The Stunt Man Page #26

Rounding the bend of the road into view are a half-dozen kids on

bicycles, peddling furiously, laughing and yelling and looking back

at what now appears behind them: the first vehicle of an incredible

carnival parade -- or is it a funeral procession? Long, short,

tall, fat vehicles; the stretch-out car, the cab towing portable

toilets, the tractor pulling a generator rig, the Cortez Camper

dressing rooms, the stake-bed loaded with reflectors rattling like

radar screens, panel trucks with studio emblems, a vintage German

army truck filled with soldiers, patrol cars and motorcycles, the

huge, bright yellow construction crane on its Caterpillar treads,

its pneumatic snout jutting forward thirty yards like a morning

hard-on sniffing around for some tunnel to hump -- a few technicians

straddle it having their morning Danish and coffee. In the midst of

these, on a low-slung flatbed trailer rides the Duesenberg -- the

coffin on its caisson.

The caravan grinds, hisses, wheezes to a halt and the A.D., astride

the hood of the first vehicle, dismounts and raises his electric

bullhorn to begin what will be an incessant squawking of

instructions, reprimands, coaxings and complaints.

- 141

A.D.

All right, people...the rest period

is over. Another fifteen minutes

and we start losing sun. Come on,

let's get the equipment off those

trucks.

The Second A.D.'s run around like sheepdogs herding the laborers,

snapping at their flanks, barking their instructions over electric

horns.

A.D. (CONT'D)

Chuck...Chuck Barton, where do you

want the Duesenberg?

Grips and laborers are carrying the big reflectors through the brush

into the hills.

A.D. (CONT'D)

Mr. Cross, please. The camera

crew's ready for a setup.

182

ANGLE ON ELI AND THE CAMERA CREW

They are already huddled, squatting on their haunches under a tree.

ELI:

The R-35 in the chopper on the maxi-

mount, the underwater Imo in the

Duesenberg...

GABE:

I'll hide an Arri with a zoom up on

the hill.

ELI:

And what about number four? Maybe

hang a platform under the bridge

with the speed camera?

GABE:

(admiringly)

Heavy...From the top of the screen

right into the water...squish.

183

ANGLE ON THE DUESENBERG

Being rolled up to a mark in the center of the road. Crewmen swarm;

in and under it, tuning, polishing, testing, installing camera,

sound, electrical equipment, as Chuck hovers over them.

- 142

A.D.

All drivers, please...I want every

equipment vehicle back behind the

bend...

As motors rev, the two sheepdogs squawk: "Out of sight..." "Behind

the bend...," then are lost in the rising dust of their herd.

184

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Cables are being strung out of sight along the side of the road,

snapped into junction boxes that spread their electrified tentacles,

strangling the landscape.

A.D.

(pointing at the mike boom)

What's that supposed to be, Ralph?

...An elm or an oak? Get that mike

off the boom and into the bushes.

Come on, people, let's think! We're

losing the sun!

185

ANOTHER ANGLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD

Gabe, Chuck, the A.D. and a Technician move down the road toward us,

shoulder to shoulder, halting on the bridge. Chuck and Gabe move to

the stone railing. Chuck taps on it, producing a hollow sound.

Gabe, examining a corner of this false section...

GABE:

(to A.D.)

Have 'em touch up that corner of the

section. It looks phony as hell.

The A.D. has been drawing a chalk line across the road.

A.D.

(to Technician)

Climb down there in the bushes and

stay out of sight.

TECHNICIAN:

What about earphones?

A.D.

Just watch your mark.

186

187

188

- 143

WIDE ANGLE ON THE DUESENBERG

Behind it, the last of the equipment trucks is being jack-knifed out

of sight. A row of reflectors stand like sentinels on the hill,

bathing the Duesenberg in light. Workmen swarm about it like ants

on the queen's birthday.

ANGLE ON ELI:

ELI:

(into walkie-talkie)

Where's the chopper? We'd kinda

like to have you join us...if you

can find the way.

VOICE:

(over walkie-talkie)

Fifteen minutes, Eli. We're just

warming her up.

Eli grabs an electric horn from the hand of a passing A.D.

ELI:

All right, everybody...may I have

your attention, please?

Instantly the frantic A.D.'s begin squawking, "Everybody put down

what you're doing, the director wants to talk."

ELI:

(thru speaker)

This is the one and only Duesenberg

we have in stock. When that car

goes into the water, we're not going

to see it again. So, once the

action starts, no matter what

happens, keep it going.

ANGLE ON CORTEZ DRESSING ROOM

As Cameron steps out through the open doorway, buttoning his

costume.

ELI (CONT'D)

...We must have this shot.

Therefore, I now order no camera to

jam and no cloud to pass before the

sun.

- 144

189 LONG SHOT ON THE DUESENBERG

As Cameron moves toward it uncertainly. Eli, some distance away,

surrounded by members of his crew, glances up.

ELI:

(yelling)

How ya doin', soldier? Where'd ya

learn to do without sleep?

Without awaiting an answer, Eli returns to his work, as Cameron

approaches the Duesenberg.

190 CLOSE ON DUESENBERG

Cameron walks around it, testing and checking, but moving

relentlessly toward the humpback trunk. A horn honks and a police

car slides up. Jake leans out the window, waves at Cameron

jovially.

JAKE:

How do you guys get accident

insurance? Must cost you an arm and

a leg...

(chuckling)

...that's a good one.

He drives on toward a parked German army truck, in which lounge

several soldiers. Chuck approaches Cameron.

CHUCK:

You're lookin' real strong, kid. Is

that loose change I hear jinglin' or

are they beginnin' to grow?

CAMERON:

(flatly)

Wanna check?

CHUCK:

C'mon, lemme show you this truck...

They walk towards the German truck.

CHUCK (CONT'D)

I'm sending it on ahead. During the

gag, it's gonna be comin' down the

road towards you when you get to the

bridge.

Cameron tenses at this information.

- 145

CHUCK (CONT'D)

Relax, what does it change? I'm

only tellin' you so you don't buzz

off into space when you see 'em.

They'll be shooting at you and

that's what's supposed to make you

go into the river.

190A

They've reached the truck where Jake stands proudly. The Property

Man is handing out rifles and boxes of bullets to the German

soldiers, whom we now recognize as police officers from the town.

One cop, tying his shoe, lifts his head and grins at Cameron like an

old buddy -- the officer from the garage last night.

COP:

Hey, you ever get those pancakes?

JAKE:

...My boys...Can't recognize 'em.

How could I say no, after all the

crap they've taken because of this

company the last six weeks?

CHUCK:

(good-naturedly)

Yeah, a cop'll do anything for fifty

bucks, even be an actor.

SECOND COP:

These guns are kinda modern for

World War I.

PROPERTY MASTER:

(to Chuck)

You want me to drive back and get

the old ones.

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