The Day the Clown Cried Page #9

GALT:

(still holding the plant up high)

Go on, little man, reach for it!

Keltner, torn between seeing that Helmut is alright, and

getting his plant back, tries to get it, and still looks to

see that Helmut isn't hurt too bad ...

HERMAN:

(in a low menacing voice)

Give it to him!

Galt looks at him with a menacing stare ...

ADOLF:

You heard him ... give it to him!

FRANZ:

You've had your fun ... give it to him ... NOW!

STOUT PRISONER:

(closing in on Galt)

RIGHT NOW!!

Galt realizes this is no time for a showdown ... and with a

childlike smile ... grits his teeth ...

GALT:

Sure, here's your stupid flower

or whatever you call it ...

Keltner takes it from him.

KELTNER:

Thank you ...

Keltner leans down and picks Helmut up and walks him to his

bunk, helps him onto it, and puts the plant on his own bunk

...

ANOTHER ANGLE:

The four men:
Ludwig, Adolf, Franz and Herman stay with

Galt, as does the Stout Prisoner ... They are clustered

around Galt.

GALT:

What's the matter with you guys?

Can't you take a joke?

ADOLF:

What joke?

GALT:

Hell, all I was doing was trying

to have a little fun.

LUDWIG:

Have it with someone else!

GALT:

What's so special about him?

ADOLF:

That's the Reverend. Even when they came

and dragged him from his church ...

he kept right on preaching against them

until they knocked him unconcious.

Galt is silent for a beat.

GALT:

Well, how the hell was I supposed to know?

HERMAN:

NOW you know!

Galt shoves his way through the five men and walks beaten,

for the moment, to his own bunk ... as the men disperse and

walk back to their respective bunks ...

CLOSE - GALT AND UHLMANN

Galt walks over and sits at the edge of his bunk, while

Uhlmann swings his legs back and forth from his perched

position on the top of his bunk ... Galt gives him a stare

...

GALT:

You and your posies ...

UHLMANN:

That was close ...

GALT:

Where were you when I need you?

UHLMANN:

I make love, not war!

(goes giggly over what he just said)

Hey, that's pretty good ... I made

that up ... Make love, not war!

I bet that would make a good

slogan someday ...

GALT:

Aw, shut up!

And he smacks his legs up and onto the bunk.

TWO SHOT - KELTNER AND HELMUT

Keltner with a wet towel in his hand cleaning the

blood-dripping mouth of Helmut ...

KELTNER:

That was really very nice of you, Helmut ...

HELMUT:

Yeah, nice and STUPID!

Helmut grabs the towel and throws it to the floor and turns

on his side away from Keltner. Keltner bends down, gets the

towel, sits on the edge of his bunk ... looks up, wonders

and ponders Helmut as we

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BARRACKS H - NIGHT

The door to Barracks H slowly opens and Helmut peeks through

the opening to see that all is clear ... he slips out and

walks along the dark, dreary alleyway towards the Guard's

shack ... he moves like a prisoner trying to miss the

spotlights in a jail break ...

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Helmut gets to the Guards hut ... he looks into the window,

and sees the Guard he wants ... sitting at his desk eating

off a tray that has a meal fit for a king on it ...

including the "doilies" ... wine, and a steak that would

satisfy six men in Barracks H ... Helmut looks around to be

sure no one notices him and slowly slips up to the front

door of the shack and knocks on the door ...

INT. GUARD'S SHACK - NIGHT

GUARD:

(annoyed at being bothered)

Come in!

The meek and frightened Helmut enters the shack and walks

over to the Guard's desk, and his eyes go immediately to the

tray of food. While the Guard just stares at him ...

somewhat shocked at his presence in the shack.

GUARD:

(breaking the silence)

What the hell are you doing here?

Who gave you permission to leave

your quarters?

Helmut tries to talk as the guard gets louder and louder.

GUARD:

Are you some kind of privileged character?

Helmut nods no...

GUARD:

Then what are you doing out of the barracks?

The frustration of not being able to answer, and the

frustrations of being hungry ... and the child-like

treatment Helmut is getting from this Pig becomes

emotionally too much ... as he screams ...

HELMUT:

(turning red)

If you'll shut your stupid mouth maybe

I can answer one of your questions!

The Guard looks at Helmut in disbelief ... butat the same time a little delighted at this chance to show

his German superiority ... as he slowly gets up from behind

the desk and crosses to Helmut, with a sneer that would

frighten Rommel ...

GUARD:

(nose to nose with Helmut)

I have a STUPID MOUTH?

Helmut backs away towards the door, and the Guard moves

closer and closer to him ... backing him up against the

door.

HELMUT:

(meekly)

I'm sorry, I didn't mean

to raise my voice ...

He bows his head in fear, as well as concern for what he

might have done to his chances of release.

GUARD:

The volume of your voice isn't the issue ...

it's what comes out of your mouth that disturbs me ...

maybe you need a little lesson in respect and courtesy ...

... and he smacks Helmut across the face with his black

glove ...

GUARD:

... and maybe I've been a little too soft with you ...

He smacks him again, harder ... the glove now feels like a

sword to Helmut ... and his hands hang limp down by his

sides.

GUARD:

You see, Doork, I knew why you came in here ...

I knew why you left your barracks without

permission ... It's just that I hadn't heard you

mention your release papers for so long I had

hoped I could hear you begging once more ...

HELMUT:

(in a whisper)

I'm sorry ...

GUARD:

(mimicking him)

I'm sorry, I'm sorry ... You're a sorry specimen

of a human being ... that's what you are ...

And he smacks him this time with all the force he can muster

...

GUARD:

Now, I will help you to your quarters, Herr Doork,

here you will stay, and pray for release papers

that may, or may not, ever come ...

This wakes Helmut's soul and he becomes erect and stonefaced

at the words the guards just said ... this look infuriates

the guard even more ... he grabs Helmut by the scruff of the

neck ... like grabbing a wet cat to be thrown out of the

house ... and he opens the door and pulls Helmut by the back

of the office ... out the door, down the three steps and

onto the ground ... and pulls him like a sack of potatoes to

the barracks doorway ...

EXT. BARRACKS H - DOORWAY - NIGHT

Helmut is just about beaten at this point as the guard opens

the door of the barracks and pulls Helmut into the doorway,

and his body stops on the threshold.

INT. BARRACKS H - NIGHT

SHOOTING OVER the men onto the doorway ... in the deep b.g.

the sad body and figure of the man lays in the doorway, as

the Guard kicks him in the ribs, unmercifully ...

GUARD:

Now, get inside where you belong

and don't ever let me catch you doing

anything without permission again.

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