The Dirty Dozen Page #2

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But remember, the other alternative

will apply with equal force.

Any breach of security,

any failure of discipline. . .

. . .those prisoners go right back

where they came from.

-Understood?

-Yes, sir.

Good. Anything more, gentlemen?

Well, yes, sir. I noticed

Colonel Breed in the waiting room.

I wondered whether he was

connected with this operation.

-What if he is?

-I'd be very unhappy, sir.

Major, Colonel Breed

is your superior officer.

And you will behave

accordingly, at all times.

-Is that clear?

-Yes, sir.

Now, it so happens that Colonel Breed

is not concerned with this operation.

But he is running the parachute school

where part of your training will be.

I don't want to hear any complaints,

from either of you.

Now, you've got a job to do,

mister, so move it.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Major Reisman seems to be heading

to his own court-martial.

He's the most ill-mannered,

ill-disciplined officer. . .

. . .it's ever been my displeasure to meet.

You think so, Denton?

You may be right.

But he's sure right about one thing.

Somebody up there must be

a raving lunatic.

Let's get Colonel Breed in here.

Open.

All right, you men,

this is an exercise period.

So exercise!

Major Reisman, Sergeant Bowren, sir.

-Have the prisoners fall in.

-Sir.

Prisoners, fall in.

All right, come on now. Get with it!

-Come on, come on.

-Move it!

Come on, move!

Hey, you, move, I said, move.

"Franko, V.R.

Death by hanging.

Vladek, M.

Thirty years' hard labor.

Jefferson, R.T.

Death by hanging.

Pinkley, V.L.

Thirty years' imprisonment.

Gilpin, S.

Thirty years' hard labor.

Posey, S.

Death by hanging.

Wladislaw, T.

Death by hanging.

Sawyer, S.K.

Twenty years' hard labor.

Lever, R.

Twenty years' imprisonment.

Bravos, T.R.

Twenty years' hard labor.

Jiminez, P.

Twenty years' hard labor.

Maggott, A.J.

Death by hanging. "

All right, sergeant. Have them fall in

according to height, right to left.

According to height, fall in!

Come on, you jokers, you heard him.

Get in there! Fall in line!

-Come on, move!

-Come on, come on. Turn around.

Come on, here! I said, get in line.

Straighten up your jacket there.

Get over there.

-All right, have them count off.

-Sir. Count off!

Let's see what they can do

with a little close-order.

-Hut, right!

-Right.

Left, march!

Hut, hut, hut, hut.

Two, three, four, hut, hut, hut.

Two, three.

Squad, halt!

About face!

Left, march!

Squad, halt!

Right face! At ease.

Now, what did I say to you?

Or maybe you don't understand English!

-What's the matter, Number 11 ?

-I got a pain.

-Where does it hurt?

-Well, I'll tell you. It's. . . .

I wish you would.

And do it correctly, please.

Oh, I don't have to say, sir, I. . . .

To you or anyone else.

And I don't have to march, either.

And I know the rules.

Why don't you have to march?

Because condemned men

don't have to drill.

And there's nothing you can

do about it, mister.

What's your name, son?

Eleven.

His name is Franko, sir.

Franko, come over here a minute.

Come on.

Look, you little bastard, either you

march or I'll beat your brains out.

Understand?

What'd you see, sergeant?

I saw the major attacked by the prisoner

and forced to defend himself, sir.

All right, have the prisoner

taken back to his cell.

Take his head, I'll get his feet.

Now let's see what they can do

with a little close-order.

Yes, sir.

Squad, ten-hut!

Right face.

Forward, march! Hut.

Squad, halt!

About face!

Forward, march!

General prisoner Franko, Victor, sir.

So how's the jaw?

If you're gonna act tough, you should

learn how to take care of yourself.

You really should.

You're worried about my jaw?

Franko's pain bothers the major?

You were a big man with

the syndicate back in Chicago?

You've seen my record.

Yeah, I've seen your record,

so let's knock it off, huh?

So, what happens first

when you hit London?

You get involved in a penny-ante stickup

and start blasting and kill some old guy.

And come away with what?

-What did you have when they got you?

-What did I have? What do you mean?

Come on, big shot.

How much money did you have?

I had enough.

Two pounds and 10 shilling.

That's almost 10 dollars.

You're gonna get yourself hung

for a lousy 10 bucks.

-What's that to you?

-Nothing.

Then why don't you get off my back?

You didn't come to visit me.

What do you want?

I don't care if they hang you

for 10 dollars or 10 cents.

It makes no difference to me.

But it just so happens that temporarily

I got a little pull around here.

And I might be able to get you

off the hook, if I wanted to.

Are you a general?

You're not a general, and only

a general can grant my reprieve.

Look, stupid.

I'm making you a proposition.

All I want from you

is a straight yes or no.

-You talk, I'll listen.

-Okay.

You either can sweat out the two days

you have before the hanging. . .

. . .or you join an outfit

that I'm putting together.

If you do that, I'll have you

out of here in less than 24 hours.

But you'll be worked to death, and

there's not a beating you won't take.

And then

when I'm satisfied with you. . .

. . .you'll go where the Army tells you.

Chances are you'll get killed anyway.

You don't know Victor Franko.

-Guard.

-All right, what's the deal?

What's the deal if I do stay alive?

-Might get off the hook.

-Count me in.

But you foul up once,

anywhere along the line, just once. . .

. . .and you'll be back here

at the end of a rope.

Hey. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute!

What's the matter with you?

You think I want to die?

If you do, then you don't

know Victor Franko.

How come you speak German?

Because my old man was

a coal miner in Silesia.

If he didn't speak German,

he didn't dig coal and he didn't eat.

That was the language he spoke

when he came to the States?

Pretty tough job in those days.

Yeah, it still is.

I don't like officers,

not any of them, and I never have.

But you were one yourself,

weren't you?

Yeah, three lousy days.

Somebody must have thought

you'd make a good officer.

They made a big mistake, didn't they?

Well, I thought you claimed

he was going over the hill.

What the hell are you talking about,

"claimed"?

He was going over the hill.

My outfit was pinned down by

the worst crossfire you ever saw.

Half of them bleeding to death.

And this lover took off like a rabbit. . .

. . .with the medical supplies

on his back.

The only way to stop him

was to shoot him.

Anyhow, he had it coming.

Yeah. But you only made

one mistake, huh?

Guard.

You let somebody see you do it.

General prisoner Maggott, A.J., sir.

"Maggott, A.J. Death by hanging. "

Hey, midnight.

Be a real good boy, now, and maybe

I'll let you eat with the white folks.

Well, Maggott, I see you've got

a sense of humor.

The all-American hero,

laughing in the face of death.

They're not gonna hang me, major.

I never raped that evil slut. . .

. . .or any other creature.

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