Back to Scenes 3-11.
12. INT. CONTROL ROOM - 4th FLOOR
The clock wall reads: 6:30. Typical control room.
A room-length double bank of television monitors
including two color monitor screens, the show
monitor and the pre-set monitor. Before this array
of TV screens sits the DIRECTOR, flanked on his left
by the PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (GIRL) who
stop-watches the show, and on his right by the
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR who operates a special board
of buttons and knobs. (On the TECHNICAL
DIRECTOR's right sits the LIGHTING DIRECTOR). At
the moment, the show monitor has the network's
Washington correspondent, JACK SNOWDEN,
doing a follow-up on the attempted assassination of
President Ford in San Francisco --
SNOWDEN (ON MONITOR)
-- the first attempt on President
Ford's life was eighteen days ago --
and again yesterday in San Francisco --
DIRECTOR
(murmuring into his mike)
-- Lou, kick that little thing shut
on ground level --
SNOWDEN (ON MONITOR)
-- In spite of two attempts --
The show monitor screen has switched over to show
film of President Ford arriving at the San Francisco
airport --
SNOWDEN (V.O. ON MONITOR)
-- Mr. Ford says he will not become --
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(murmurs)
-- forty seconds --
DIRECTOR
(murmurs into mike)
-- twenty seconds to one --
DIRECTOR
-- one --
HOWARD BEALE'S image suddenly flips on-screen --
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
-- thirty seconds to commercial freeze --
DIRECTOR
-- head roll --
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
-- rolling--
The DIRECTOR and TECHNICAL DIRECTOR turn in
their seats to join HARRY HUNTER and his SECRETARY
in a brief gossip --
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would
like at this moment to announce
that I will be retiring from
this program in two weeks' time
because of poor ratings --
The DIRECTOR has whispered something to HARRY
HUNTER'S SECRETARY which occasions sniggers from
the SECRETARY and from HARRY HUNTER. The
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR stands to get in on the joke --
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
(to DIRECTOR)
-- what'd you say? --
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
-- and since this show was the
only thing I had going for me
in my life, I have decided to
kill myself --
HARRY HUNTER'S SECRETARY murmurs something
which causes HARRY HUNTER to burst into laughter --
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
(to the DIRECTOR)
-- so what'd she say? --
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
-- I'll tell you what I'm going
to do. I'm going to blow my brains
out right on this program a week
from today --
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(frowning and very puzzled
indeed by this diversion
from the script)
-- ten seconds to commercial --
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
-- so tune in next Tuesday. That'll
give the public relations people a
week to promote the show, and we
ought to get a hell of a rating
with that, a fifty share easy --
A bewildered PRODUCTION ASSISTANT nudges the
DIRECTOR, who wheels back to his mike --
DIRECTOR
(into mike)
-- and --
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(to the DIRECTOR)
Listen, did you hear that? --
DIRECTOR
Take VTA.
The monitor screen erupts into a commercial for cat
food.
AUDIO MAN
(leaning in from his
glassed-in cubicle)
What was that about?
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(to the DIRECTOR)
Howard just said he was going to
blow his brains out next Tuesday.
DIRECTOR
What're you talking about?
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Didn't you hear him? He just said --
HARRY HUNTER
What's wrong now?
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Howard just said he was going to
kill himself next Tuesday.
HARRY HUNTER
What do you mean Howard just
said he was going to kill himself
next Tuesday?
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(nervously riffling through
her script)
He was supposed to do a tag on
Ron Nesson and into commercial --
AUDIO MAN
(from his doorway)
He said tune in next Tuesday, I'm
going to shoot myself --
Everybody's attention is now on the double bank of
black-and-white monitor screens showing various
parts of the studio, all of which show agitated
behavior. Several of the screens show HOWARD at
his desk in vehement discussion with a clearly startled
FLOOR MANAGER with headset and no less startled
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER --
DIRECTOR
(on mike to FLOOR MANAGER)
What the hell's going on?
On the pre-set monitor screen, the FLOOR MANAGER
with headset looks up --
FLOOR MANAGER (ON SCREEN)
(voice booming into
the control room)
I don't know. He just said he
was going to blow his brains out --
DIRECTOR
(into mike)
What the hell's this all about,
Howard?
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
(shouting at the floor
PERSONNEL gathering
around him)
Will you get the hell out of here?
We'll be back on air in a couple
of seconds!
DIRECTOR
(roaring into the mike)
What the fuck's going on, Howard?
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
I can't hear you --
DIRECTOR
(bawling at the AUDIO MAN)
Put the studio mike on!
AUDIO MAN
We're back on in eleven seconds --
SLOCUM (on floor)
They want to know what the fuck is
going on, Howard.
HOWARD (on monitor)
I can't hear you.
DIRECTOR
(bawling at the Audio man)
Put the studio mike on!
AUDIO MAN
We're back on in eleven seconds.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Harry, I think we better get him off --
HARRY HUNTER
(roaring at the Audio Man)
Turn his mike off!
AUDIO MAN
(now back in the control room)
What the hell's going on?
HARRY HUNTER
(raging)
Turn the fucking sound off, you stupid
son of a bitch! This is going out live!
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
(stop-watching)
Three -- two -- one --
DIRECTOR
Take 2 --
At which point, the TECHNICAL DIRECTOR pushes
a button; the jangling cat food commercial flips off
the show monitor to be instantly replaced by a scene
of gathering bedlam around HOWARD'S desk. The
AUDIO MAN flees in panic back to the cubicle to turn
off the audio but not before HARRY HUNTER and the
DIRECTOR going out live to 67 affiliates can be heard
booming:
HARRY HUNTER
Chrissakes! Black it out! This is
going out live to sixty-seven fucking
affiliates ! Shit!
DIRECTOR
This is the dumbest thing I ever saw! --
13. INT. MAX SCHUMACHER'S OFFICE - FIFTH
FLOOR - ROOM 509
MAX SCHUMACHER, behind his desk staring
petrified at his office console on which pandemonium
has broken out.
The FLOOR MANAGER and the ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
and now an ELECTRICIAN are trying to pull HOWARD
away from his desk and HOWARD is trying to hit
anybody he can with an ineffective right hand
haymaker --
HOWARD (ON MONITOR)
Get the fuck away from me!
OTHER VOICES (ON MONITOR)
(coming from all directions)
-- cut the show! --
-- get him out of there! --
-- go to standby! --
-- for Chrissakes, you stupid --
MAX'S PHONE RINGS --
MAX
(grabs the phone)
How the hell do I know? --
(he hangs up, seizes
another phone, barks:)
Give me the network news
control room!
On the MONITOR SCREEN, hysteria is clearly
dominating. The SCREEN has suddenly leaped into a
fragment of the just-done cat food COMMERCIAL,
then a jarring shot of the bedlam of the studio floor.
This particular camera seems unattended as it begins
to PAN dementedly back and forth showing the
confusion on the studio floor. Then abruptly the
SCREEN is filled with Vice President designate Nelson
Rockefeller testifying before the Senate Rules
Committee --
MAX
(shouting into phone)
Black it out!
The SCREEN abruptly goes into BLACK as MAX
slashes his phone back into its cradle. His PHONE
promptly RINGS again, but MAX is already headed
for the door. The SCREEN goes into STANDBY. His
SQUAWK BOX suddenly blares --
SQUAWK BOX
What the hell happened, Max? --
MAX
(shouting as he exits)
How the hell do I know? I'm going
down now!
He strides into --
14. INT. ROOM 509 - COMMON ROOM OF NEWS
EXECUTIVE OFFICES
A large common room where all the SECRETARIES of
the News Division EXECUTIVES have their desks. It
is empty now except for one SECRETARY just now
putting the cover on her typewriter. MAX strides
through and exits into --
15. INT. FIFTH FLOOR CORRIDOR
A long institutional corridor -- part of an endless
maze of similar corridors -- with offices and technical
rooms debouching on both sides. The corridor has
begun to fill up with video-tape OPERATORS and
other News Division PERSONNEL who happen to be
working late -- all of whom are either wondering what
happened or are telling others what happened. MAX
yanks an exit door open and disappears down a flight
of steps to emerge into --
16. INT. FOURTH FLOOR CORRIDOR
-- which leads directly to the doors for the control
room and for the studio. Coming out of the control
room is the TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, who, on spotting
MAX striding down the corridor to him, says --
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Jesus Christ, Mr. Schumacher! --
He follows MAX into the --
17. INT. STUDIO
Everything seems to have quieted a bit, the hysteria
down to mumbles and murmurs and occasional sounds
of laughter. TELEPHONES are shrilly and incessantly
RINGING. In the far corner of the studio sits HOWARD
BEALE surrounded by HARRY HUNTER, the DIRECTOR,
the ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, the PRODUCTION
ASSISTANT, and the FLOOR MANAGER. CAMERAMEN,
GRIPS and other FLOOR PERSONNEL are gathered in a
FLUX of little clumps around the studio murmuring and
muttering and giggling over the whole absurd episode.
MAX heads straight for the GROUP around HOWARD.
They part to let him in --
HARRY HUNTER
(to MAX)
Tom Cabell wants you to call as
soon as you come in --
MAX nods, stares at HOWARD --
VOICE (O.S.)
Harry! Joe Sweeney on the phone! --
HARRY HUNTER
(bawls back)
I'm not taking any more calls!
Tell them Mr. Schumacher's here!
They can talk to him!
MAX
(staring at HOWARD)
Howard, you have got to be out of
your ever-loving mind. Are you drunk?
(to the others)
How much boozing has he been doing
today?
PHONES O.S. RING and RING. VOICES O.S.
SHOUT --
VOICES (O.S.)
-- Mr. Schumacher, Mr. Cabell
on the phone! --
-- Mr. Schumacher! Mr. Zangwill
for you! --
-- Harry! Mr. Thackeray on Three! --
HOWARD slowly looks up to MAX who is still staring
at him. He suddenly smiles broadly at MAX and
winks.
VOICES (O.S.)
-- Harry! Thackeray wants to
talk to you right now! --
-- Mr. Schumacher! Mr. Gianini
wants to talk to you! --
MAX
(to HARRY HUNTER)
You better get hold of Mr. Chaney
and Frank Hackett --
Continue to Scenes 18-25.
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