The Man Who Wasn't There Page #2

Ed sits on the living-room davenport in an uncomfortable

suit, smoking.

ED (V.O.)

...Me, I don't like entertaining.

The doorbell rings.

THE DOOR:

Ed opens it to reveal a large man in a suit and his demure,

bird-like wife.

DAVE:

How ya doin', Ed?

ED:

OK. Take your coat, Ann?

DINNER TABLE:

The two couples are in the middle of the meal.

DAVE:

Japs had us pinned down in Buna for

something like six weeks. Well, I

gotta tell ya, I thought *we* had it

tough, but, Jesus, we had supply.

*They* were eating grubs, nuts,

thistles. When we finally up and

bust off the beach we found Arnie

Bragg, kid missing on recon; the

Japs had *eaten* the sonofabitch, if

you'll pardon the, uh... And this

was a scrawny, pimply kid too, nothin'

to write home about. I mean, I never

would've, ya know, so what do I say,

honey? When I don't like dinner,

what do I say?

Ann smiles wanly.

DAVE:

...I say, Jesus, honey, Arnie Bragg--

*again*?!

He roars with laughter.

Ed gives an acknowledging smile.

DAVE:

...Arnie Bragg--*again*?!

He dries his eyes with the corner of a napkin.

DAVE:

...Were you in the service, Ed?

ED:

No, Dave, I wasn't.

DORIS:

Ed was 4F on account of his fallen

arches.

DAVE:

Mm, that's tough.

FRONT PORCH:

Ed is standing alone on the porch, watching the sun go down.

Crickets chirp. From inside the house we hear laughter and

clattering dishes.

ED (V.O.)

...Yeah... I guess Doris liked all

that he-man stuff. Sometimes I had

the feeling that she and Big Dave

were a lot closer than they let on...

He turns and looks through the screen door into the house.

Across the dim living room we can see a sliver of the brightly

lit kitchen. Big Dave, wearing a frilly apron, stands at the

counter drying dishes. His broad back heaves with laughter

while Doris, just hidden by the wall, chats away, handing

dishes across.

ED (V.O.)

...The signs were all there plain

enough--not that I was gonna prance

about it, mind you. It's a free

country.

Footsteps approach the front porch.

With the squeak of the screen door, Big Dave emerges.

DAVE:

Holding down the porch area?

Ed gives a half-grin of wry acknowledgement. Big Dave relaxes,

forearms against the porch railing, gazing out at the front

lawn.

DAVE:

...That's quite a wife you got there.

ED:

Mm.

DAVE:

She's a rare one.

ED:

How's business, Dave?

DAVE:

Couldn't be better. These're boom

times in retailing. We're opening

another store, Big Dave's Annex,

there on Garson. This is strictly

haberdashery--casual wear, pyjamas,

ladies' foundations and undergarments.

Matter of fact, I'm thinking of making

Doris the comptroller. How're things

at the, uh, the barbershop?

ED:

All right, I guess.

DAVE:

...Fine. Fine. Well, you might want

to drop by the Annex when we open,

update your suit--'course, you're in

the smock all day.

He chuckles.

DAVE:

...Say, where do you get those things

anyway?

ED:

Specialty store down in Sacramento.

DAVE:

Uh-huh.

There is a silence. At length, gazing out at the lawn, Big

Dave clears his throat.

CHURCH:

ED (V.O.)

Doris and I went to church once a

week...

We are tilting down a long stained-glass window depicting

the resurrection of Christ.

ED (V.O.)

...Usually Tuesday night...

Faintly, we hear an amplified voice:

CALLER:

I... seven...

Ed sits at a long table, staring at the window, a lit

cigarette in his mouth.

CALLER:

...Bee... Four...

ED (V.O.)

Doris wasn't big on divine worship...

Doris is concentrating on the six cards spread in front of

her.

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