Heinz 57-revised 6-11-16 by Patrick Sean Lee (desktop ebook reader .TXT) 📕
- Author: Patrick Sean Lee
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MYRON
The main floor between the right and left sides...I envision this as being bold in color. I have an idea, though not on paper yet...
MARSTEN
For the time being I think it'd be best to confine the work to the cells themselves. I like the ideas for the cells, though. Intriguing to say the least. So, who all is on board with this? Who are the artists?
Myron raises his head and glances over at Rollo expectantly. Rollo hesitates.
ROLLO
(meekly, showing embarrassment)
Laverne? Maybe Mikey and Spatso Clem...
MARSTEN
Laverne? Christ Almighty, he couldn't reach the middle bars of a cell with a long brush! Was he serious? Can he paint?
ROLLO
Not absolutely certain. I think so, though. His name was on the brass plate of the...you know, the painting I saw...or thought I did. Him and...Jesus...Zippo Gonzalez.
Marsten glares at Rollo and then slams his hand onto the set of plans. He heaves a sigh, pushes his chair back and rises. He walks slowly over to the window and stares out. Myron and Rollo trade glances. Finally, Marsten turns.
MARSTEN
All right. Get started first thing in the morning after breakfast. Bring a basket along big enough to hold a head.
MYRON
Sir?
MARSTEN
Work on your cell first...Goddamit, if he makes a mess of it, I'll have your heads in that basket. Get the plans and go. I have other things to look after besides running a school for delinquent artists. Where the hell is Laverne, anyway?
MYRON
He wanted to take a shower before dinner.
MARSTEN
(harumphs)
All right, get out of here. God help us all.
ROLLO
I'm sure he will. Thank you, sir.
Myron and Rollo gather up the plans jubilantly and then leave.
FADE
INT. SHOWERS-AFTERNOON
Laverne and one other inmate are in the steam-filled shower area. Laverne on one side, scrubbing his hair, singing "A Hard Days Night" off-key. The inmate on the other side is soaping his underarms, paying little attention to Laverne. Mercurio, West, and one other of Zippo's men enter naked, casually. They flip the towels they carry around their neck's onto metal benches. West lags behind at the broad, open entry, and positions himself as lookout. The other walks up to the man across from Laverne and motions for him to leave. The inmate obeys, hurriedly. The thug then walks across the wet floor to join Mercurio at Laverne's side.
LAVERNE
(singing, lather dripping down over his eyes)
Tho why on earth thould I moan, 'cauth when I get you alone...
Mercurio moves on Laverne, grabbing him. The other shoves a bar of soap into his mouth and then cocks his arm, preparing to slam laverne.
WEST
Ahem!
Mercurio glances at West quickly, then back. He shoves Laverne.
MERCURIO
Shaddup. You sing like a fuckin' cat bein' skinned.
A guard approaches West at the entry. The lookout stands upright. The other two casually walk away from Laverne, pick up their towels and begin to dry off. The guard eyes each, and then looks beyond them to Laverne who is spitting soap out of his mouth.
GUARD
What's goin' on here?
MERCURIO
Huh?
GUARD
Move it.
They leave. The guard walks into the shower and stops at a spot out of range of Laverne's shower spray.
GUARD
What happened, Budd?
LAVERNE
Dunno'! They didn't like my thingin' I gueth. Wath it Thippo?
GUARD
No. You ok?
LAVERNE
Yeah, gueth tho. Thoap tathe like thit. Ath-holth.
The guard nods his agreement, turns, and walks out. Laverne lifts his head and opens his mouth to flood it with water.
CUT
INT. Hallway LEADING FROM SHOWERS TO CELLBLOCK 1-CONTINUOUS
Naked, towels around their necks, Zippo's boys approach the entryway back into the cell area.
MERCURIO
Lousy timin'. Zip's gonna' be pissed.
WEST
You got that right. Fuck 'im, we did our best.
MERCURIO
You got that right.
FADE
INT. CELLBLOCK 1-MORNING
The prisoners in Cellblock 1 have finished eating. They are milling around on the tiers, talking and smoking. The door at one end opens and two prisoners enter, pushing a cart laden with many cans of paint, brushes, rollers, tape, and an assortment of other painting-related items. One walks alongside the load, steadying it, while the other pushes it slowly down the main walkway in the direction of 57. Heads snap. The low conversations grow to loud exclamations of surprise and questioning.
CUT TO
INT. CELL 57-CONTINUOUS
Myron, Rollo, Laverne, and half a dozen other inmates are busy going over the plans at the desk. On the lower bunk an open coffee table book of art is opened to a page showing a colored print of Picasso's "Les Demoiselles de Avignon".
INMATE (O.S.)
(steadying load)
Here ya' go, Myron! Ready ta' rock n' roll.
The inmates inside 57 cease their conversation abruptly and snap their eyes to the cart and its attendants outside.
LAVERNE
Ith here!
CUT TO
INT. ZIPPO'S CELL-CONTINUOUS
Zippo and Mercurio are studying photos in a girlie magazine, seated side-by-side on the lower bunk. West bursts in suddenly.
WEST
Zip! Get a load o' this!
Zippo shoots a look up at West. Mercurio bookmarks the page of his mag and then looks up as well. West's eyes are wide open with excitement.
ZIPPO
What is it?
WEST
You ain't gonna' believe what just came rollin' in.
CUT TO
INT. OUTSIDE CELL 57-CONTINUOUS
Laverne is the first to arrive at the cart. He jumps around it, surveying the many cans of paint, the variety of brushes, the white canvas tarp with a large pink flower visible on top of the fold.
LAVERNE
Wowee-thowee!
Myron and Rollo arrive seconds later along with the men who were inside the cell. Rollo beams. Myron walks around the cart, lifts the tarp and peers at the contents beneath it.
MYRON
(lowering the tarp)
All right. We're set.
(to the two delivery inmates)
Thank you. Move it back about five feet, please.
(to the inmates who were in the cell with him)
Okay, quickly...but carefully...let's bring all the furniture out here. Set the bunk against the bars. Put the desk and chair on top.
(to Rollo)
Are you ready?
ROLLO
I believe I am, Monsieur Latrec.
Inmates from many other cells begin to flood the area outside Myron and Rollo's cell, jostling each other for a view. The buzz of voices grows with every second that passes. A moment later Zippo and his boys boys descend on the gathering, push their way to the front. Two guards stand together at the door leading to the mess hall, talking animatedly.
ROLLO
(on seeing Zippo)
Mister Gonzalez! Care to join us in Master Pablo Budd's first creation?
LAVERNE
(piping in)
Ith "Leth Demoithe...Leth Demoi..." wath it again, Rollo?
MYRON
"The Maids of Avignon", little man.
LAVERNE
Yeth...that.
Zippo
(to Myron, condescendingly)
Yer outta' yer goddam' mind.
(glancing around at the inmates)
We'll be back. Any o' you fuckers still here...watch yer backs.
He glares at Myron and Rollo, turns abruptly, and then pushes his way back through the crowd. The gathered inmates begin to murmur. Several leave.
MYRON
Stand your ground, my friends. The time is at hand to prove your mettle. Sit and watch if you like...imagine your own cells.
The bunk comes out, followed by the desk and chair. A trash container, Myron's books...everything but the sink and commode. Myron grabs the tarp, and he and Rollo re-enter the cell.
CUT TO
INT. CELL 57-CONTINUOUS
Myron and Rollo carefully unfold the tarp and spread it on the concrete floor.
MYRON
Bless David's heart and tape measure. Fits perfectly!
The doorway is crowded with inquisitive prisoners. Rollo dashes through them on his way to the cart parked outside. Laverne is gesticulating with a long sable brush just inside the cell. Seconds later, Rollo returns with a gallon of paint, three rollers and pans, and sets them on the canvas-covered floor. Myron opens the paint and pours it into the pans.
MYRON
Let us begin!
ROLLO
Laverne! Take this roller...the lower portions of the walls are yours!
(hands Laverne a roller)
FAST MOTION:
Myron, Rollo, and Laverne roll the white base coat onto the old stark gray walls and ceiling. The gray disappears in slashes of white. They finish, splattered with paint, then lay their rollers into the pans. They walk to the entrance and sit down, backs against the bars.
NORMAL TIME:
MYRON
(very tired)
It's lovely.
ROLLO
Clean.
INMATE IN THE CROWD
That's it?
Myron, hands in his lap, turns his head and breaks into a laugh.
MYRON
Merely the beginning, my friend. What you see is our canvas. When the paint dries, Master Picasso shall paint one of history's greatest masterpieces.
ANOTHER INMATE
When do we getta' do ours?
MYRON
Patience. Warden Dick has given us explicit instructions concerning the timing.
ROLLO
After he sees the energy, the beauty of our finished cell, then the rest of you will be given the go-ahead. Anybody like Jackson Pollock?
INMATE
Which cell is he in?
LAVERNE
(narrowing his eyes, thinking)
I think heeth in Thellblock Three.
(to his two friends sitting beside him)
We have to finith thith block firth, right?
MYRON
Indeed, Laverne...
(rising)
But first, a hot shower. What do you say?
Rollo pulls himself up with the help of the bars. Laverne jumps to his feet.
ROLLO
A capital idea.
LAVERNE
Youth guys'll thay with me, won't ya'? I hate eating thoap.
MYRON
(exiting the cell)
We shall.
The three inmates leave. The crowd opens to allow them passage, and then bodies begin to filter into the cell to ponder the canvas.
CUT TO
INT. CELLBLOCK 1-CONTINUOUS
As Rollo, Myron, and Laverne reach the door leading to the showers at one end of the block, the door at the other end opens, and Marsten Dick enters in the company of Guard Jack. They walk the short distance toward cell 57. The inmates step back as they pass through them. High above them, Zippo watches from the tier railing.
MARSTEN
Step aside, men.
He stops outside the opening and peers in silently. He then turns his gaze to the diminishing crowd of prisoners, scanning their faces. From his perch on the upper tier, Zippo stares down.
ZIPPO
(loudly)
It's gonna' be a real mess, eh Warden?
Marsten looks up but does not answer. After a moment he turns and begins to walk back the way he came, followed by Jack.
GUARD JACK
Move back. Make way.
Marsten exits the block. Zippo continues to watch for a moment, and then returns to his cell.
FADE
INT. MESS HALL-NOON
Rollo, Myron, Laverne, and friends are seated at a table. Zippo and two of his gang take seats across from them. From his bench seat, Myron can see the gang leader across the heads of his mates. Zippo is staring at him with his eyes narrowed.
LAVERNE
(looking at his tray of food)
I can't eat thith thuff again.
ROLLO
Pretend it's steak.
LAVERNE
It looth like puke.
ROLLO
(to Myron)
How long before the primer coat dries and we can begin?
MYRON
Probably tomorrow morning. In the meantime we can use a charcoal crayon to begin laying out the figures. Right, Master Picasso?
LAVERNE
I thu-pothe.
(looking down at his soup)
Thith ith puke.
From his seat, Zippo glances first left, then right, nodding almost imperceptibly both times. A second or two pass, then suddenly several inmates at both ends of the room rise and mock-attack the man sitting beside them. The guards leap into action. At the same time, Zippo grabs a slice of bread laying inside his bowl of puke soup, wads it quickly, and then fires it across the table. It strikes Myron in the face. A general commotion with shouting ensues all around. The attackers at the ends of the room raise their hands as if in surrrender, and then reseat themselves. Quiet slowly descends, and the guards warily return to their stations. Guard Jack pulls out his walkie-talkie.
GUARD
Sit down! Right now! All of you!
Rollo and Laverne, across from Myron, are on their feet, glaring at Zippo. He acts as though he is
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