Titanic Page #4

who is holding a high trump.

Play it now, if you're going to.

We'll discuss it later.

Now!

- All right, Richard. One question first?

- If it's about Norman, you know the answer.

No court in the world, no power under heaven

can force me to give up my son.

He is not your son.

All I propose, Mr Straus,

is a small game at small stakes.

Don't act as if I were on a banana boat.

I prefer good bridge and poverty.

Sounds rather like St Francis, doesn't it?

- Mr Sturges. Someone's looking for you.

- Richard, this young man...

At the door there's a woman. Some name

like "Uzcadum". She's French, I guess.

- Will you excuse me a moment, Captain?

- I believe we've all finished.

Do you expect to be

long in New York, Mrs Astor?

Your mother thought

you might like to dance tonight.

She and I got to be very good friends.

I'm afraid I forgot to mention you, Mr Rogers.

We were talking about something else.

If Mr Rogers would like a dance,

I'd be delighted.

You would?

- The dance floor is this way, isn't it?

- This is great. And the band's slick.

- Wait till you meet the other fellows.

- We're going to have one dance.

Just one?

I was quite horrid to my mother today.

If I can please her by dancing with you...

- As I said before, I'd be delighted.

- OK. What's the difference?

If you get a good omelette, who cares

whether the chicken likes you or not?

Keep going.

Right. Now, sign this too.

- Both of them.

- I still say not right to sign this.

- I am not head of family...

- Please, Mrs Uzcadum.

Do me a favour, and stop worrying.

Here, sign.

Now, you keep these papers.

I'll send the steward tomorrow.

Say, uh... we're getting up a bridge game.

Sandy Comstock tells me

you're a player from away back.

Yes.

You need a topcoat, Richard.

It's grown cold.

Yes, it has.

The Labrador Current.

I wonder if you'd tell me, Julia.

Have I been the laughing stock

of our friends all these years?

- Does everybody know?

- No one except you and me.

Aren't you forgetting

at least one other person?

Not even he. I never saw him again.

What very good manners.

There's no way for me

to make it seem right.

It happened after one of those endless rows

and private humiliations,

in the days before you made me over

into your image.

One of the summers we had the beach house.

I'd left a party because I knew I'd cry

if there was one more reference made

to my gaucherie,

to the... to the dress I had chosen to wear.

On the beach by our cottage a young man

was skipping stones across the water.

He assured me he was not a burglar,

and we began to talk.

He said something admiring to me

when I needed it most,

a pure, sweet, unsolicited compliment.

I... I took his face in my hands,

and kissed him out of gratitude.

You... you needn't trouble yourself

as to who he was,

except that he was

a much nicer person than you or I.

I think I understand.

From now on, Norman belongs to you.

I shall make no claim.

Both of you will be taken care of decently.

But I don't want to see him

or hear from him or... be remembered by him.

- Is that really necessary?

- I'm afraid it is.

As you pointed out,

Norman and I began as strangers.

So be it.

Oh, my poor Richard. How you hate me.

And for the wrong reasons.

Not because I committed an offence

against common decency,

but because Norman isn't an elegant

extension of Richard Ward Sturges.

For you, what happened isn't a mortal sin.

It is an inexcusable breach of etiquette.

Thank you, Julia. I stand reproved.

Good evening, Mr...

Harry?

Thank you.

- I see you have your game.

- You're in it.

- Mr Guggenheim's keeping the seat warm.

- Uh, two no trump.

A heart bid from there.

You can only play

one more rubber, Mr Straus.

Whenever you feel like stopping,

I can take over, sir.

- My trick.

- Do you mind?

Aldebaran...

you lonely star.

Look around at the others.

The friendly Pleiades are better off.

There's seven of 'em.

No, wait. Let me count.

Answer up for the roll call.

There's four... six... seven.

They're all there.

Have you ever noticed, my dear lady,

that the stars are never late?

They made you cry.

Or wasn't it the stars?

Yes. Yes, yes, I... I'm drunk.

I... I'm always two things:

I'm drunk, and I'm helpful.

- Thank you, I don't need any help.

- Then you're very, very unique.

"Very unique". It's a grammatical error.

"Unique" stands by itself.

Are you hurt?

I'm all right.

If, uh... you would just be so kind

as to point me toward the bar.

You're going to your cabin.

What number is it?

- My dear, unique lady, I am going to the bar.

- No, you're not.

Where is the key to your cabin?

- I'll send in the ship's doctor.

- No, no, no, no. Let him sleep.

Got some, uh, spirits of ammonia over here.

I'll get it. Sit down.

Take this.

Good night.

- Thank you for being so generous.

- That's all right. Just go to bed.

You know what I mean. Thank you for

not mentioning my... strange luggage.

- Are you a minister?

- Priest.

Or, rather, I was until last week.

At three o'clock on April 8th, my duties,

my privileges as a servant of God,

were formally terminated.

It was this.

You know why I started -

at least, the reason I gave myself?

A priest in a slum parish knows all the

sadness of the world. He needs support.

So I used to lean on a little Hennessy's.

Just a little at first.

People said, " Well, that's only natural.

The young father has a bad cold."

It got so I used to have those colds

in the middle of July, lots of 'em.

I can hear the bishop's voice now:

"Do you prefer that stuff to your God?"

Well, God and I knew better,

but I couldn't stop,

because I had a private devil all my own.

In Rome, they were very kind,

but they were very final.

I was sacked and prayed for,

and sent off in the morning.

How do you cover that

in ten words in a wireless

to a family that loved you

and sacrificed for you?

You see, my dear lady,

you're not the only one

who walks in trouble.

Good night.

Can I have some eggs, please?

Three minutes.

How's topside?

Is that bridge game still going on?

- I don't think they're ever gonna stop.

- Well, time to relieve the chief.

Be careful of that coffee.

It can stand up and walk!

- Morning, Chief. Ready to relieve.

- Good morning.

Steering south 71 west, speed 21 knots.

- 21? Who ordered the increase?

- The captain.

Jackson!

Take over a moment.

I must speak to the captain.

Holy, holy, holy

Though the darkness hide thee

Though the eye of sinful man

thy glory may not see

Only thou art holy

There is none beside thee

Perfect in power

In love and purity

Amen

The Lord bless us, and keep us.

The Lord make his face to shine upon us,

and be gracious unto us.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon us,

and give us peace, now and for evermore.

Amen.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, Captain.

- Lovely day, isn't it?

- Excuse me, sir.

There's an iceberg warning

posted in the chart house.

- Yes, I know. I put it there.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes