The Doors Page #22

JIM:

So what are we going to tonight Paul!

67 takes! It's stale!

RAY:

(coming in with JOHN)

Alright, let's try something else.

JIM:

I wanna sing blues. This stuffs

getting too self-conscious.

ROBBIE:

(offended)

Cause it's my song man?

JIM:

(simultaneous,

incomprehensible)

Let's sing "Rock is Dead"! You're

all a buncha slaves... "Oh come all

ye faithful."

PAUL:

(hot)

Shut up Jim! I don't understand! I

don't. What are ya doing! I love you

like a brother, I do, but why are

you f***ing this up. It's a perfect

radio song for chrissake! No one

wants to hear the blues anymore!

Think like a singer, you're the only

baritone crooner we got left...

Sinatra, Elvis, Crosby, you're as

good as they are, but WHY ARE YOU

F***ING THIS UP! WHY!

Pause. Jim's face darkening. Something he sees on the

television. He stops, frozen, sickly. Several BIMBETTES are

dancing around a shiny new automobile as strains of LIGHT MY

FIRE pop out.

JIM:

Catchy, you sold it to a commercial?

Ray, Siddons, Robbie, John, shuffling for a moment.

JIM:

For that? How much did you get for

it?

RAY:

Now, Jim...

JIM:

HOW MUCH?

SIDDONS:

It was $50,000. You weren't talking

to us that week and we figgered you...

JIM:

You figured? What the f*** is this

Ray?

RAY:

It's not like a big deal Jim, the

song's already been commercialized,

the money was great. Robbie wrote

the lyrics and he didn't mind, neither

did I, neither did John... we gotta

get to TV.

JIM:

What?... are you saying? Are we the

Doors? One for all and all for one?

Do you know what you're saying to

those millions of kids! "Just kidding,

not real". That's what you're saying.

JOHN:

Oh come on man, you think just cause

you're the lead man in the band you

can run the whole show.

JIM:

(building intensity)

You think I was kidding Ray?

(turning to John)

Hey John, those are interesting shoes,

you like those shoes?

PAMELA, looking drawn and pathetic finds this moment to walk

into the studio.

JOHN:

(aggressive)

Yeah I do.

JIM:

Good. Then do you want 50 of those

shoes?

JOHN:

No.

JIM:

Then what do you need more money

for?

Pause. Turning to Ray.

JIM:

I'm dying Ray. I wasn't kidding.

Maybe you were. But I'll tell you

something, it's not about these

desires you have man, or money, or

these records, it's about breaking

through wasn't it? You just lost

something man.

(to all)

We all lost something boys. We lost

something.

RAY:

I don't think so Jim. There's a bigger

picture here.

JIM:

There sure is. In your f***ing face!

A small smile flickers Jim's face as he picks up the small

TV and like a quarterback, hurls it, spinning end over end

from his corner of the Control Room towards Ray and Rothchild

and the Doors. They dive for the floor as it smashes to bits

into the wall behind the tape machines.

JIM:

(quietly)

Just kidding...

(turning to Pam)

Hi Pam. Just watchin' some TV.

He seems pleased to distract his anger into her. She doesn't

seem to notice anything unusual going on. The Doors silent,

feeling Jim's rage.

PAM:

(pathetic)

I wanted you to find us Jim. It meant

nothing.

JIM:

I know. I know.

PAM:

You don't have to torture me Jim.

Let me make it up to you, please...

The others all look away embarrassed. This is certainly a

moment the ordinary partner might turn away from Pamela, her

tears running, but her pathacy, her inability to deal with

pain is precisely what moves Jim the most -- a side of himself

in her -- an ultimate weakness she has, he shares. As he

goes to her, puts his arms gently around her.

JIM:

It's alright honey, it's gonna be

alright. You're my girl and that's

the way it's always gonna stay.

PAM:

(snuggles him, zoned)

Really...?

JIM:

(ironic, to the others)

So, let's keep that money machine

rolling. Come on guys...

Rothchild looking to Botnick and to Ray. But the real look,

the unforgiving one, is from Jim to Ray who feels it.

Rothchild douses the lights in the studio.

PAUL:

Right on Jimbo.

TIME CUT TO:

Overdubb of DOORS SONG SOFT PARADE - Jim's VOICE booming

thru the studio.

JIM:

(reciting)

When I was back there in seminary

school

There was a person there

Who put forth the proposition

That you can petition the Lord with

prayer

Petition the Lord with prayer

Petition the Lord with prayer

PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER

ROTHCHILD looking from his booth across at Jim. His POV --

only JIM is visible.

PAUL:

Where the hell did she go?

In the control booth RAY and ROBBIE share a look. The lights

have been dimmed in Jim's booth, and he's weaving back and

forth a bottle of Ripple in his hand as they kick in with

the music. Camera closing now on Jim in the tender section,

on the money.

JIM & DOORS

Can you give me sanctuary

I must find a place to hide

A place for me to hide...

In the darkened booth, PAM is on her knees his pants worked

down around his ankles, caressing him, sucking him off.

PAM:

(sotto voice)

...sing to me, Jim, sing to me.

JIM & DOORS

Can you find me soft asylum

I can't make it any more

The man is at the door

The DOORS sense it. ROTHCHILD knows it, hushed. Magic's

suddenly in the air once more as we jump stanzas to:

JIM & DOORS

Catacombs, nursury bones

Winter women

Streets and shoes, avenues

Leather riders selling shoes

(The monk bought lunch)

Successful hills are here to stay

Everything must be this way

Gentle street where people play

Welcome to the soft parade

But Jim's voice has now gone off key, floating carefree,

drifting -- drifting away.

ROTHCHILD chuckles, philosophically.

The Doors in control booth start leaving. Robbie goes back

out to get his personal items.

But the OVERDUB still plays over the booth as Jim doesn't

realize. We take liberties cutting around on the song.

JIM & DOORS

All our lives we sweat and save

Building for a shallow grave

(then)

The soft parade has now begun

Listen to the engines hum

People out to have some fun

A cobra on my left

Leopard on my right

The Doors and ROTHCHILD all exiting, leaving BOTNICK the

engineer to clean up some technical things... and of course

the two occupants of the darkened booth.

JIM SONG:

(fiercely)

Calling on the dogs (5)

When all else fails

You can whip the horses' eyes

And make them sleep

And cry.

The music stops. Silence.

Inside the booth, two shadows breathe deep, huddled on the

floor in each other's arms. A whisper out of the dark.

PAM:

I love you.

INT. RECORDING STUDIO - LAST SESSION (1970) - NIGHT

JIM his head cocked, lost in the memory.

JIM:

(reciting)

Why does my mind circle around you?

Why do planets wonder what it would

be like to be you?

All your soft wild promises were

words, birds,

Endlessly in flight

Being drunk is the best disguise

As the body is ravaged

The spirit grows stronger

Pause. He coughs horribly, the phlegm sucking out his chest

with a horrid, asthmatic sound which he douses with another

cigarette and another shot of whiskey. The Bushmills now two

thirds empty. He looks over at the MYSTERY WOMAN now beside

him at the microphone. MIKE and the SECRETARY watch.

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