Project Ernie - Interview with a Hero - first 26 pages
- 1. PROJECT ERNIE - INTERVIEW WITH A HERO (first 26 pages) by Chuck Loch 14314 Summertime Lane Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 713-5480 Voice (310) 559-2331 Fax chuck9@sbcglobal.net
- 2. FADE IN: INT. CAFE T'CANON 1978 NIGHT Legend: Cafe T'Canon, Ypres, Belgium, Christmas Eve 1978 The cafe sparkles with CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. Families of TOWNSFOLK eat, drink, laugh, sing. Spontaneous outbreaks of FLEMISH CAROLS momentarily rise above the din of the house. Then sink back again. At a FORMICA-TOPPED TABLE in the corner, Regimental Sergeant Major Retired, ERNEST BENNETT, Ernie, 83, reaches for a PINT OF BEER. He takes it from an ARRANGEMENT OF FULL GLASSES lined-up on the table in front of him like soldiers in formation. Above him hangs a REPRODUCTION of John Singer Sargent's famous painting, "GASSED," depicting soldiers blinded by mustard gas, stumbling along in a line, hands on each other's shoulders. AT THE TABLE Ernie's neatly dressed in a BOW TIE, sharply-creased TROUSERS, and a checkered SPORTS COAT with three polished MEDALS on the pocket. A dark wooden CANE is hooked over the arm of his CHAIR. He appears frail, halfway between life and death, softly mumbling to a wall - and unseen long-ago "chums." ERNIE Willy, my lad, and Jimmy. Glad to have you join me. How are the others from the company? Fine, you say? And what have I been up to? Oh, the usual. I drink. I read. I think. I wait. It's all just waiting anymore. AT THE DOOR A family - JACQUES BERGIERE, and his wife, NATALIE, both late 20s, and their son, LITTLE JACQUES, aged 5 - wander in. Make their way to Ernie's table.
- 3. 2. AT THE TABLE JACQUES Happy Christmas, Ernie. Would you like another beer? Ernie's lined face and heavy-lidded eyes light up with the enthusiasm of a man half his age. ERNIE Happy Christmas, Jacques. You're most kind. Don't mind if I do. The Father signals the BARMAID, who nods, heads to the bar. JACQUES Can you tell me boy a story? ERNIE I hope you don't mind, my boy, but it is getting late and I'm a bit tuckered out. JACQUES C'mon, Ernie. It's for me little boy. Tell him how you almost "went west" when you mounted the top in '15. Jacques hands Ernie a CIGAR. ERNIE Thank you again, my Boy. Ernie pops it into the medal pocket of his jacket beside two others. ERNIE For the lad, is it? Jacques nods "yes." The Barmaid delivers another GLASS OF BEER. Ernie lines it up behind the others. ERNIE I can tell that story. But it will be brief. Townsfolk notice a beer has been added to Ernie's formation. They pull their chairs around. Ernie reaches out to Little Jacques. Pulls him onto his lap.
- 4. 3. ERNIE (to Little Jacques) Do you know what your daddy meant when he said I almost went west? The Boy shakes his head "no." Ernie offers Little Jacques a sip of his beer. He screws up his face. Pushes it away. Ernie demolishes the pint in one long drink. ERNIE "Blighty," our name for England - my home at the time - is west of Belgium. During the war, there was only one way to go home. When a soldier died, we said he "went west" - his body was sent home at last. LITTLE JACQUES Went west. Home. ERNIE I went over the top of the trenches four times. Once I had a very narrow escape. I was very lucky to be standing sideways. A German bullet went right through my breast pocket, bending the tips of the cartridges I was carrying there. The Barmaid delivers another GLASS OF BEER. Ernie raises it in salute. ERNIE Today is a lucky day too. Thank you. Cheers. Those around him raise their glasses in return. JACQUES On the last day of the war, you must have felt very lucky. Do you have a story there? Ernie stops drinking. Loses his smile. ERNIE Please understand, my Boy. I wish I could forget that day. There are some stories that can never be told. Little Jacques stares. Points at the medals on Ernie's chest.
- 5. 4. LITTLE JACQUES Train? ERNIE Ah yes, my boy. I can tell you a little story about a train. Ernie puts down his glass, settles back. ERNIE I was new to the Royal Engineers... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MAKESHIFT TRAIN STATION 1916 DAY Legend: St. Juliaan, West Flanders, Belgium, Christmas Day 1916 ERNIE (V.O.) We had just put the station together at St. Juliaan when the wounded came pouring in. A booted-up STEAM LOCOMOTIVE hisses anxiously in the cold sunshine. ENGLISH TROOPS, in ragged brown UNIFORMS, fatigued to the point of resembling the walking dead, unload STRETCHERS of WOUNDED SOLDIERS from horse-drawn Red Cross WAGONS. They carry their "mates" to a half dozen iron-clad PASSENGER CARS strung out behind the restless engine. Plastered in mud from the trenches, limbs missing and eyes bandaged, their faces are blank or frozen with horror from the combat they've just experienced. RED CROSS NURSES and a small group of CIVILIANS rush to put CIGARETTES between lips and hand out cups of tea and chocolate bars. A YOUNGER SERGEANT ERNEST BENNETT (ERNIE), then 21, GQ handsome and a take-charge kind of guy, walks ram-rod straight among the litters, directing the worst cases to the front cars, the less badly wounded to those further back. Ernie reaches down to take the hand of a gaunt and ashen YOUNG MAN, also 21. Ernie walks beside the Young Man's pallet as it's carried to the first car behind the engine.
- 6. 5. The Young Man's BLANKET is soaked in blood. It drips a spotted trail behind them, one of many such trails across the frozen ground. Off in the distance, a soft WHUMPING sound repeats itself. Artillery shells WHIZ overhead. BLAM! BLAM! They explode just beyond the station. A shrill SCREECH from the train's whistle draws everyone's attention toward the ENGINEER who leans out his window. Points in the direction of the blasts. Yells ENGINEER Jerrys. On the far side of the field. EXT. TRAIN 1916 DAY The smokestack releases a steady stream of PUFFS. The cars lurch back and forth. The wheels rhythmically churn out forward progress along the tracks. INT. TRAIN 1916 DAY PASSENGER CAR Ernie sits in the first car with the badly wounded Young Man, his "chum" LEOPOLD ACHELY. Ernie leans over and whispers in Leo's ear ERNIE You'll be wanting to see Molly again, Leo. She's waiting for you to come home. Leo rolls his head to face Ernie with unseeing eyes. He raises his hand. Ernie takes it. LEO Is that you Molly? ERNIE (whispering) Fight it, Leo. Stay with me for Molly.
- 7. 6. EXT. TRAIN The wheels lock. Reverse. Sparks fly. The horrible SQUEAL of metal on metal overpowers all other sounds on the train. INT. TRAIN 1916 DAY ENGINE CAB With all his might, the Engineer pulls back again on the large BRAKE LEVER. Ernie pokes his head in from the coupling platform. ERNIE Good God, Daniel, we're slowing down. What's going on? The boys in the back need all the speed you can give them. The Engineer points toward the front of the engine. ENGINEER It's Fritz. He's broken through. Ernie leans out the window. POV ERNIE Up Ahead, GRAY-UNIFORMED GERMAN SOLDIERS rush to take up positions along the tracks. They aim their RIFLES toward the train. An ARTILLERY UNIT wheels a 76 MILLIMETER HOWITZER onto the tracks, simultaneously lowering its barrel to point directly at the locomotive. Two MACHINE-GUN CREWS set up their deadly GUNS on either side of the cannon. DISSOLVE BACK TO: INT. CAFE T'CANON 1978 NIGHT Ernie stares at the wall, mumbles. ERNIE Forgive me. JACQUES (interrupting Ernie's reverie) And then what happened?
- 8. 7. Ernie sets Little Jacques down onto the floor. ERNIE I talked some sense into those Heinies and they let the train through. We all made it back, of course. Then I was given the Queen's own medal and promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major. AT THE DOOR PATTY AND FRANK BISHOP, early-20s, married American grad students, stumble in. Though full of jet lag, they look as determined as preppie bull dogs. Both are festooned with CAMERAS, BINOCULARS, MAPS. An AUDIO CASSETTE RECORDER hangs from Frank's BELT. PATTY That God damn cheap charter flight to Brussels. Packed us in like sardines. And I never heard of an airline running out of food. You really did it up big. Spared no expense. FRANK You left it up to me. I tried to stretch out our travel money as best I could. PATTY It wasn't good enough. Patty turns away from him. Pushes her way to the bar. AT THE BAR Patty signals the busy middle-aged BARTENDER. He leans over the bar towards them. BARTENDER Wiltu een pintje hebben? PATTY What? BARTENDER Would you like a drink? FRANK Oh, uh... Not right now. I'm looking for Regimental Sergeant Major Retired Ernest Bennet?
- 9. 8. BARTENDER You mean Ernie. He's over there. He points to Ernie's table. BARTENDER He's quite a handful. I suggest you buy him a pint and a cigar. FRANK Yeah. Sure. AT THE TABLE Carrying the beer and cigar, Frank leads Patty to the table. Ernie looks up as they approach. ERNIE That's quite a handful you have there my Boy. Frank puts the pint and the cigar down in front of Ernie. FRANK These are for you. INT. CAFE MOMENTS LATER AT ERNIE'S TABLE The students sit next to Ernie. ERNIE Come all the way from America, did you? Well, blow me down. Excuse me a moment there's some chums I'd like you to meet. Ernie stares again at the wall, addresses his unseen chums. ERNIE Willie and Jimmy, I'd like you to meet my long lost nephew, Frank, and his mam'selle, Patty...Yes, she is very pretty. He winks at Patty then returns to the wall. ERNIE They're at University. Going to write something called a thesis about our old war. Going to record me for a
- 10. 9. ERNIE living history exhibit. Seems I'm the only one still alive with the Queen's medal. Ernie nods sleepily. Yawns. Speaks slowly, haltingly. Slurs his words. ERNIE Never dreamed anyone would be interested enough to come all this way after so long a time. Makes me feel I should be in some sort of museum myself. An old relic. I told them I have a few stories but they're not worth much. We were just doing our duty, the same as any man would. Ernie dozes. Patty, Frank whisper an exchange. PATTY Who was he talking to? FRANK I think they're friends he lost in the war. Remember what the nuns said in their letter. PATTY He lives too much in the past. FRANK Wouldn't you if you were eighty-three with a bad heart and knew...you were dying? PATTY It's a good thing we came when we did. Ernie snaps awake. ERNIE They're not just friends. They're me chums. We put up with a lot together. We did. Ernie chokes. Gasps for air. Slaps his own chest. Frank jumps up. Pulls Ernie and his chair back from the table. Ernie waves him off.
- 11. 10. ERNIE Don't be alarmed. It's just something passing through me. Happens whenever I'm excited. Ernie calms down. His breathing returns to normal. PATTY You okay now? FRANK Maybe we should just let him sit for a minute. ERNIE I'd be much obliged if you could help me up. I must be getting on home. Can't take the late hours anymore. FRANK We could do that. PATTY We've got a car. We could give you a ride - for a story. ERNIE Young Lady, I'm afraid I'm all out of stories. PATTY Can't I have even one little one - the one you like the most? Patty winks at Ernie. ERNIE In that case, I'd be most happy to make the trade. Ernie winks back at her. PATTY Then we'll do it. Won't we Frank? FRANK Of course. Frank holds out his hand to Ernie. ERNIE Thank you, my Boy.
- 12. 11. Instead of taking Frank's hand, Ernie pulls himself to his feet hand-over-hand on his cane. EXT. NAZARETH REST HOME 1978 NIGHT The Students help Ernie crawl through his window. ERNIE Shhhh. The nuns are very strict. They've put me on a curfew. They crawl through the window after him. The recorder still hangs from Frank's belt. INT. NAZARETH REST HOME NIGHT ERNIE'S ROOM It's very Spartan. Ernie has no real decorations, only a yellowed PHOTO - dated 1914 - of himself in uniform, and a few RELIGIOUS ITEMS - presents from the nuns. They all sit on Ernie's bed. Patty looks around. PATTY Where's your Christmas decorations? The tinsel? The Christmas stockings? The boughs of holly? Ernie hisses in reply. ERNIE The season has never brought me comfort or cheer. Nothing but bad luck. I don't wish to celebrate it. FRANK What bad luck, Uncle? (beat) Wait a minute 'till I turn on the recorder. Frank fumbles with the recorder. ERNIE No use to get it out. I won't speak about the season.
- 13. 12. PATTY Then, how about the story you promised me? Tell us one of good luck. ERNIE I did make the promise. I will tell you one story of a year of good luck that turned bad on Christmas Day. But I don't know how long I can hold up tonight. Ernie props himself up into a comfortable position on his pillows. ERNIE A long time ago, I was quite the up- and-coming rugby player. My photograph was in all the newspapers... DISSOLVE TO: INT. NAZARETH REST HOME NIGHT ERNIE'S ROOM PATTY My God, Ernie. How could that story be bad luck? Ernie doesn't answer. He's asleep. They tuck him in. As they squeeze back out Ernie's window, Frank drops his keys inside Ernie's room. He searches for them, finds an antique Princess Mary Christmas Box under Ernie's bed. It's heavy, full of something. He cracks the lid. FRANK Old mementos and letters. He picks up a handful. PATTY Let's read them. FRANK Without Ernie's permission? No. That would be wrong
- 14. 13. INT. ENGLISH RENTAL CAR NIGHT They ride home. PATTY What if he never shows them to us? FRANK What? PATTY The letters. The mementos. FRANK Then it was never meant to be. PATTY Why are we here if you won't do all you can to get us the information we need? FRANK So we have to read the old man's keepsakes against his permission? PATTY If you won't do it, I'm going back to the states. Now. Tonight. He tries to hide his panic inside. FRANK Patty that's crazy. There's no reason to go. All we have to do is ask him in the right way. You know, catch flies with honey? She flips him the bird. FRANK Listen to me. If we go back, we'll lose everything. The dissertation. The degrees. Our Career. PATTY I don't care about those things anymore. FRANK (whispers) If you leave now, you'll lose me. PATTY I've already lost more than that.
- 15. 14. EXT. NAZARETH REST HOME DAY Frank, Patty walk up to the front door. Frank rings the bell. No answer. Frank rings it again, harder. No answer again. PATTY Maybe they can't hear us. She pounds on the door with her fist. PATTY Ernie! ERNIE (O.S.) Go away! FRANK Ernie, it's Frank and Patty. Ernie opens the door a crack. Peers out. PATTY We'd like to take you to Christmas dinner at the Cafe this evening. ERNIE I'm sorry. I shall not be joining you today. I'll be spending it with my chums. He closes the door in their faces. EXT. MENIN ROAD DAY Frank and Patty drive between cemeteries along the road. Ernie plods slowly in the mud through a cemetery's gate. He reaches the road. Stops. Rests. Leans on the gate. He breathes heavily. Clutches his chest. Staggers backwards despite his cane. They stop for him. Help support him. Stand with him. ERNIE It's getting to be quite a long walk to visit my chums.
- 16. 15. He eyes them both up, down. ERNIE Does your offer of dinner still stand? INT. CAFE NIGHT At the cafe, Ernie holds court. A scuffle at the bar breaks out. Under his breath Ernie curses. ERNIE Damn these people and their happy families. Damn them all. A little louder. ERNIE I wish my chums were here. Patty raises her glass. PATTY Here's to your chums. Before anyone can join in her toast, Ernie interrupts. ERNIE Wouldn't you rather toast your family, my dear? Patty looks at Ernie aghast. PATTY I..I..have no family left. Frank is all I... She puts her glass down. INT. ERNIE'S ROOM NIGHT They are sitting on the bed again. FRANK Last night you told us you were about to be picked to play on the All-Star Rugby team. How was that bad luck? Ernie pulls out the Princess Mary Gift box, rummages through the papers inside.
- 17. 16. ERNIE This is my "Treasure Box." Hands shaking, he takes out an old Christmas card with a Christmas tree printed on its front. ERNIE Earlier in the day, my fiancée Elizabeth and I exchanged cards. The tree morphs into a Christmas tree in a well-to-do 1913 English living room. INT. FORMAL WELL-TO-DO ENGLISH LIVING ROOM 1913 DAY Legend: Christmas 1913. A large Christmas tree decorated with antique ornaments, burning candles stands in a corner. Turn-of-the-century Victorian style furniture fills the rest of the room. The Young Ernie stands as if at attention, stares at portraits of military officers that hang on the wall. Behind his back, Ernie holds a present in holiday wrapping. ERNIE It had been some time since her mother had called her out of the room. INT. ADJACENT SITTING ROOM 1913 DAY ELIZABETH SAMS, 18, thin, dressed in a Victorian wasp-waisted dress, paces in front of her MOTHER, LUCY SAMS, 40, medium build. She sits in an overstuffed chair. MOTHER How ever will you tell him? ELIZABETH Oh, Mama, I don't really know. Gently, I hope. He's so innocent. He has no idea of my feelings for Roger. I don't want to hurt him. But, he so often wears his heart on his sleeve. How do I do this, Mother? It's the hardest thing I've ever done.
- 18. 17. MOTHER You're sure of Roger? Yes, of course you are. Stay true to yourself my dear, and to Roger, and to Ernest. Staying true is all we have. In the end, it will be kinder and easier on everyone. ELIZABETH I guess you're right. Sometimes he can be so stuffy. He refuses to learn tennis. Says football is the only man's sport. And he walked right off the floor during dance lessons when the instructor pointed out he always turned counter-clockwise instead of clockwise. He even had the nerve to tell him that it felt right that way and he always did what felt right. Even though all the other couple on the floor were turning the other way. Elizabeth gazes out a window at gently falling snow. ELIZABETH He said it was his duty to do what felt right. Duty, duty, duty! Sometimes I think that duty means everything to Ernie. He's just finished caring for his mother, God rest her soul. And because of that he has no career to speak of. Just some military school as a boy and his damned football! And no inheritance! His father's entire estate went to his mother's care. Elizabeth turns back to her mother. ELIZABETH And nothing I do ever seems to please him. He doesn't laugh. He won't have fun with me. His idea of a good time is to play football and to go have a few beers and one of those dreadful cigars with his chums. They all love him though. It seems like they'd follow him anywhere, even off the face of the earth. Well now he can be with them all he wants. All they do is talk about joining up for the war. It's their "duty".
- 19. 18. She sits on the arm of her mother's chair. ELIZABETH Oh, Mother. He's not right for me. From one day to the next, I'd never know if he'd leave me for Lord Kitchner. She's on the verge of tears. ELIZABETH I am doing right, aren't I? MOTHER Just follow your heart. That's all I can say. That's all I will say. She pats Elisabeth's hands. ELIZABETH (Hesitates) Then, I'll do it, Mummy. I'll do it now. Elizabeth strides to the door, opens it briskly, turns to glance at Lady Sams. Her mother lowers her head. INT. FORMAL WELL-TO-DO ENGLISH LIVING ROOM 1913 DAY She enters, closes the door behind her. With a big smile on his face, Ernie turns to face her. ERNIE Hello, Elizabeth. ELIZABETH Hello Ernest. I'm sorry I kept you waiting. We must talk. ERNIE And I have a million things I want to say to you-- ELIZABETH --Ernie, I'm afraid our engagement will never work. Ernie's smile freezes in place, then evaporates.
- 20. 19. ERNIE (whispers) Elizabeth. Ernie drops the present. INT. ERNIE'S ROOM NIGHT FRANK I don't know what to say. ERNIE You need not say a thing, my boy. What's done is done. Patty rubs Ernie's shoulders PATTY What if we changed the subject. Talked about other things in the box? ERNIE I'm sorry, my dear. I don't wish to talk about them. Too sad. FRANK I see some medals in there. Can't you tell us how you got them? ERNIE My boy, it would be like bragging about how many men you have killed. It's not me. Ernie reaches behind the bed, comes up with a bottle of Glenfiddich single malt. He puts a finger to his lips. ERNIE Shhh. The nuns here are very strict. He eases the cork out, tugs on the bottle. Offers it to Frank, who does the same, then offers it to Patty who takes a long full swallow. FRANK Thank you, Uncle. PATTY Yes, thank you, Ernie. If we brought you another bottle will you tell us more? Ernie takes his own long swallow, allows the liquid to settle in his stomach.
- 21. 20. ERNIE Perhaps after the holiday passes, the crowds go home, and I feel a little better. Will you young people take me to Tyne Cot cemetery tomorrow? I have a little business to do for a chum whose birthday it is. PATTY Of course. Ernie lays back onto his bed, closes his eyes. ERNIE Thank you. (mumbles) I told you Leo. I haven't forgotten you. Tomorrow, I'll be sure to prepare the garden for the spring. The students exit gracefully through the door, leaving Ernie alone with his memories. ERNIE Yes, Leo. I'll be sure to cut the roses back so they have room to grow. INT. ERNIE'S ROOM MOMENTS LATER The Students' car engine ROARS to life outside, it's headlights cast a sweeping fading shadow on the wall. The light is gone, Ernie mumbles. ERNIE Yes, I know I need to talk to them, Leo. I need to tell them my story...our story...the whole story. But, it would help no one. It would only bring up the pain again. Yet, I know I must do it. Move past the pain. It's been with me too long. INT. ENGLISH RENTAL CAR NIGHT Frank, Patty ride in silence until.. FRANK I'm surprised a woman broke his heart. PATTY It proves he's human.
- 22. 21. PATTY What would break your heart? Frank opens his mouth, no words come out. PATTY I knew I should have broken up with you when I first got the news. Frank puts his hand on her knee. PATTY Don't touch me. EXT. NAZARETH REST HOME DAY MORNING IN FRONT OF THE CONVENT Ernie holds a bag of fresh baked buns. Chews on one. Frank, Patty walk up to him. ERNIE The nuns baked these from a very old recipe. INT. ENGLISH RENTAL CAR DAY TYNE COT CEMETERY ENTRANCE GATE Patty gazes over the tens of thousands of white crosses that serve as tombstones. Her hands shakes. Then, her whole body. EXT. ENGLISH RENTAL CAR DAY TYNE COT CEMETERY ENTRANCE GATE FRANK This isn't the place for this kind of thing. PATTY Frank, I can't get out of the car.
- 23. 22. She hangs on to the door handle for dear life. FRANK Not in front of Ernie. C'mon. Get out of the car. PATTY I can't. FRANK Snap out of it. Take a pill. Do whatever. Just get out of the car. Patty sobs. Ernie move close to her window. ERNIE Death often brought these soldiers a blessed relief and peace. BETWEEN THE ROWS OF GRAVES Frank, Patty walk the rows of graves with Ernie. Patty lingers at a number of them. Examines a few. Hands shaking, with tears in her eyes, she softly comments PATTY They were so young. ERNIE (whispers) Most were just boys. Ernie stops, places a bun in front of one of the headstones. He inserts a candle in it, lights the candle. ERNIE Archie liked these. The bun with the lit candle morphs into… EXT. TOWN CENTER OF YPRES 1914 DAY OUTDOOR CAFE …one just like it sitting on a tabletop. Legend: Christmas 1914 Snow falls on a number of ENGLISH SOLDIERS seated around it They include Young Ernie and his chums.
- 24. 23. All are in uniform and great coats; all are very handsome. One of Ernie's chums, ARCHIE DURHAM, 24, leans forward and blows out the candle. MATCH CUT TO: EXT. TYNE COT CEMETERY DAY The wind has blown out the candle, leaving it smoking. Ernie takes a bun and passes the bag to the Students. He takes a bite. ERNIE Quite a bit better than rations wouldn't you say? INT. ERNIE'S ROOM DAY Without prompting by the Students, Ernie takes a WWI recruiting poster out of his treasure box, carefully unfolds it with shaking hands, shows it to them. ERNIE After my folly with Elizabeth, I decided to join up. It's where I met Archie and his family. The old poster morphs into… EXT. RECRUITING HALL 1914 DAY …a new one fresh off the presses, tacked on a speakers platform draped with banners. It's raining. A BRASS BAND plays a medley of early war tunes. Young Ernie weaves his way through a milieu of YOUNG SOLDIERS in new uniforms; OLDER SOLDIERS; the walking wounded: bandaged, in wheel chairs and on crutches; NURSES; PRIESTS; NUNS; CIVILIANS WITH FAMILIES OR GIRLFRIENDS; and groups of "CHUMS" - single guys, friends, eager to enlist together. SPEAKERS PLATFORM Ernie stops to listen to the SPEAKER.
- 25. 24. SPEAKER With the Huns on our door step it is imperative that every good son of Britton do their duty` Chums and Family Men enter the recruiting hall, Young Soldiers in new uniforms come out a side door, revolving door style. The Crowd forms a chorus and loudly sings the rousing recruiting song, "We don't want to lose you, but we think you ought to go…" Over the song, the Speaker exhorts the Crowd. SPEAKER Do not believe the rumors of vast numbers of our soldiers killed and maimed. It is enemy propaganda. Do not look at the wounds and missing limbs of the wounded around you. They are all proud to have done their duty. Think of the war's noble purpose. The song ends in wild CLAPPING, CHEERING, SHOUTING, WHISTLING, with the newly-uniformed Soldiers all in teary-eyed salute to the Union Jack fluttering on the platform. A young family, consisting of Archie, ANN DURHAM, 24, his wife, and LITTLE ARCHIE, 6, break from the Crowd and head toward the entrance of the recruiting hall. A taxi pulls up and three of Ernie's CHUMS alight. They greet Ernie soundly. Then all head toward the hall's entrance. The family pauses outside. Little Archie asks his father LITTLE ARCHIE What will you do in the war, Daddy? The Crowd WHOOPS it up again, drowning out Archie's answer. INT. RECRUITING HALL 1914 DAY Ernie and one of his Chums, LEOPOLD ACHELY, 19, stride into the hall behind Archie. Ernie's Other Two Chums, Ann, and Little Archie, linger off to the side just inside the door. Other RECRUITS enter behind them, pushing them forward.
- 26. 25. The interior is decorated with the obscene recruiting posters of Lord Kitchner, which promise recruits everything. The activity within is directed by a most enthusiastic highly- decorated LEFTENANT in uniform, conducting his business from a wheelchair. He has no legs. LEFTENANT Step up smartly, lads. We have a war it fight. The Men in line push Ernie into Archie, who turns, extends his hand. ARCHIE Great day to join up. Ernie takes Archie's hand. ERNIE My name is Ernest Bennett. My friends call me Ernie. And this is Leo Achely. LEO Yes, it's a great day. MONTAGE The Crowd pushes Ernie, Leo and Archie from table to table in a lock-step semi-automatic way. They fill out papers at each. The lot of them are sworn in. END MONTAGE Archie breaks ranks to go to his family, kisses them goodbye. Ann, reservedly enthusiastic until now, suddenly becomes quiet and still. Archie and Little Archie don't notice her change. Ernie notices, and from across the room whispers something to Leo. Ernie's other two chums yell over TWO CHUMS Ernie! Leo! Give the Germans what they've got coming. Give it to them from us!"
- 27. 26. Ernie and Leo salute their Chums. The legless LEFTENANT herds Archie, Ernie, and Leo toward a door in the back of the hall. LEFTENANT Come along now, Lads, we've got to get you into uniform. We've got a war to fight. Little Archie yells after his daddy. LITTLE ARCHIE Have a jolly good time! Ann stands frozen in terror. She stares after them. ALL SOUND AND ACTIVITY IN THE ROOM SLOWS DOWN AND STOPS. FADE TO BLACK: IN BLACK: LITTLE ARCHIE There goes my Daddy. FADE UP FROM BACK: INT. ERNIE'S ROOM DAY Patty weeps. FRANK Please, Patty please. We can talk it out back in our room. He puts his arm around her shoulders. She backs away from him, knocks Ernie's treasure box to the floor, spilling its contents. PATTY Murderer! You made me kill our son! She breaks down completely. Can only talk through sobs. PATTY I just wanted a little baby. To hold him. To feed him. To change him. You would never have had to do any of that. We could have afforded him. For Christ sakes, Frank we could have afforded our baby.