut climbs up to his bunk and goes back to his precious

paper work.

WIDER ANGLE:

As the new prisoners make up their bunks and arrange their

belongings, the regulars of Barracks H, among them Adolf,

Ludwig, Herman and Franz, begin moving towards them to meet

them. Keltner turns to the new white-haired prisoner whose

bunk is directly next to his.

KELTNER:

I've seen you around the yard, but the others ...

WHITE-HAIRED MAN

About thirty of them got here yesterday

from the prison outside of Frankfurt.

1ST NEW PRISONER

(who occupies the bunk above

the white-haired prisoner)

For the last three months we've been

shuttled from one camp to another.

2ND NEW PRISONER

(his bunk is the lower bunk

on the direct opposite side)

Now they're shuffling us from one side to

another. I think they're trying to lose us.

HERMAN:

Do you think they're bringing in war prisoners?

LUDWIG:

I don't know why they're sending them here ...

we're overcrowded as it is.

KELTNER:

No, no ... it's got to be something else ...

Otherwise they would have left the bunks.

ADOLF:

It could be possible that he is fixing up

the barracks for some of his lady friends.

KELTNER:

That many women?

HERMAN:

(standing at attention)

Reverend, we Germans are SUPERMEN !

All the men break out in laughter at Herman's comment and

his actions ... but the laughter is cut short as they HEAR

the door open again, and they all look in that direction.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

SHOOTING OVER the men onto the door, entering is the same

guard that was just there ... this time he enters with two

more prisoners carrying their bunks. One of them is JOSEF

GALT, a burly bully like man, who knows all the tricks of

survival, and ERNST UHLMANN, a think little man with a face

like a weasel ... they follow the Guard into the barracks

proper.

GUARD:

ATTENTION !

The men quickly snap to attention. The guard indicates for

Galt and Uhlmann to put the bunk in the space right by the

door.

GALT:

We might as well be outside.

UHLMANN:

If I get pneumonia, I'll hold

the government responsible!

GUARD:

With a little luck, you'll both

get pneumonia!

The guard turns and moves towards the door, stops, and turns

to see all is well, and exits the door, closing it behind

him.

Galt sits on the lower bunk as Uhlmann sprints up to the

upper bunk and looks towards the original men, who are just

standing around watching the two new "fish" ... then men

sense trouble and slowly and quietly return to their own

bunks .. some of the other men just stare at the two new

prisoners ...

UHLMANN:

(sitting on his bunk)

It's sure quiet in here ...

WIDER ANGLE:

Uhlmann in his surveying the barracks spots the potato plant

on the window sill ... next to the Stout Prisoner's bunk ...

he jumps from his bunk and runs over towards the plant ...

he takes it from the window sill and yells over to Galt ...

UHLMANN:

Hey, Galt! Come over and look at this!

GALT:

(coming over to Uhlmann)

What is it?

UHLMANN:

Ain't it cute?

GALT:

It's a God damn posie!

He and Uhlmann burst into laughter ...

UHLMANN:

Looks kinda sick, doesn't it?

GALT:

(examining it)

It's one of them potato things ...

and it sure as hell is sick!

UHLMANN:

Maybe we should put it out of its misery.

GALT:

No, we don't want to do that ...

we might break someone's heart.

He looks around at the other prisoners.

GALT:

Whose little plant is this?

The stout prisoner gets up from his bunk and starts to move

forward and challenge Galt ... but Keltner jumps from his

bunk and gets to Galt first.

KELTNER:

(with deep conviction)

The plant is MINE!

GALT:

Is it now? Tell me precious ... do you knit, too?

KELTNER:

If necessary, I can ... and I do !

This brings a ripple of laughter from the others ...

particularly the new prisoners who are delighted at seeing

someone stand up to Galt for a change ... Galt with a sneer

on his face steps out into the aisle to face Keltner square

on!

GALT:

(to Uhlmann)

What do you think of that,

Uhlmann ... he knits!

UHLMANN:

Now, if he could just cook ...

Galt and Uhlmann laugh, but they are the only ones that do

...

GALT:

(coming out of the laugh)

Can you cook, sweetheart?

Keltner knows damn well he can't fight the brute, yet he

realizes that if he steps down, life not only for him, but

for the others in the barracks will be intolerable under

Galt's bully rule. (During the following dialogue, Adolf,

Franz, Ludwig, Herman and the Stout Prisoner ... easy up a

little closer to Keltner and Galt.)

KELTNER:

If necessary, I can cook, yes! Now,

if you don't mind, I'll take that plant!

He holds out his hand ... Galt, wearing a deceptive smile,

eyes the older man ...

GALT:

Alright, old man, you really want it?

He raises his arm over his head with the plant in that hand.

GALT:

Go get it!!

CLOSE - KELTNER

He looks past Galt at Helmut who is sitting up on his bunk

...

CLOSER - KELTNER

He looks at Helmut. His eyes try to encourage Helmut to do

something, say something, do anything to show that he is on

Keltner's side.

CLOSE - HELMUT

He sits up on his bunk, and wants nothing to do with the

bully and his pranks ... so he goes back to studying his

papers and looks up again to catch Keltner's look of

disappointment, and as Keltner turns away from Helmut ...

Helmut realizes he should do something to show Keltner he,

indeed, cares ... he jumps down from his bunk and grabs Galt

by the arm and turns him around ... they are now face to

face ...

HELMUT:

Why don't you pick on someone your own size ...

GALT:

(shocked, but pleased that he

finally got a rise out of someone)

What?

HELMUT:

(firmly)

You heard me! Give him his plant back,

and leave him alone ...

HELMUT:

He didn't bother you ... and if you have to show

your muscle, there's plenty of other guys to pick on!

GALT:

You're my size!

... and with this, Galt smacks Helmut a shot across the

mouth that sends him spilling into the corner, half knocked

unconcious ... he lays there with blood flowing from his

mouth ...

Keltner leaves Galt and runs to the corner to see if Helmut

is okay. Galt follows him ... Keltner is leaning down

checking Helmut ... as Galt bends down next to the two of

them ... still holding the plant.

GALT:

He's alright ... that'll teach him to keep his

nose out of my business ... here's your plant!

Galt makes like he's handing the plant to Keltner, who

reaches for it, and as he does Galt slowly stands up making

Keltner reach and reach and reach ... and as Keltner gets

closer and closer, Galt stands to his fullest height ..

making it literally impossible for Keltner to get it ...

Franz, Ludwig, Adolf, Herman and the Stout Prisoner (more

than likely provoked by Helmut's stand, now circle Galt) ...

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes