This Above All Page #2

---

Bring your bags.

- Name?

- Alice Webb.

- Size?

- Fourteen.

- Fourteen.

- Fourteen.

- Name? Size?

- Janet Walker.

- Twelve.

- Twelve.

- How's that?

- You look like a colonel. Wish I looked as well.

You? If I'm a colonel,

you're a full-blown field marshal.

- Got a lipstick?

- Yes, I think so.

- Here you are.

- Thanks.

- Think we're gonna like it here?

- I'm sure we are.

- What's your hut number?

- Twenty-seven.

Fine. That's mine too. How about trying

for a nice corner together, eh?

- What's your name?

- Me?

- Violet-Violet Worthing, ma'am.

- Take off that lipstick.

You're in the army now,

and makeup doesn't go with uniforms.

I'm sorry, I'm sure. I didn't know.

- Do you mind?

- Oh, no, not at all.

That's me and Joe.

Oh, isn't he

good looking?

- Joe's all right. He's gonna propose to me.

- Good for you.

- You married?

- No.

- Promised?

- No, not yet.

Well, look, Joe's picking

me up at 8:
00 tonight.

I'll give him a ring and get him

to bring along a boy for you.

Well, maybe some other night.

Joining up's enough to start with.

- You ain't a blue-stocking?

- Oh, I should hope not.

All recruits fall in at once

on the parade groundsl

- Number one marker, fall in.

- Number two marker, fall in.

Number one squad,

fall in.

Swings those arms.

Hut, two, three, four. Left.

One, two. One, two. One, two. And stop.

Gas mask drill, by numbers. One.

Two.

Three.

Center those eye pieces.

Heads well up. Tighten those tabs.

Yes, steady, steady.

Heads well up.

Breathe slowly.

- Prue, whatcha doin' tonight?

- Nothing. Why?

I'll tell you later. Wait for me.

It's ever so important.

Company, halt!

Left turn!

- Well, what is it?

- Oh, it's Joe.

He's joining the navy tomorrow, and tonight's

the last chance he's got to propose to me.

But I thought he'd proposed

the other night.

Oh, well, I didn't want

to tell you before...

but eight weeks I've been

walking out with him, wet and fine.

I've never got him so close

as I did the other night, Prue.

He was putting grass down me neck, like he

always does when he's on the point of something.

He'd just started to ask me

when the air-raid siren went.

Oh, I could have killed

those blasted Germans up there.

Well, you've still got tonight, Vi.

Ain't a hope,

unless we do something.

Look, he calls up this morning

to say he's bringing a chum with him.

- Whatever for?

- Oh, because he's Joe, that's why.

He loves me, right enough, Prue,

but he's just scared stiff of marrying...

so he brings along a chum

to walk between us...

so he can go away tomorrow

and join the navy...

- and enjoy it all by himself.

- Come on, Vi.

- Prue, would you do something for me?

- Anything.

Come out with me tonight. Come out

and takeJoe's chum away, will you?

- But, Vi, I don't even know him.

- Violet Worthing. Oh, there you are.

You're on duty in the mess hut. They've been

looking for you everywhere. Hurry.

Coming. Eight o'clock tonight then.

You won't let me down, Prue.

I know you won't.

- Joyce Wynn.

- All right.

- Joyce Wynn.

- All right.

- Alice Morgan.

- Yes.

- Prudence Cathaway.

- All right.

- Violet Worthing.

- Yes.

- Janet Gleason.

- All right.

- Where are they?

- They must be up here somewhere.

- Is that you, Vi?

- Oh, there they are.

- Joe, is that you?

- Yeah, we're here.

This is my chum, Prue Cathaway.

She thought she'd like a walk-

Oh, that's fine. Three's an odd number

and four's a nice party for the pictures.

- This is my chum, Clive Briggs.

- Pleased to meet you, Mr. Briggs.

- Well?

- Well, let's go.

Who wants the pictures?

Do you, Prue?

Well, I- I think I'd rather be

outdoors at a night like this.

I know. Let's all go

for a stroll downtown...

and have a nice beer and bloater

at the Fighting C*cks.

Oh, come on, Joe. This ain't a Cook's tour

all trouping around in a bunch.

Mr. Briggs and Prue don't want us

hanging around any more than we want them.

See you back here at 10:00.

Be good, you two.

There's a concert at the camp tonight.

Would you like to go?

If you want to. L- I really don't care.

Well, perhaps you'd rather walk.

It really doesn't matter.

Is this what you usually do

when you come out like this?

I don't usually

come out like this.

Oh, I beg your pardon.

- You're a very superior sort of WAAF, aren't you?

- I'm not in the least superior.

If you really want to know,

I came to help a friend.

Or didn't you realize thatJoe and Violet

happen to be in love?

No, I didn't. To be honest with you, I'm

not the least interested in Joe or Violet.

Look.

They're bombing Dover.

Or is it Canterbury?

No, it's farther north.

Over the Thames Estuary.

I think they're going

right through to London.

They'll be bombing

our camp one of these days.

Don't worry. They're not

gonna waste bombs on a WAAF camp.

Why not?

My dear girl, don't you realize

that a big bomb costs a thousand pounds?

We could go around

the world on the price of one bomb.

We'd need one each to do it well.

Seems a waste, doesn't it?

Bang goes another trip

around the world.

- Cigarette?

- Oh, thank you.

What's the English aristocracy

doing in the ranks of the WAAFs?

I don't know what you mean.

I seem to recognize the proud voice that

lords it over the patient British people.

Are you one of the aristocracy haters?

I neither hate them nor admire them.

I ignore them.

Oh, that must be terrible for them.

Even if I did belong to

what you call the "aristocracy"...

have you any objection

to my being in the ranks of the WAAFs?

No, I have no objection.

I only thought that the ranks might.

Oh, they're quite broad-minded, you know.

In fact, they're a very nice lot of girls.

Oh, they're all right, I expect.

But just putting them in uniform doesn't

turn them intoJoan of Arcs, you know.

You don't believe in girls in uniform.

You don't believe

in very much, do you?

I believe in people who know what

they're doing and where they're going.

You're bitter about something,

aren't you?

Well, the show seems to be over.

We'd better be moving on.

Moving on? That sounds like a gypsy.

Or a vagabond. Come on. Let's go.

Well, here we are.

I'm sorry. I didn't get your name.

Prudence.

Prudence Cathaway.

Prudence. Well, good night,

Miss Cathaway.

- That you, Clive?

- Oh, here we are, Joe.

- Are you there, Prue?

- Yes.

Well, good night, old girl.

- I'll write regular.

- Take care of yourself, Joe.

Thanks awfully, Alec.

I did have a lovely time.

See you Sunday for dinner, Ted.

Mother's expecting you.

Good night, Tom.

Well, it seems that everyone-

- Good-bye.

- Uh, shall I see you again?

- Oh, I don't know.

- How about Saturday in the afternoon?

Well, I can't promise.

I may be busy.

- I'll wait for you down at the river.

- Suppose I- I can't get away?

If you can't,

it won't make any difference.

At least you tell the truth. Good night.

- Good night.

- You're a fine one, leaving a chap in the lurch.

Rate this script:2.0 / 1 vote