Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald UK (Illustrated)
Page 400
Matilda (taking off her bonnet): My new gentleman orders his rum by the case. (she opens her net bag) He drinks far too much. (she produces a bottle, takes out the cork and sets it on the table) But the very best.
Bobby (with feeling): Matilda — I love you.
(he fills three glasses)
Matilda (haughty in her turn): No customers’ rum, that.
(they are really grateful)
Bobby and Koster (raising their glasses): Pros’t, Matilda.
(they drink)
They look hungrily at the bottle again but Matilda corks it and puts it back in the handbag.
Matilda: It isn’t proper to leave bottles about. (she looks around the room) This room! I declare, I’ll sweep it out for you.
She puts on an apron and goes to fetch a broom — during the beginning of the next scene she is in and about, always in the background. Bobby and Koster sit facing each other, smoking.
Bobby (dreamily): A customer will ring up in half a minute — with a big job. You’ll see — half a minute.
Koster takes out his watch. Silence, save for Matilda moving about.
Bobby: Half a minute.
Koster: Twenty seconds to go… fifteen seconds —
Bobby: All right, you’ll see.
Koster: Four seconds — three seconds — two seconds — one second —
(the phone rings loud and startling. They both spring up, looking at each other in awe. Bobby answers)
Bobby: What?… Oh, hello — yes, yes — a job — yes. (Koster gives a dance kick with excitement and turns to stare at Bobby) …Yes, it sounds fine. What’s the price?
Koster (in a stage whisper): For the love of heaven, what is it?
Bobby: Shh! (to the phone) Oh, that’s the price.
Koster (wildly): Double it — double it!
Bobby (to Koster): He says I only have to name the price. (to the phone) Would you consider doubling your offer?
(Koster comes toward him in agony, his hands outstretched)
Koster: Great Snakes! Will you tell me what it is?
Bobby waves him silent but he gives a wild yell and collapses on his back on the desk, his feet in the air.
Bobby: Now just repeat that — my partner is not very well.
CUT TO:
275 ALFONS’ CAFE —
Alfons on the phone, smiling.
Alfons: You play piano for two hours for these cattlesellers and I’ll give you five marks — ten marks — what you want, Bobby.
CUT TO:
276 THE OFFICE —
Bobby hangs up the phone.
Bobby: I’m playing piano for Alfons tonight. Ten marks.
Koster (letting out his breath and sitting up): Oh — h — h — h!
Bobby: If they can stand it. I can. You see, Otto, there is a Santa Claus —
(he breaks off at Koster’s expression and follows his glance to the window. A pale face is pressed against the window pane)
Koster: Who’s that?
MOVE THE CAMERA UP to show it is the Jewish Driver who formerly owned the taxi-cab. He is poorer and thinner than before.
Koster: Oh, hello — come in.
The face disappears. Bobby opens the door for him.
Koster (cheerful): Come to buy back your taxi?
Driver (laughs): I wish I could. I see you’ve still got it. How’s it running?
Koster: Fine. What are you doing now — driving?
Driver (thoughtfully): No, I’m not driving. I’m doing little jobs here and there. I haven’t been able to get a regular job.
Koster: Tough times.
Driver (laughs deprecatingly): There seems to be a little — prejudice around lately. But I must have struck the wrong people.
Koster: There’re always some.
Driver (nodding): Yes. Always some. You don’t need any work done, do you?
Koster: We’re looking for work ourselves. (the cupboard is still open. Koster sees a sweater hanging there) Your clothes aren’t very warm. Here — try this on.
Driver (grateful): Thanks. (he admires it) Not depriving you?
Koster (slowly): No. It belonged to a friend of ours. He’d like you to have it.
Driver: I’d be glad to tune up the Ford for nothing.
Bobby: It’s tuned to the last pitch.
The sweater has started them thinking of Lenz and, sensing their mood, the driver backs out, wearing it knotted around his neck.
Driver: I’m certainly obliged for the sweater.
Koster: Put it on.
Driver: No, I’ll take it home. (Bobby follows him out the door. The Driver pauses affectionately beside the taxi) Well-made car. (Bobby nods. Driver moves off, pauses, reminded of something by the falling snow) I thought I had a job today — but the man wouldn’t give it to me — (very quietly; understated) — because it was Christmas.
HOLD THE CAMERA ON his face a moment. Then he wanders away through the snow.
DISSOLVE TO:
277 STREET OUTSIDE ALFONS’ CAFE —
FLASH OF THE SEMI-UNIFORMED MEN marching thru the snow to the same mocking music. Far away an ambulance screams in the night.
DISSOLVE TO:
278 INT. ALFONS’ CAFE —
Alfons is looking at the above scene through the window. He turns away with a frown. The cafe is crowded. A twelve-foot silver fir tree stands beside the bar, hung with colored balls, candles and tinsels. Two cafe women are putting on the finishing touches. In the rear, waiters set a big table — silver dishes over spirit lamps hold two suckling pigs with apples in their mouths and little fir sprigs ablaze upon their backs.
Bobby at the piano, is playing American jazz — “Among My Souvenirs,” “Muddy Water,” “Blue Room,” “So Blue,” etc. — and Koster is at a table surrounded by rough well-to-do cattlemen in cowhide boots. The patrons are moving to the table to sit down.
Now Bobby stops playing, pauses and then leading a quartet beside the piano, begins “O du Frohliche, O du Selige.” Between the second and third verses a waiter comes up to Bobby.
Waiter: A phone call, Bobby. (Bobby nods, not really realizing what the man has said. After the number is finished the man comes back) It’s a long distance call for you.
Bobby (jumping up): Why didn’t you tell me?
He dashes for the phone booth and another man sits down at the piano and plays, “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love Baby,” which continues quietly through the ensuing scene.
CUT TO:
279 THE PHONE BOOTH —
Bobby: Hello. Waldfrieden — yes —
CUT TO:
280 QUICK TRAVELING SHOT OF A LINE OF TELEPHONE POLES IN WINTER —
The line goes up a snowy mountain.
CUT TO:
281 PAT’S ROOM IN THE SANITARIUM —
— bare, white, cheerful. She lies on her bed, half dressed for a party, the silver dress beside her. She is thinner and paler than when we last saw her.
Pat: I tried to call you, dearest — I tried the boarding house and the shop —
Bobby (astonished): My God, are you really there?
Pat: Yes. I’m lying on my bed in my room.
CUT TO:
282 THE PHONE BOOTH
Bobby (groans): Ach, this wretched money! If I had any I’d be in an aeroplane in five minutes.
Pat (sadly): Oh, darling —
Pause — the wire hums.
Bobby: Are you still there, Pat?
CUT TO:
283 PAT’S BEDROOM
Pat: Yes, Bobby, but you mustn’t say things like that. You make my nose tingle.
CUT TO:
284 BOBBY IN THE PHONE BOOTH —
— settling himself in the cramped space — head against the wall.
Bobby: Tell me everything you do up there.
CUT TO:
285 PAT’S ROOM
Pat: Well, there’re some dances this week.
Bobby: I’ll bet you wear the silver dress.
Pat: Yes, Bobby — your
silver dress.
Bobby: Who do you go to the dances with?
Pat: No one tonight. It’s here in the sanitarium. (pause) This is the last one for me because I have a little operation next week —
CUT TO:
286 THE PHONE BOOTH
Bobby (terribly upset): What is it? Why didn’t I know? Is it that one where they cut the rib?
Pat: How did you know?
Bobby: Pat — I want to talk to the Doctor — right away. Don’t cut me off — bob the receiver —
DISSOLVE TO:
287 OFFICE OF THE SANITARIUM
Dr. Plauten at telephone.
Dr. Plauten: She had a slight hemorrhage last week and she’s run a fever ever since.
CUT TO:
288 THE PHONE BOOTH
Bobby: Is the operation dangerous?
Dr. Plauten: Not if she stays very still afterwards. It’s a thoracoplasty — the only danger is a spontaneous collapse of the lung if she should move —
Bobby (interrupting): I’m coming up. It may take me two days — don’t do anything till I get there. (he hangs up and hurries from the booth, running into Koster) She’s worse. They’re operating. I’ve got to go up there. My heavens, Otto, how can I raise some money?
(Alfons joins them)
Alfons: They want more music, Bobby. I told them to be more generous with the piano player.
Bobby (distraught): Yes, I’ll play.
Alfons (noticing his agitation): Rest if you want, Bobby. You’ve played an hour.
Bobby: I don’t want to rest.
He throws himself down at the piano and plays “Kitten on the Keys” or something very staccato.
289 KOSTER —
— looking after Bobby and then silently going to the phone booth and closing the door.
CUT TO:
290 THE TABLE
Men are eating. Christmas stockings being passed by the waiters, containing fruit, nuts, horns, etc.
A Street Woman: And here’s the special one for Mr. Bobby. Because lots of times he plays for us for nothing.
She takes it to the piano and hangs it from a song album so that it dangles in front of Bobby whose unseeing eyes stare at it while he plays.
CUT TO:
291 KOSTER IN THE PHONE BOOTH
Koster: Dr. Jaffé, you told me several times that you’d like to buy my racing car. Well, it’s for sale now.
CUT TO:
292 HALL OF DR. JAFFÉ’S HOUSE
The Doctor stands at the phone with a table napkin in his hand. SHOOTING PAST HIM, we see his family at dinner in the next room.
Jaffé (incredulous): You mean that preposterous, ugly, rattling hybrid, that monstrosity, that four-legged road horror, that abominable juggernaught?
Koster’s Voice (discouraged): Yes. I only thought —
Jaffé (heartily): Of course I’ll buy it. I’ll drive it the rest of my life and then present it to the Transportation Museum.
Koster (relieved): I’ll give it to you in four days. But I need a little advance right now.
Jaffé: Come and get it.
CUT TO:
293 BOBBY —
— playing jazz. Between numbers, the Street Woman is at his ear.
Woman (coyly): Look at your present.
Bobby (not understanding): Present?
(Koster comes to the other side of the piano)
Koster (to Bobby): I’ve got the money.
Bobby (springing up): Oh, thank God!
Woman (pointing): In the stocking.
Bobby (getting control of himself): Oh — excuse me. (he opens the stocking, pulls out pink socks, a flask of rum, a green tie, half a dozen handkerchiefs) This is — this is — impossible. (he is very touched. They laugh and clap) I don’t know when I last got a Christmas present. I don’t even remember — (there are tears in his eyes — really the relief from strain) — it must have been before the war. But I have nothing at all for you.
Alfons (his arm about him): Play for us. That’s your present.
Bobby turns to the piano and plays “Silent Night” very movingly. The voices join in with beautiful choral harmony as we —
DISSOLVE TO:
294 — 303 A MONTAGE SHOWING:
“HEINRICH” ON ITS WAY TO THE MOUNTAINS. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE: WINTER ROADS; STREETS OF COUNTRY TOWNS DOMINATED BY ANCIENT CASTLES; PINE FORESTS AND MOUNTAIN LAKES; NIGHT SCENES — FIXING A FLAT BY MOONLIGHT; SNOW FALLING; FINALLY MOUNTAINS ON ALL SIDES.
CUT TO:
304 TRUCKING SHOT OF KOSTER AND BOBBY IN “HEINRICH.” A SPARKLING MORNING.
Koster (staring ahead triumphantly): We’d never have made it without chains.
CUT TO WHAT HE SEES:
305 A LONG SHOT OF THE INN —
— half a mile away.
CUT TO:
306 LONG SHOT OF A MOUNTAIN ROAD —
— “Heinrich” climbing. A horse-drawn sleigh is parked in the road ahead. “Heinrich” comes to a stop.
CUT TO:
307 CLOSEUP OF PAT ALONE IN THE SLEIGH —
— wrapped in robes and smiling.
CUT TO:
308 MEDIUM SHOT. THE SLEIGH.
Bobby and Koster running up to Pat and embracing her, robes and all, from both sides.
Koster: Great Snakes!
Bobby: We thought you’d be in bed.
Pat: I got your wire. I’ve been waiting in the road for an hour.
Bobby (to Koster with intensity): Otto, I love Heinrich. I’m grateful to him. I didn’t think I’d ever desert him — (quickly) — but I’m getting in here.
He dives in under the robes and comes up from below, holding Pat in his arms.
Pal: Are you staying? Tell me right away.
Bobby: Yes, I’m staying — until we go back together.
As the sleigh turns Pat puts her hand into his chest under the shirt. She kisses him and tears roll down her cheeks.
DISSOLVE TO:
309 EXT. OF THE SANITARIUM
Large chalet style with modernistic touches. People going and coming with skiis, sleds, etc. Bobby helps Pat out of the sleigh as Koster parks “Heinrich.”
Bobby (to Pat): I can’t get over everyone looking so gay.
Pat: Do you think it’s unnatural?
Bobby: No, but I keep being surprised. How’s your friend, Helga?
Pat (stops and faces him): Helga’s gone away.
Bobby: Gone away?
Pat (sadly): Yes.
Bobby understands.
Koster joins them, smiling, and they walk into the sanitarium together.
310 INT. SANITARIUM LOBBY —
— spacious and like a hotel save for the nurse at the receiving desk. Lounging chairs and sofas — card tables in use, a radio playing jazz, and a few people drinking what appear to be cocktails in the background. (Some of the types are normal, some thin and feverish but none very sick or emaciated — except when so specified in the script.): As Pat, Bobby and Koster come in, they run into the brisk young Doctor to whom Bobby talked on the phone.
Pat: Dr. Plauten — my husband.
Dr. Plauten (offering his hand): Oh. I’m happy to see you again, Herr Lohkamp. Your wife is a great favorite with us here.
Pat: And Herr Koster.
Bobby: Is she behaving?
Dr. Plauten (lightly): In a way. She is the leader of the younger set. Rather wild you know — cocktails, dancing —
Bobby (worried): Cocktails!
Dr. Plauten: By the dozen.
Pat (ruefully): But they’re made of raspberry syrup.
Dr. Plauten (broodingly): Cigarettes —
Pat: Without nicotine.
Dr. Plauten: Coffee —