Miller's Crossing Page #5

A fat hand enters to shake Tom's shoulder.

Voice

Wake up, Tommy.

Without ocening his eyes:

Tom

I'm awake.

Voice

You're eyes were shut.

Tom

Who're you gonna believe?

Tom sits up, though it seems like an effort. He looks

sick.

From a small mirror behind the couch we see that we are in

the back room of a gambling establishment. The leavings of

a card game litter a table in the middle background.

Tom

. . . How'd I do?

Voice

What do you think. You're a millionaire. You

gonna remember your friends?

Tom reaches up to feel his head, and looks stupidly about.

Tom

. . . Where's my hat?

Voice

You bet it, ya moron. Good thing the game broke

up before you bet your shorts.

After a beat of staring at nothing in particular, Tom

abruptly lurches to his feet and staggers out of frame.

The other man sits heavily onto the couch that Tom has just

vacated. He is Fat Tony, a big man wearing an apron.

He watches as we hear Tom, offscreen, staggering across the

room, bumping into something which scrapes and then

clatters over, opening a door, staggering across tile, and

then vomiting.

Fat Tony watches with mild interest.

Finally:

Tom's Voice

. . . Who left with my hat?

Tony

Verna. Verna and Mink.

Tom

. . . Who?

Louder:

Tony

Mink and Verna.

Offscreen we hear a tap running.

Tom

. . . Thunderclap running tonight?

Tony

Yeah.

Tom

What's she leave at?

Tony

Three-to-one, more'n likely. Lay off, Tom. You

shouldn't go deeper in the hole.

Tom

Tell Lazarre I want five hundred on the nose.

Tony shrugs.

Tony

You would have it.

Tom

. . . Somebody hit me?

Tony

Yeah. Mink hit you.

Tom

. . . Whyzat?

Tony inspects a hangnail on his thumb.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes