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Tender Comrade
Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo
1 EXT. CITY ALLEYWAY–THE HOUR BEFORE DAWNFADE INFULL SHOT. This is the kind of alleyway that may be found in any city in the rear of anyblock devoted exclusively to cheap apartment houses. On both sides of the alleyway thebrick walls of buildings rise abruptly, three and four stories high. Each apartment househas its rear exit, and beside the exits the usual collection of garbage cans, waste cans, etc.It is raining—a faint drizzle which is half rain and half mist. There is only a hint of dawnin the murky little city canyon.2 CLOSE SHOT–AN ALLEY CATas it ventures from the protection of an apartment house exit, looks cautiously around,starts across the alleyway.3 CLOSE SHOT–A DOGsmall, wet and undismayed. It is working on a garbage can, trying to push the lid off. Thedog looks off toward the cat.4 REVERSE ANGLE–THE CATas it turns, looks at the dog, seems almost to shrug with disdain, continues its journey.5 CLOSE SHOT–THE DOGits ears up, its eyes alert, its head cocked slightly. The dog seems to be calculating thecomparative rewards of chasing, the cat or continuing with the garbage can. eventuallyhunger triumphs over sport. The dog dismisses the cat, begins to scratch once more at thegarbage can.O.s. we hear the clop-clop-clop of a milkman’s horse, making the early morning rounds.This sound continues throughout the scene, sometimes ceasing altogether as the horsestops, then picking up again.6 MED. CLOSE SHOT–DOG AND GARBAGE CAN We see that the garbage can is immediately under a window. CAMERA PANS UPWARDFROM garbage can to the window. DISSOLVE THROUGH the window to:7 INT. ONE ROOM APARTMENT–THE HOUR BEFORE DAWNFULL SHOT. The light is so dim that we receive only the general impression off a bed andindiscernible pieces of furniture. The clop-clop-clop of the milkman’s horse continuesperiodically, muffled by the walls of the apartment.
 
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8 CLOSE SHOT–A BED STANDIt supports a cheap lamp, a cigarette tray with two or three stubs in it, cigarettes, matches,two empty jigger glasses, a half—dozen bobby pins, and a man’s wrist watch. On the rearof the bed stand, leaning against the wall, providing a background for this miscellany, isa folder which contains a photograph.PICTURE FOLDER. The photograph is of Christopher Latham Jones, a young man of perhaps 25. He is wearing the uniform of a private in the Infantry.BACK TO SCENE. CAMERA HOLDS on the table and its contents for a moment, thenPANS rightward to:9 MED. CLOSE SHOT–CHRIS JONESfast a sleep, his hair tousled, his arms twined about the pillow as if it were an adversary.O.s. the sound of the milkman’s horse seems to be coming nearer.Suddenly Chris twitches, as if he were dreaming.SUPERIMPOSE OVER Chris Jones’ sleeping figure the dream:SUPERIMPOSED DREAM. Two boys, eight or ten years old, are throwing snowballs ateach other. Suddenly one of them jumps upon the other, throws him into the snow, takesa handful of snow and begins vigorously to wash his opponent’s face with it.The SUPERIMPOSITION DISSOLVES OUT leaving us:10 MED. CLOSE SHOT–CHRIS JONESasleep in his bed. He ducks instinctively, as if it were his face being washed, and pulls thecovers over his head.CAMERA PANS RIGHTWARD TO:11 MED. CLOSE SHOT–THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BEDThe pillow beside the sleeping young man is rumpled, indicating that it has been slept on.But there is no one in the bed.CAMERA PANS RIGHTWARD TO:12 MED. CLOSE SHOT–THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BEDOver the back of it is hung Chris’s uniform blouse. On the sleeve of the blouse are thechevrons of a sergeant. Chris’s cap is hung on one corner of the back of the chair.CAMERA PANS DOWN TO:13 CLOSE SHOT–THE SEAT OF THE CHAIROn it we see a girl’s feet, wearing house slippers.CAMERA PANS UPWARD along the feet and legs to reveal:14 MED. SHOT–JO JONES
 
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She is sitting in an easy chair her feet cocked on the straight chair of our previous scene.Over her nightdress and robe she has thrown her husband’s overcoat about her shoulders.She is sleeping. Her hands, folded in her lap, hold an alarm clock.O.s. we hear the sound of the milkman’s horse.15 CLOSE SHOT–JO JONES’ FACEThere are tear marks on her cheeks, but apparently her grief is now forgotten, for herbreath comes in the deep, quiet rhythm of perfect slumber.O.s. we hear the sound of the sudden crash of a garbage can lid being knocked to thepavement. Our dog has succeeded in his enterprise.16 MED. CLOSE SHOTas Jo Jones awakens, stares vaguely about the room for a moment, then looks at her clock.THE CLOCK—its hands pointing to five minutes until five. The alarm is set for five.17 MED. SHOT–JOas she snaps the alarm catch so that it won’t ring, rises very quietly.18 ANOTHER ANGLEas Jo goes over, looks, down tenderly at the sleeping figure of her husband.19 PULL SHOT–JOas she walks across the room, strikes a match, turns on a small gas heater. She moves againtoward the bed.O.s. we hear the diminishing sound of the milkman’s horse.20 MED. CLOSE SHOT–AT THE BEDas Jo looks down at her slumbering husband. Then, with a little smile, she. pulls the coversfrom over his head, puts her hand under the covers as if to rub his back. JO:
(quietly)
 Wake up, Chris.Chris stirs, mutters something under his breath, takes a determined hold on the pillow anddoes not open his eyes. JO:Your train leaves in an hour and a half. It’s time to getup, Chris.Chris rolls over on his back, opens his eyes, stares up at her blankly.CHRIS:Huh? JO:
(pursing her lips, imitating the sound of a bugle atreveille) Too-too-tootle-oo, Too-too-tootle-oo Too-too-tootle-oo, Too-too-too!
CHRIS:
(still dazed from sleep)
Oh. Must have been dreaming.Okay. Be right up.
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