Original subtitles

People ask, where do you get your ideas?

Right here.

All this is my magician's toy shop.

I'm Ray Bradbury, and this

is... Company take

top! Company forward hop!

Company...

Eyes right.

Eyes left.

About face.

Heart.

Oh, thank you, sir.

I see you'd like to ask, am I a hard drinker? Two martinis, eh?

No. No.

Yes, yes.

I always order two. You never know who might show up.

There.

Two martinis saves time.

Yeah.

Good luck.

Looks like you're trying to give that away.

Why would you give a drink to a stranger just like that?

I don't think we are strangers.

Met before?

A long time ago.

Where?

When?

Let me think.

Los Angeles.

One summer about ten years ago.

Hotel in Malibu.

Outdoors, noon.

Hot, hot day.

Swimming pool.

Deserted, waiting.

You weren't there at first.

Just the pool.

The hot sun.

What are we doing here? Why did you bring me here to swim?

Patience. You're a writer, yes?

So? Always looking for ideas.

Damn right.

Want to see, hear, feel, almost touch a murder before it's committed?

No.

Yes.

Well then, please to begin.

Company, forward, halt.

Company, halt.

Eyes right.

Eyes left.

About face.

Forward.

Company, halt.

Eyes front.

Head up.

Chin in.

Chest out. Stomach sucked in.

Shoulders back.

Back.

My God, how long has this been going on? Years, maybe. Looks that way.

Company, by the numbers.

One, two. Three, four.

One, two. Three, four.

And up.

Top that chin in.

Square those toes.

Up, up.

Towel check.

By the numbers. Up.

Table check. Hup!

Lounge check. Hup!

All ready?

Left face, hop!

Forward, hop!

Company, halt!

Is he going to leave the kid just waiting there?

Yes.

That's inhuman.

He's not your son.

That can't be his father.

You like to beat that, don't you? Look at the boy's face.

Are we going to have to sit here all afternoon and watch this dumb game of

Says?

Excuse me, gentlemen, can you keep your voices down just not to confuse my son?

I'll say any damn thing I want.

No, sir, you will not.

This is my pool, my turf.

I've been arranged with the hotel that their territory stops at the gate.

I run a clean, tight shop with total authority.

Any dissidents?

Out. Bodily.

I possess a black belt in judo, boxing, and rifle marksmanship certificates.

Shake my hand and I'll break your wrist.

Sneeze and I'll crack your nose.

One word and your dental surgeon will need two years just to reshape your

Cup, Nick, take a cup.

40 laps.

Perfection participant, gentlemen.

Someday that boy will murder that SOB.

As a Hemingway character once said, wouldn't it be nice to think so?

Shall I read you this?

Read on.

Father and son, son and father.

What will happen to them the years ahead?

Will a son grow up to run away?

To know a ruined life, always marching to some damned arrogant drummer, to some

remembered shout, to march.

Never relaxed, poor kid.

Poor old man, never at ease.

Or will the boy as man raise his own sons and yell at them on hot noons

by far pools in endless years?

Or will he never marry and so have no sons?

Or will he beat up his father someday, one day?

Or will he stick a pistol in his own mouth?

Will he kill his father the only way he knows how?

Or will he turn the pistol the other way and really kill the mean

father?

The terrible dad.

You really live what you write, don't you?

Damn right.

Close, but no cigar.

Sergeant, I thought he was your dad.

Sergeant Kress says closing time.

Who says?

Sergeant Kress. Says what?

Pulls closed.

Why? Closing time.

You heard what the boy said.

Pulls closed.

Guess what, Sid?

What? Closing time.

Good luck, kid.

Hut! Line up!

Stand there.

Don't move.

It's an order.

You'll stand there for an hour.

An hour.

59 minutes and 50 seconds. Because of these civilians, I've not done my end

-day duties.

You'll consider this watch me, soldier.

The hotel pool.

The drill sergeant is done.

That was you.

Your father.

Whatever happened to him?

You would never believe it.

Why would you want to know about my father?

I was there, I thought.

I wanted to help them.

I know.

I want to listen now, will you tell me?

Why?

Because you think it might help now?

One day, used to be in the year after you were there,

Father had me standing in the hot sun all morning.

Hour after hour.

No one around before the pull -up.

Hour after hour.

I was in such a rage that morning.

Such a rage.

Right. Line up. Head up.

Stand there. Don't breathe. Don't move. Don't move a muscle until I tell you to.

Not a hair.

You understand me? You'll stand there for an hour. That's an order. An hour.

Sir. Don't move. Freeze.

Sir. Damn right, sir.

Who put the...

Help me! I can't swim!

Help me!

Help me! Somebody, please!

Say, Eddie!

Eddie! Help me! Help me! Somebody, please!

Don't move a muscle until I tell you to! Not a hair!

For an hour! That's an order! An hour!

Give new command!

New command!

Don't move a muscle until I tell you to. Not a hair. You understand me? You'll

stand there for an hour.

Don't move. Breathe.

Don't move. Breathe.

For an hour.

Company dismissed.

Company dismissed.

He couldn't swim.

Isn't that a laugh?

Isn't that a joke?

He never told me.

I wasn't allowed to ask.

Dad, how come you never get in the pool?

Not once in all these years since I was real small.

How come, Dad?

Why not?

And you let him drown?

No.

No, he killed himself, don't you see?

I couldn't be sure he wasn't faking. He tricked me before and he was always

trying to catch me breaking discipline.

Hide around the corner or pretend to go to the men's room. Jump back, find me at

ease. Ten demerits, twenty demerits.

The night you left.

He dropped his watch in the pool and hit me when I rescued it.

So standing there again by the pool that day, I thought he was luring me on,

tricking me into disobeying.

So I had to wait, didn't I? I had to take a chance.

I had to be sure.

So in a way, he killed himself, didn't he?

You know what?

I didn't cry then, and I haven't cried since.

Once and only here.

No tears.

Because it's so funny, don't you think?

So funny.

A million laughs, that was my dad, don't you agree?

Ha ha ha ha ha.