edited Scene 41: The Speech (a/k/a The Story)
Thank you fellow BW fans for waiting so patiently. First of all, let me recap what I posted last Summer:
Back in the 80's, I brought this film to Omaha for a special showing. Somehow, I was able to get ahold of director John Milius for an interview. He also gave me Reb (The Enforcer) Brown's phone number and whenever I would go to L.A. we would hook up and talk a great deal about BW.
Anyway, I asked Milius what he thought of the final cut of the film (I thought it was brilliant) but he was very unhappy about 'the speech' being cut from the film.
I asked what that was.
He then proceeded to tell me about a scene that was written and filmed (during the party scene towards the beginning) where Bear (Sam Melville) sits around with a bunch of partygoers and one of the surfers asks him to relate the story of 'Big Wednesday.' Bear than goes into its tragic origins.
The 'speech' is one of the most moving pieces of material ever written; it explains the whole meaning of the title (no, it's not just a big wave, it's much more, it tells why Bear is like he is, etc.) and the ignorant bastards at Warner Brothers cut it (at that time, Milius did not have final cut approval).
John was then gracious enough to send me the original script written by he and Denny Aaberg, which I still have. The scene is in there, intact.
And here it is. This scene was supposed to take place right after Mrs. Barlow tells Jack to turn the music down and to keep Crusher off her coffee table and right before Masochist is getting basted in the kitchen.
41. Ext. Patio
Bear. Chubby and Boogie are sitting cross-legged around the patio along with Sally, Mitch, Denny and Flea. Boogie plays his guitar and Chubby and Bear stuff themselves with hamburger. Mitch, in a drunken stupor, sits in a deck chair near the barbecue. Denny, Flea and Sally gather around Bear.
Sally
How big do waves get? They said you’d know.
Bear’s mellow expression changes.
Bear
I’ve seen death waves 60 feet high.
Sally
Wow.
Chubby
Eh, Bear. Tell her the story about Big Wednesday.
Bear
Naw... You know, this reminds me of the first dinner
for the Big Wave Riders, remember, Chubby?
Thanksgiving 1956.
Chubby
Yeah, I remember. We thanked Christ that the waves
didn’t eat us alive.
Jack walks up and sits down next to Sally.
Sally
(to Bear)
I’d really like you to hear your story.
Bear softens.
Bear
What story? — I don’t know.
Jack
Tell it Bear, I want Sally to hear.
Bear sits back against the fence.
Bear
Boogie, give me another beer.
It may not be the same — it changes
each time I tell it.
Boogie hands Bear a beer and everyone becomes quiet. Bear looks over at Jack and Sally as if wanting to communicate the story to them.
Bear
(continuing)
Well, back in the Islands there were a
small group of us that used to ride big
waves on the north shore — we were a crazy
bunch of bastards — fools. We rode places
no one had ever ridden before — sometimes
things got really hairy — we were a strange
breed — when we rode Waimea the first time,
Simmons was quoting Shakespeare in the lineup.
(he seems to be far away,
trying to remember the quote)
Anyway — the day you wanta hear about was
in ‘58.
He takes a long pull on the beer and looks out over everyone and begins.
Bear
(continuing)
It was Woody Brown and another guy —
they were best friends — a friend
meant a lot to you then — especially
when it was only the two of you in big water.
Woody and his friend were riding Sunset Beach
— nobody knew much about Sunset then —
It was getting late and the waves were running
about 10 to 12. The sun was almost down
when it started to happen.
More surfers move in quietly, sit down on their haunches and begin to listen to the story.
Bear
(continuing)
A huge set — coming from the horizon —
the lines long and black — must have been
18 to 20 feet — they paddled for their lives.
Denny and Flea look at each other wide-eyed.
Bear
(continuing)
Up — up the first waves — they cleared easily
but the next waves were bigger — they paddled
over these and from the tops of them they
could see no end to the set — just towering
black walls shutting out the horizon.
Bear’s expression is deep — fanatical — a mixture of awe and remembered fears but his voice is measured — forced to control.
Bear
(continuing)
They paddled over sets of 25 raging —
or 30 — waves bigger than anyone had ever
been in — out past the lineup — the whole
coast was closed out — the water churned
with black rivers from the riptides — they
had no choice but to paddle down to Waimea
where there might be a chance to get in.
Waves were hitting the cliff and splashing a
hundred feet high.
(he motions with his hands)
They were tired when that set came — I don’t
know how big it was — they paddled up over
wave after wave — 35 to 40 feet high. Death waves.
Woody couldn’t take it anymore — his arms had
turned to rope — he turned to his friend and
said, ‘F u c k it, let’s drown.’
(he hesitates; his voice grows quieter)
His friend was tired too — he didn’t care if
he died either and so he didn’t stop Woody
when he spun around and took off — the friend
paddled out to sea in the middle of the night —
it was pitch black and he was paddling over
60-ft waves and could hear them break behind.
The Coast Guard found him the next morning —
two miles off shore — out of his mind.
He stops, drinks.
Sally
What about the other one — the one that rode?
Bear
He should have made him go on — they never
found Woody — never found his body — just
pieces of his board.
Chubby
Big Wednesday, 1958
Bear
Yeah — well — it always happens on a Wednesday.
Sally looks at him and then Jack.
Bear
(continuing)
Come on, Boogie — play another song.
Boogie picks up his guitar and starts playing slack key music, soft and tropical.
____________________________________end of scene_____________________________
As I mentioned earlier, I remember Milius telling me that they did in fact film this scene; hopefully, it's laying in a Warner Brothers vault somewhere and maybe someone can 'rescue' the footage and restore it someday.
Stay casual, everyone.
Patrick Stibbs
[email protected]
www.onthespotradio.com