The Doors Page #23

The bored ENGINEER across the darkened midnight room yawns.

ENGINEER:

Let's send out for some pizza Jim.

JIM:

Nah, how 'bout some tacos when we're

through?

(downs another shot,

continues)

The world on fire

Taxi from Africa

The grand hotel he was drunk a big

party last night back, going back in

all directions sleeping these insane

hours I'll never wake up in a good

mood again

I'm sick of these stinky boots

Do you know we are being led to

slaughters by placid admirals?

And that fat slow generals are getting

obscene on young blood?

Do you know we are ruled by TV?

(pause)

SLOW DISSOLVE BEGINS:

JIM:

Oh great Creator of Being

Grant us one more hour to perform

our art and perfect our lives

The moths and atheists are doubly

divine in dying

We live, we die, and death not ends

it

Journey we more into the nightmare

We're reaching for death on the end

of a candle

We're trying for something that's

already found us...

DISSOLVING TO:

INT. MIAMI AUDITORIUM - NIGHT (1969)

Crammed into every available space of an old SEAPLANE HANGAR

with no seats -- standing room only -- a MASS of KIDS swelter

in the heat, grumbling, fanning themselves with programs as

a warm-up BAND plays.

In the wings of the stage, a RADIO DJ/CRITIC is recording on

tape. It's the same kid we saw long ago at the Whiskey

backstage, pronouncing the arrival of the Doors on the scene.

Now he's got a beard, glasses, a more cynical face.

RADIO DJ/CRITIC

(into microphone)

A hot night in Miami January '69 --

every space in the auditorium is

consumed... unfortunately the Doors

have long since sold out. They've

become an act. Morrison "falls" off

the stage at least every other

performance. "The Soft Parade" album

only confirms the plasticity of their

approach. Songs like "Touch Me" and

"Follow Me Down" are not the Doors

we once knew. So the question is:

Why am I here? Are funerals

entertainment?

DENSMORE looks on from the stage wings, withdraws -- to RAY

nearby.

DENSMORE:

He ain't gonna show! I know it man.

We should f***in' go on without him.

RAY:

Bill's with him. They're an hour

away, he'll get him here.

INT. NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT BAR - SAME NIGHT

SIDDONS, the manager tugs on MORRISON who's getting soused

with DOG, TOM, MIKE, and ROTHCHILD the producer. The P.A.

SYSTEM announcing the departure of the Miami flight!

SIDDONS:

Goddamit Jim! We missed one already,

we gotta get this one man!

Jim slams has shot glass on the bar. He's got a beard for

the first time, looking like a tribal elder.

JIM:

More!

MIKE:

Four more all around and up and down!

As the WAITRESS takes the order

SIDDONS:

(urgent)

NO! CUT EM OFF! CUT EM OFF!

JIM:

Don't be so melodramatic Bill, it's

not fun anymore.

DOG:

I can't fly sober.

SIDDONS:

Jim, you don't show for this one,

we're dead, the whole group -- no

more bookings.

JIM:

I care.

PAUL:

Come on Jim, we'll get f***in' laid

in Miami.

SIDDONS:

We need the work Jim! They're making

us post a $10,000 bond just to show

up -- we're the only group in rock-n-

roll with a f*** clause!

(aside to Dog)

Get him on the f***in' plane. That's

what I pay you for.

DOG:

(to Bill)

You're an awful little guy to be

talking like that.

JIM:

(muttering)

Chump change, we're working for chump

change.

SIDDONS:

Look at you, you're a pathetic f***in'

slob and so are all your friends!

JIM:

I got an idea Bill, you're fired.

INTERCUT TO:

INT. MIAMI AUDITORIUM - THAT NIGHT

The warm-up BAND is applauded and booed. The CROWD resembles

a pit of snakes, wriggling on top of each other. Impatient

CATCALLS.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

JOHN:

Listen to 'em! They're not coming

for the music anymore. They're coming

to see a f***in' freak show!

RAY:

You think it's easy for him. He moves

left he's got vice squad, on the

right narcs -- and the audience just

waiting for him to get busted.

JOHN:

He wanted it! Not us. I just don't

f***in' get the point anymore. I

never did I guess. Y'ask me he's

just become a drunken f***in' a**hole

that's what. And he's gonna take us

down with him.

RAY:

Compassion was never your forte man.

JOHN:

Don't lecture me Mr. Philosopher,

you never felt a f***in thing in

your life. I loved that man. I loved

what he was.

Robbie strums his guitar, breaks the tension in the room. A

lick of "Five to One".

ROBBIE:

It ain't the old Jim that's for sure.

I think he's living for everybody

else man and somewhere along the way

he's lost his own self.

RAY:

(almost to himself)

The wine man, the ancient wine. The

ancient wine.

ROBBIE:

What?

RAY:

Something he once told us. About

Dionysos. When the madness took

over...

INTERCUT TO:

OMIT:

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. AIRPLANE - THAT NIGHT

The STEWARDESS, uptight, tries a smile at JIM, TOM, MIKE all

belted in one row.

STEWARDESS:

My name is Rita Hager and if...

JIM:

If your name is Rita, then yor ol

man must be ol man Rita!!

(guffaws)

TOM, MIKE & DOG

(chorusing)

That ol man Riva, he just keep rolling

along!

STEWARDESS:

Excuse me sir, my father is not my

old man.

A BABY, with her MOTHER, stares at Jim fascinated. He lifts

his dark glasses, winks back at her.

TIMECUT TO:

The STEWARDESS slips the oxygen mask over her face.

STEWARDESS:

In the event of a decrease of

pressure, pull the oxygen mask to

your...

TOM:

Ma ol lady had one of those but she

calls it a diaphragm when I'm eating

her out!

DOG:

Nah, it's a douche bag on a dixie

cup.

STEWARDESS:

I'm sorry sir, but you're embarrassing

me.

MIKE:

Great tits.

SIDDONS:

Come on guys, cool it!

Other PASSENGERS looking over.

TIME CUT TO:

In flight. Dog squeezes from the lavatory and drops a small

bar of soap in Jim's drink. They laugh, push, yell. Jim is

smoking a cigar.

JIM:

(teasing to Rothchild

in the row behind

him)

C'mon Paul, you can get us some heroin

man.

PAUL:

(suddenly serious)

No I can't and I won't.

JIM:

Why not?

PAUL:

Cause I don't want to participate in

anything that would accomplish your

goal?

JIM:

(wry)

Oh and what is my goal Paul? Death?

PAUL:

"Death old friend".

JIM:

(laughing)

Wrong. I just want the pure beauty

of absolute zero and sing the blues

man -- do nuthin, go nowhere, just

be.

TOM:

With that waistline Jimbo you got no

choice.

JIM:

(laughs, goodnatured)

What's wrong with being a large

mammal, a big beast like a tank. I

feel great!

DOG:

Yeah. What's wrong with being fat.

TOM:

You mean "Crawling King Flab"? Rock

is cock babe and your rock is dyin'.

JIM:

Rock is death! There is no longer

belief. Hey, I'll write poetry and

direct movies.

TOM:

And what are you offering? Sex? You

can't get it up. Salvation? You can't

even save yourself. Come on Jim,

you're not gonna be remembered.

JIM:

Miss?...

STEWARDESS:

What do you need?

JIM:

Some love.

MIKE:

They'll still be talking about Jim

when you're a walk on Baker. I'll

make you a deal. When you do

something, I'll criticize it.

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