Their Finest Page #2

Film?

I wrote it. The scenario.

I'll be in my dressing room,

if anyone needs me.

Ahem.

Everybody take ten.

Save the lights.

Banished from the set.

What in God's name possessed you?

The actor was

ruining the script.

Course he was. He's an actor.

What's this? Penance?

- Hello, Mabel. How's baby?

- He's coming along splendidly.

With more free time,

I should like to do some war work.

I simply don't know what to do.

Are you good with your hands?

I think so, yes.

Have you thought about factory work?

And the version

without the lines, please.

They want to re-use

the footage for carrots.

- Hello, Mabel. How's baby?

- He's coming along splendidly.

An appetite like his father.

He's eating us out of the house.

I simply don't know what to do.

- Are you good...

- in the garden?

I think so, yes.

- Have you thought about...

- carrots?

Right, I'll get that recorded.

- Thank you.

- How's it been, anyway?

Boys in Scenarios

made you feel welcome?

They can't see the point of me.

"If there's a dog in the script,

we don't employ a Jack Russell

to write 'woof-woof, ' do we?"

Just been reading your work.

None of them could do better.

Would you care for some lunch?

Now, don't look so chapel.

It's official business.

I've, uh, got a proposal for you.

When I'm not busy

special advising,

I work for a man called Gabriel Baker.

Remember him?

The Hungarian.

He's a producer.

Desperate to make a film

that will make a difference.

- Hello, Tom.

- Thelma.

Sorry. Excuse me.

Dunkirk. The evacuation of troops trapped

by the German advance.

Seven hundred fishing boats

and the Royal Navy

on a mission to bring our boys home.

Twin sisters took their father's

cockle boat over to join the rescue,

came back with a deck full of soldiers.

- It's everything the Ministry are after.

- Authenticity and optimism.

Contradiction in terms, if you ask me,

but this could be a bloody good story.

Before they'll give it the go-ahead,

they want someone to go down

there to talk to the girls.

Me?

Unless your artist would object.

So, how did you meet?

He came to Ebbw Vale

to paint the steelworks.

Ah, he's one of those artists.

- Older than you?

- Yes.

- Fifty?

- No.

Sixty? Oh, I bet he's a toff.

No one else can afford to be an artist.

Actually, his family disinherited him.

- Because of you?

- Because of his politics.

Weren't you scared?

One of the soldiers had this kit bag,

and suddenly it woofed,

and it give us such a fright.

It was a dog.

And one of them Frenchies

tried to kiss Lil.

No, I meant scared

of what your dad might do.

No. He got himself a bottle.

We thought we'd be back

before he woke up.

Besides, Eric was in Dunkirk.

- Eric?

- Dad's first mate.

He got us photographs for our birthday.

We've got the same birthday.

Robert Donat in The 39 Steps...

and John Clements

'M The Four Feathers.

Have you ever met John Clements?

No, I haven't.

Those ones are Mum's.

We don't know who he is.

- Well, I did meet...

- Is it going to be a film?

Probably not.

Stupid bloody engine, eh?

- What harm can one little drink do?

- My dad will throttle me if I'm late.

Well, how about a kiss, then?

- No, thank you.

- Come on!

I could be back in action tomorrow.

Shelterers to the left hand side.

Bona fide passengers, come on!

Bona fide passengers, to the right.

Catrin?

I got caught in the raid.

I ended up in the Baker Street shelter.

I didn't know where you were.

I didn't know if you were safe.

I never know if you're safe.

God, look at you.

I'll be all right after a cup of tea.

The raid ruptured the mains.

Now, Catrin, I...

I want you to go back to Ebbw Vale.

Ellis...

It's the biggest steelworks in Europe.

I'm more likely to get bombed

there than here.

It's not just the bombing.

I can't afford for us to live here

anymore.

I can't afford for us to live anywhere.

- But I earn.

- If I were on my own,

I could doss down in Perry's studio.

I could keep painting.

But you don't have to keep me. I earn.

Your wage assumes a husband who

can put a roof over your head.

Please don't turn me into one

of those things that make it harder.

Mr. Cole?

It's Alf, from downstairs.

I'm not the war, I'm not the committee.

I'm what makes it better.

- Mrs. Cole.

- Hello, Alf.

Heavy Rescue.

They wanna know how many in the cellar

at number 12.

All right.

When the twins got to Dunkirk,

they did what every other small boat did,

ferried troops off the beach

and out to the big ships

waiting in the deeper water.

There was shelling and strafing,

but they honestly didn't talk about that.

What really seems to have stuck

with them are the details,

the little authentic details.

The soldier with a dog in his kit bag.

Uh, the Frenchman

that tried to kiss Lily.

I wish I could make you understand

how awfully brave they were.

Their father's a bully,

I think, and a bit of a drunk.

They're terrified of him,

but they took his boat anyway,

the Nancy.

- "The Nancy"?

- The Nancy Starling.

- After their mother.

- The nail on the head.

Mmm?

On the head.

Authenticity, optimism, and a dog.

I imagine call-up's left

quite a hole in your ranks,

so, in the interest of a quick turnaround,

we'll let you have some of our people.

Mrs. Cole, Miss Moore.

- Mmm-hmm?

- Yes.

Be good to get this into the cinemas

while there are still

a few of them standing.

Mmm-hmm.

Well done. Well done.

Yeah.

- Do I have the job?

- Well, why not?

Twins, after all.

Double the slop.

Temporary secondment

to Baker Productions.

No screen credit.

Ministry wages.

- I need more.

- I could throw in a desk.

I need more than Ministry wages.

I'll talk to Baker.

Leslie Banks

is virtually my age,

and he's still staggering

around the studios,

giving his unhinged all

as young love gone bad...

Oh, no, no, no, Cerberus.

Too much glass.

You know, if you paid your clients half

as much attention as you do that hyena,

you might actually be

an agent worth having.

Spitfires.

Won't you help to buy...

Ambrose Hilliard.

The Man with the Glint.

Oh, I know it's a liberty, but would you

do him for me? Would you?

Inspector Charnforth?

"Someone has made a mistake.

It's a simple mistake and easy to miss.

I almost did so myself."

Oh!

Oh, um...

- Spitfires, Sammy.

- In the pocket. The pocket.

Ah.

- Thank you.

- There.

When... uh, when can we expect to see you

back on the screen, Mr. Hilliard?

When indeed?

Well, apparently Baker Films

have a Dunkirk script in the works.

Mmm?

Apparently, you'll be in here.

They want a title.

We haven't started bloody writing it yet.

And they're asking about locations.

Want me to start casting it, too?

- Don't tempt me.

- A boat, a beach, twins.

- That's all you're getting.

- Try Devon.

Or Dunkirk. You can go

and scout it personally.

Her, seconded here to spy on us.

You tell her nothing, understand?

We'll have every government department

and his wife sticking their oar in.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote