The Haunting of Alcatraz (2020) - full transcript

Where's my pencil box?

I've gotta have my pencil box!

I shouldn't be down here.

Not without my pencil box.

I'm allowed my pencils.

Pencils is a privilege, Wutz.

This is D-Block.

There ain't no
priveleges on D-Block.

But I'm allowed my pencils,
even the warden says so.

It's in my file,
improved temperament.

That's what it says
right there in my file.



Your temperament's
so good what you

doing down on D-Block?

I just cut someone
a little that's all.

Just a little nick.

The Warden gives out
privileges, Wutz.

And I take 'em away.
No fucking pencils.

Enjoy your time
in solitary, Wutz.

I'm gonna cut your heart
out fucking and eat it!

Where's my pencil box? I
gotta have my pencil box!

I gotta have it, it's mine!

Give me back my pencil...
Give me back my pencil box!

Give me back my pencil box...

Sweet Jesus! We got
his pencil box here?

This what you want?



Oh, yes sir, that's
my pencil box.

Pity you didn't care so much for
that broad you sliced up in Iowa.

I gotta have my pencils.

I give you this box you
gonna shut the fuck up?

Oh yes sir, you won't
hear from me anymore.

It'll all be over once
I get my pencil box.

So, what you gonna draw?

Blood.

What?

Holy shit!

Gerry, hit the bell!

[ALARM BELL SOUNDS]

What's this?

That's my letter of
introduction, sir.

As you can see, it's
signed by John J. Brennan,

who was undersecretary
to Mayor Rossi...

I know who John Brennan is, son.

I was on the San Francisco
Board of Supervisors

when we forced him to step down.

To this day I'm sorry those
corruption charges didn't stick.

Charles Schmidt is an
exceptional young man,

and I would consider it a
person favour if he could be

considered for a role
in the prison service,

suitable for a young
man of his education,

background and standing
in the community.

So what exactly is a young man
of your education, background

and standing in the community
doing here on Alcatraz?

Well, to be completely honest sir,
my father thought it was high time

I got myself a respectable job
rather than live off his money.

Is that so? And how do
you feel about that?

Not completely thrilled, sir.

I'll bet.

Well, Mr Schmidt, I'm sure
somebody with your connections

would be welcomed into
just about any institution

in the State of California
with open arms...

But that's not how it
works here on Alcatraz.

This above all - to
thy own self be true.

Do you know who wrote
that, Mr Schmidt?

William Shakespeare, sir. I
believe it's from Hamlet.

Yes. Quite right.

Well the way I see it, nepotism is
just another form of corruption.

And if there's one mission
I have in this life

it's to stamp out corruption
wherever I find it.

That's what led me to the
office in which you now stand.

The office of the Warden of the
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

Are you aware of some of
the no-good scoundrels

we've played host
to on this island?

Al Capone? Machine Gun Kelly?

Dangerous people,
people connected to the mob at all levels.

It's all I can do to try and ensure
the inmates aren't killing each other

and that our employees aren't taking
pay-offs to look the other way.

You wouldn't believe the things
a man will do for a few dollars.

Ah - If I may say
something, sir?

What?

Well, given my family
background and all,

I really don't need
to take pay-offs.

Hmm, right, I suppose
you've got a generous

trust fund waiting for you?

Not if I don't get a job, sir.

You might say I'm uniquely
motivated on that front.

Why's that?

Well my father did set
up a trust fund for me,

but a specific condition for
the fund to be released

is that I receive a positive
employment reference

from a respected institution
such as this one.

So you're really serious
about needing a job?

Cos I don't want to waste my time on some
rich kid who's just here for a vacation.

Completely serious, sir.

All right.

Well listen, son, there's just two types
of men we can use here on Alcatraz...

Tough sons of bitches to
keep the prisoners in line

and pain-in-the-ass pen-pushers
to do the same for the paperwork.

And you look to me like you might
just make a proficient pen-pusher.

Thank you, sir.

That's not a
compliment, Schmidt.

Now it just so happens we are
down one clerk on D-Block.

What would that involve, sir?

Oh, logging prisoners in and
out, filling out reports.

Can you use a typing machine?

Never tried, sir.

Well, it's on the night shift so I
imagine it'd be pretty quiet down there.

I'm sure an educated young man like
you can find ways to fill your time.

Sounds perfect, sir. I'd
like to start right away.

All right.

There's a plan of the island on
a board outside this office.

Accommodation Block is next to the
Infirmary. Cell Blocks are beyond that.

Get yourself over to Accommodation,
make yourself known to Mr Willis,

he'll issue you with
a room and a uniform.

Report to the Cell Block at 6pm,
somebody'll show you to D-Block.

And don't be late. I run a
tight ship here, Mr Schmidt.

I'll try not to
let you down, sir.

And... let's keep
this to ourselves.

As Shakespeare himself
might have put it -

nobody like a
tourist, Mr Schmidt.

[BELL RINGS]

Do you know where
I can find D-Block?

Uh - I'm looking for D-Block?

Well I guess you found it.

I'm Charlie Schmidt.

The new clerk.

Oh, you're Arnold's replacement.

We was just talking about Arnold.
Funny how he disappeared.

I'm Al Bradbury.

This is Gerry Rebane.

Don't mind him -
he don't talk much.

Come on, I'll show you
where you'll be working.

So, who exactly is
in charge down here?

Can you read and write?

Yeah.

Then I guess it's you.

I wouldn't go sticking my head
into that one if I were you.

What? Why?

This way.

A little small, isn't it?

What did you expect,
the penthouse suite?

You got your desk. You
got your desk light.

You got your telephone. You
got your typing machine.

Hey, you know how
to use that thing?

I'm sure I can figure it out.

The Warden says I gets
pretty quiet down here?

Well now, that depends on
what you mean by quiet.

You see, D-Block is a punishment
block. Solitary confinement.

We get the worst of
the worst down here.

Some nights, when there's a big
fight upstairs or in the rec yard,

we can get eight or ten roughnecks
down here packing out the cells

to do their punishment
in solitary.

Screaming and
hollering all night.

And other times, when everybody's
on their best behaviour...

It's quiet?

Sometimes the quiet nights
- they're the worst.

What do you mean?

Let me tell you a little
bit about D-Block.

It was built on the foundations
of the original cells

they used as a military prison
back in the civil war days.

And they say that for hundreds
of years before then,

the Indians were coming out here to
the island to abandon their evil-doers,

leave 'em to starve.

So you see, there's a lot
of lost souls on Alcatraz.

And they say, some
of them have taken to

walking the halls
of D-Block at night.

And when it's quiet, well,
that's when you can hear 'em.

[BELL RINGS]

Sounds like we got our first
customer of the night.

You'd better come watch this.

You're gonna regret this.

So you're Billy
'The Rat' Rattner?

Make a note of that, Charlie.

Every prisoner's got to be
logged on and off the block.

What is it with you?

What do you screws
know about anything?

Well I do know one thing.

All your mob connections ain't
gonna help you down here.

Just you wait 'till
I get out of here.

All of yous. You're
gonna be sorry.

Who says you're
ever getting out?

That's very funny.

You know, I got a lot of
friends on the outside.

From what I hear, your friends
ain't so friendly no more.

What do you mean? Hey!

Enjoy your time in
solitary, Billy.

Wait! Listen, please!

Okay...

B - I - L - L - Y

Space.

Oh...

Okay.

B - I - L - L

Hello?

Good evening, Operator.

Um, can I get a line out
to the mainland from here?

Uhuh?

Got it. Thanks.

Hello?

Oh, hi Jackson. It's -
ah - it's Charlie here.

Is my dad there?

Oh, I see.

Er... No, no-no-no,
don't - don't drag him away from a party.

I just wanted to - to call
and let him know that

er... I got accepted on
the staff at Alcatraz,

just like he wanted.

Yeah, yeah it is... um...
it is a high position.

I've even got my own office.

Uhuh. Yeah. I expect
he will be proud.

So if you could just let
him know that I called?

Okay, er, thank you.

You have a good
evening too, Jackson.

Aagh... come on
Charlie, snap out of it!

Hello, Operator?

Um, can I get a line
to A-Block please?

Ah, the clerk's office.

What's up?

Just checking something.

Hey, Al?

What's eatin' ya?

I wanted to ask you something.

I was looking over some of
the records from last month.

Well, that would've
been Arnold's work.

The last clerk.

He and I didn't see eye to
eye on a lot of things.

Well, look, I thought I
could fill out some of the

missing sections using the
records I borrowed from A-Block.

You what?

I asked the clerk on A-Block
if I could borrow the records

of the inmates that got
sent down to solitary,

and I have to say, they don't
match with our records at all.

I mean, look here...

Samuel Fisher got sent
down to cell 13 overnight,

and according to the
records on A-Block

he was in his usual
cell upstairs.

Well, sometimes people get sent down
here to solitary, kind of unofficially.

Unofficially?

It's a punishment block,
solitary confinement.

A person breaks a rule,
they get sent down.

Right.

Sometimes, somebody
breaks an unwritten rule.

An unwritten rule?

There's a ton of 'em
in a place like this.

You sit in the wrong guy's
chair in the lunch hall,

you piss the wrong guy
off in the rec yard,

a person needs to punished. Kind
of... off the books. You know?

Anyway, Arnold - he
just didn't get it.

Seems like he was try to log
records for the unofficial ones.

There's no need to do that.

The way I see it is, why
make more work for yourself?

Uhuh.

You ain't got a problem
with that, have you?

I don't know. I really
need to keep this job.

I hear the Warden's a real
stickler for paperwork.

I got all the paperwork
you need right here, boy.

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

What's going on?
Hey, wait, what?

Ah - this is -
this is not right!

Rattner, what is it?

No! Aaagh!

Rattner?

Charlie!

Sun's coming up.

There's only a couple of
hours left on your shift.

Why don't you go outside
and get some air?

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess I'll do that.

Oh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry, I was rushing.

No, I wasn't watching
where I was going.

Are you okay?

Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just uh...

Just coming off my first night
shift. Feeling kind of rough.

Oh, I started out on nights too.
It's tough.

I'm on the early shift now.

In the infirmary.

Right. Yeah - haven't
visited there yet.

Well let's hope
you won't need to!

I'm Sherry. Sherry Vallens.

Charlie Schmidt.
Glad to meet you.

You know I can't say I've
seen many friendly faces

since I've been on the island.

Well people don't come to
Alcatraz for the laughs!

What is it you do? Something
real important I bet.

Ah, you know...

They needed someone tough, you know,
on A-Block, to keep everyone in line.

We've got over a hundred
men up there you know?

[ALARM RINGS]

I wonder what that is?

I guess you'd better go.

Yeah... yeah.

Can't manage
without me, I guess.

If you ever get sick, you
know where to find me!

The Infirmary! Right!

[ALARM RINGS LOUDER]

What is that?

Oh shit.

You must be cursed kid.

First day on the job and you get
to fill out a death report.

What do you think happened?

Suicide kid. Happens
all the time.

The dark makes 'em crazy.

Hey, Al - what happens
next with this report?

I'll take care of it.

It's good to speak with
you again, Commissioner.

Yes, I understand the process.

No, of course not,

I wouldn't dream of asking you
to break any confidences.

Yes, I'd absolutely be
ready to take on the post,

should it - ah - should the
decision go in my favour.

Well, as you know, my
tenure here on The Rock

has been rather
successful in terms of...

Well, exactly!

No, I don't envision anything
changing in the near future.

There are no skeletons in the
closet here I can assure you.

Well, that's good to know.
Thank you, Commissioner.

Yes, it would sure be nice
to be off of this island.

My wife's been giving me hell
about it for the past six years.

No, I won't.

Good day.

[DOOR KNOCKS]

You may enter.

Would you care to explain this?

Ah, I'm not sure what...

Unexplained?

Seventeen death reports have passed
over my desk since I became Warden.

I'm not proud of the fact, but
from time to time we lose a man,

either due to violence or
sickness or plain old age,

but I have never seen one
of these filled out with

the cause of death
listed as Unexplained.

It's a loose end
and I don't like it.

Well, sir, I...

So I had one of the old docs
on the infirmary take a look

at Billy Rattner's body.

He determined the cause of
death to be asphyxiation -

do you concur?

Well, yes, it did look
like that but I don't...

This is exactly what I was
afraid of. College kids.

One night on the job and you think
you know better than everybody else.

Let me tell you
something, Mr Schmidt.

Asphyxiation is the single most common
form of suicide in the entire penal system.

Men take a belt, a bed sheet,
anything they can get their hands on...

But that's exactly it, sir, I...

Don't interrupt me!

Mr Bradbury reported
that he recovered a belt

from the cell at the time
the body was discovered.

With respect, sir, I
didn't see any belt.

Did you even think
to look for a belt?

No sir.

All the college degrees in
the world can't compare

with a few years solid experience
in the penal system, Schmidt.

You didn't see a belt because
you didn't think to look for it.

Perhaps you'd like to tell
me what you think happened?

Well, after I heard the alarm,
I came back onto the block...

Wait a minute - you came back
onto the block? From where?

I just went out to get some air.

For how long?

Well, just for a moment, sir.
You can check with er...

Sherry Vallens, she's a
nurse on the Infirmary.

So, you were away from your
desk, fraternising with nurses,

while a prisoner on your
block died under your watch?

Well I - I wouldn't put
it like that, exactly...

Listen, Schmidt. I made it very
clear that I run a tight ship here,

but I guess it didn't sink in.
So let me make it clearer.

I don't care whose nephew you
are, what college you went to

or who your daddy paid
off to get you here,

I will not hesitate to
ship you straight back to

San Francisco with your tail between
your legs if you don't shape up.

And you can forget about getting
that employment reference.

Yes sir.

Was there something else?

Well, sir, I'd like to talk
to you about corruption.

What?

Ah - I think there is a culture of
corruption and pay-offs on D-Block.

Pay-offs?

I was presented with this handful
of dollar bills by Al Bradbury, sir.

Mr Schmidt, have you ever held
down a regular job before?

No sir.

Then you can be forgiven for not
understanding workplace culture.

You just arrived on the block!

Mr Bradbury and the
other men probably just

took up a little collection
to welcome you on board.

I really don't think that
was the intention, sir.

Nonsense. I'm quite sure it's an
old tradition on the cell block.

So if I was to recommend
an investigation...

You are not to recommend any such
thing, now is not the time Mr Schmidt.

But sir, you even said...

There are more things in
heaven and earth, Mr Schmidt...

Than are dreamt of
in your philosophy.

You did go to college,
didn't you? Smart kid.

Keep on being smart and
maybe you'll get somewhere.

You just keep your
suspicions to yourself.

Thus conscience does
make cowards of us all.

What was that?

Just a little Shakespeare, sir.

Is Jimmy there?

Yeah, this is Al. From The Rock.

Yeah, that Al.

You tell Jimmy that
Billy 'The Rat' Rattner

ain't gonna rat
on nobody no more.

Just like he wanted.

No - no trouble.

Well, just the new clerk.
He got a bit out of line,

but we're gonna
teach him a lesson.

Looks like it's going to
be a quiet one tonight.

Look out for lost souls.

Wait a second, what is it with that
cell, the one where Billy Rattner died?

You warned me not to
stick my head in there.

Mm, cell 13. Come on, let's
talk in your office.

Let me tell you about cell 13.
It's got its own particular history.

It was about five years ago.

A hell of a night, even
by Alcatraz standards.

The waves were crashing
and the rain was pouring.

They brought in a guy
by the name of Ed Wutz.

Stone cold killer.
Convicted murderer.

And he stood there in cell
13, mild as you like,

and asked for his pencil box.

You know, a pencil box - like
your kid takes to school?

We didn't see no harm in it.
So we gave it to him.

You know what he did?

He opened that pencil box and
pulled out that pencil sharpener -

and he drew it across his
throat from ear to ear.

And the blood poured out
like a regular Niagara.

You know the worst part of it?
The part that really turned my stomach?

He laughed. He laughed the whole
fucking time he was dying.

Guess he thought
he had one over us.

That death would be
his way out of here.

But I ain't so sure about that.

What do you mean?

What I mean is, you know what I
was saying about lost souls?

I reckon Ed Wutz was the
most lost soul of all.

I mean, I've met
some evil people.

People who'd rob and rape and
murder their own mothers.

But Ed Wutz was something else.

That cell? I sometimes
think he's still in there.

Waiting. Waiting for a
chance to kill again.

So you think that Billy Rattner
was murdered by Ed Wutz?

I think Billy Rattner committed
suicide, because that's what happened.

I also think I don't wanna go
anywhere near cell 13, just in case.

There's one more thing.

What's that?

I think you accidentally mislaid
this money in the office.

Well, jeez...

I appreciate that.

Hello?

Oh, hi Jackson, it's...
ah... Charlie again.

Yeah?

Oh, I see. Ah... who's
there for dinner?

Oh, no - no - no, don't...
don't interrupt them.

Um... did he ask how
I was getting along?

Oh.

Okay. Um, well, if he asks, ah,

can you please tell him
that everything is um...

It's just fine.

Yeah. Thank you, thank you.

You have a good
evening too, Jackson.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello?

Is that Charlie Schmidt?

Yeah.

It's Sherry. The nurse?
We met this morning.

Oh, right.

Thank goodness I finally found you, I must
have called every number on the cell block.

Well, it just occurred to me that I
never properly welcomed you to Alcatraz.

Uhuh.

You just started, right?

Yeah.

So - welcome to Alcatraz!
There, I said it.

Thanks.

The strange thing is,
this number is down in the directory as

the clerk's office on D-Block but I thought
you said you were in charge of A-Block?

Ah... yeah, um... I-I-I really
appreciate the call, ah...

Sherry. Um, but I've
really, really gotta go.

All those hundreds of prisoners
getting out of line?

Right, right, yeah. Um... ah...
look, I'll... I'll see you around.

Goodnight, Charlie.

Goodbye.

I think Billy Rattner committed suicide.
Because that's what happened.

Where's my pencil box?

Al?

Cell 13.

What is it with cell 13?

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

Where's my pencil box? I
gotta have it, it's mine.

Shit. Shit!

Hey, Al?

Anybody?

The light went
out in the office.

Charlie?

What is it, are you sick?

Come on, let's get
you to the infirmary.

Look, before you say anything -

I do work in the clerk's
office on D-Block.

I'm not stupid, Charlie.

Now come on, let's
get that shirt off.

Those ribs aren't gonna
to fix themselves.

Ow, somebody really
worked you over!

And you've no idea who did this?

The ghost of Ed Wutz.

What?

No, nothing. No, I
didn't see anybody.

Now this may sting a little.

A little?

Sorry!

You know, you
should report this.

I don't know.

I've a feeling there are
a few people around here

who'd prefer I didn't.

What do you mean?

We had a death on the block.

It happens. Suicide most often.
Or somebody gets stabbed.

We're always in here,
sewing them back up.

Sometimes I think they
want to get stabbed,

just to spend some
time in the infirmary.

Who could blame them?

Anyway, I don't think
this was suicide.

Murder?

I don't know maybe... Except he was
in his cell alone the whole time.

And when we found the body his hand was
like, like this, wrapped around his throat.

And when we took him out of his
cell, it was stuck like that,

like he was trying
to strangle himself.

You can't strangle yourself with
your own hands. It can't be done.

Even if you were crazy you'd
pass out before you died.

Well that's what I thought, but they
made me fill out the report as a suicide.

Who made you?

Al Bradbury.

Oh, I know him. I had to medicate
him for... well, a social disease,

about six months back.

I hear he goes into
town once a month or so

and fools around with the
wrong kind of women.

Well it's not just him,
it's the Warden too.

When I first got here he
made this huge speech about

how he wanted to
stamp out corruption.

When I - when I
wanted to bring it up,

he was... Ow! What was that?

Just a shot of
morphine for the pain.

Might make you a little
dizzy for a while,

you probably shouldn't
work your shift tonight.

Not a chance, I'm in
enough trouble as it is.

The Warden's really
got it in for me.

I wouldn't worry about it, I heard
he's desperate to get off this island.

Word is he's going after some
high up job with the police -

Internal Affairs,
whatever that is.

Anyway, I've got to get
back to D-Block before

the other guys get back
so I can look around.

You're pretty curious
for a prison guard.

Most of the guys that work on
this island are just plain mean.

They're only here because they like
being able to push people around.

Uhuh.

Did you go to college?

Uhuh.

What did you study?

Literature.

Wow, you must be pretty smart.

Mmm, I don't know. What is they
say - book-smart? Maybe I'm that.

So why are you here?

Oh, it's a long story. I already
laid it out to the Warden.

But there's one thing
I didn't tell him.

What's that?

Have you ever heard of a
thing called Claustrophobia?

Sure, people who are scared
of tiny little places, right?

Well that's me.

You're kidding?

Don't tell anybody that I told you.
Been that way since I was a kid.

Even hated being in the crib.

So why would someone with
claustrophobia go to work in a jail?

My dad's idea of
aversion therapy.

He used to lock me in the coal
store in the back of our house

for hours when I was a kid, thinking if I
was there long enough I'd snap out of it.

Now I don't fit inside the coal
store anymore he thought of this.

His way of trying
to toughen you up?

I guess. That and me proving I
can earn an honest living.

It's not that unusual, my Uncle
Frank did it to my cousin Michael,

now he's sweating it out in the San
Francisco PD trying to make Lieutenant,

and they sure don't
need the money.

What about you?

Huh?

What brought you to Alcatraz?
You're not mean.

Nothing really, just saw a
sign saying Nurses Wanted.

I always used to nurse my
mom before she died so

it just seemed natural
to make it official.

Was she sick for long?

Yeah.

What was it?

We never really knew. One summer she
just kind of started wasting away.

I'm sorry.

Listen, Charlie - I know it's not
really right for a girl to ask but...

Well, every two weeks I
get a weekend off and,

well usually me and some of the girls,
we get the boat back to 'Frisco,

walk along Pier 39,
eat ice-cream...

Well I was wondering, if you had
a day off and I had a day off,

well if we both happened to
have the same day off then...

maybe you'd like to come and
meet us up on the Pier?

Charlie?

[BELL RINGING]

You got sore guts, Charlie?

Must be that food they
serve us up in the dorm.

Ain't much better than the
crap they give the cons.

I'm okay.

Hey, the light went out
in the office last night.

Must be the old
generator playing up.

Lights flicker, phones go
down for a couple of minutes.

Ain't nothing to
worry your head about.

Okay

Oh, er, one other thing.

What's that?

Do we have a library
here, or something?

For the prisoners? Yeah, sure,
there's one up on A-Block.

But books ain't
allowed down here.

Why's that?

Books is a privilege. There
ain't no privileges on D-Block.

And anyhow, there ain't
no lights in the cells.

Hey, the Warden just called down.
He's still waiting on that report.

Cell 13. Always cell 13.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello, Infirmary.

Sherry, is that you?

Charlie? Hey, how are you?

I'm fine, ah - I wasn't
sure if... if you'd be there?

Oh, I switched to
nights, same as you.

How come?

Ah - I don't know, just felt like a
change I guess. What made you call?

Ah - I don't know, just um...
just really finding it hard to concentrate.

Well I told you not
to work tonight.

I know.

Ah, actually I wanted
to ask you something.

Do you have records of all the
people who've died on the island?

Well, yeah, they all have to
pass through the Infirmary.

They have to be confirmed dead
by one of the physicians.

So if I gave you a list, um,
of names, could you

check that against the list of
people who died on the island?

Sure! Not exactly my idea
of fun, but why not?

Great, I appreciate it. Thanks.

Was there anything else
you wanted to ask me?

Ah... so I was thinking, ah...
if you wanted to maybe meet up tomorrow?

Before... before our shift?

Yeah, that'd be nice.
There's this spot down from the Infirmary

where you can sit and
look out over the bay.

Ah... I was just thinking that
I could give you that list.

Oh - okay.

But that - that'd be nice
too, the view over the bay.

It is.

So I'll... I guess
I'll see you tomorrow.

'Night, Charlie.

Goodnight.

Samuel Fisher, William B
Clarence, Fred O'Neill.

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

Oh, not again.

Where's my pencil box?

Give me back my pencil box!
Give me back my pencil box!

It's my pencil box, not yours!

[LAUGHTER]

What was in that
shot you gave me?

Just morphine, why?

Does it make you hallucinate?

I don't think so.

I had a hell of a time last
night, thought I was going crazy.

Well, I'm sorry. I was
just trying to help.

Well, may - maybe it wasn't
the shot, maybe it was just -

just the claustrophobia.

You say you had hallucinations?

I had something.

What did you see?

I don't know. Heard voices.
Things moving around.

Was it the ghost of Ed Wutz?

What?

I don't know.
Something you said.

Have you heard that before?

No.

Were you working
here five years ago?

No, why?

I don't know - nothing, nothing. Probably
just a story Al told me to scare me off.

Sounds like it worked!

What's the book?

Just a copy of Hamlet,
You know, Shakespeare?

Yeah, I thought it'd be a good
way to pass the time on the block

but I haven't had
chance to read it yet.

What's it about?

Ah - er, it's about a prince in
Denmark, and his father the king dies -

well, gets murdered, actually -
and his love Ophelia drowns,

and there's a big sword fight
and everyone dies in the end.

That sounds awful!

No, no, no - it's great,
it's really great.

No, it's - it's the
language, it's um...

I read it in college but I
never really got it until now.

Read me some.

You sure?

Yeah, I wanna hear it.

Okay.

To the celestial and my soul's
idol, the beautified Ophelia.

Doubt thou the stars are fire,
doubt thou the sun doth move,

doubt truth be a liar, but
never doubt that I love.

Wow.

You see, what happens is Hamlet's father
the king gets murdered by his brother

who takes over the kingdom, and
Hamlet finds out what happened

because his father's ghost
comes back to warn him.

So it's a ghost story?

Kinda...

And you chose to read that in the
middle of the night on D-Block?

No wonder you're seeing ghosts!

I didn't see ghosts exactly! I don't know,
it's just so dark and scary down there.

I just sure wish you could
spend the night with me.

What?

Oh! No, not that! No,
erm, on the block -

spend the night on the -
on the - on the block. Er...

Either way would be just
fine with me, Charlie.

[BELL RINGS]

Oh shoot! It's six o'clock!

Where are you going?

I gotta get to D-Block!
Um, I gotta run.

This is your share...

For helping ditch Billy The Rat.

And, there's a little extra...
for the beating you gave Charlie.

What's with the
flashlight, Charlie?

That generator was playing
up again last night.

Didn't you guys
notice from out here?

No.

The Warden's still
waiting on that report.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello?

Charlie, it's me.

Is something wrong?

Listen, there's something I've
gotta tell you, it's about...

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

What was - what was that?

Did you hear what
I said? I saw...

[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]

Oh, come on!

Is there something
wrong with the line?

The power keeps going out.

What?

I said, the power...
never - never mind.

Ah, meet me in the morning
when you get off.

I didn't get that - shall I meet
you in the morning when I get off?

Ye - yes, er, meet me outside
the cell block after six.

Got it.

Right. Wait! Erm, what -
what about the names?

What?

The - the list of
names, did you check it?

They're dead. They all died.

Wha - what was that?

They're all dead, Samuel Fisher,
William Clarence, all of them.

Please be careful,
Charlie, I think...

[DIAL TONE]

Huh... Hello?

Give me back my pencil box!

I'm through with this, guys!
You hear? I'm through!

Is somebody there?

Let me tell you about cell 13.

It's got its own
particular history.

Hey!

[LAUGHTER]

Al?

Is somebody there?
Al, is that you?

Come on, let me
out! It's not funny!

It's okay, Charlie.
It's okay, Charlie.

Just like the coal store, it's
just like the coal store.

Only this time you're not
gonna piss yourself.

It was about five years ago. They
brought in a guy by the name of Ed Wutz.

And that cell? I sometimes think
he's still in there...

...waiting.

Give me back my pencil box!
[LAUGHS]

He pulled out that pencil sharpener - and
drew it across his throat from ear to ear.

[LAUGHTER]

You looking for someone?

Charlie Schmidt.

He sick or something?

Ah... yeah, he missed an appointment
with me over in the Infirmary.

Well I don't know if he's sick,
or just sick in the head.

He must be crazy to miss
an appointment with you.

Why, I still remember the time when you
applied that cream on me, real nice.

You got a real delicate hand.

I think about it all the time.

Never mind.

Hey, wait up! We was just playing with you.
Of course we know where Charlie is.

Come on, we'll take you to him.

Nurses aren't
allowed on the block.

Aw, you come with us,
you'll be all right.

No thanks, I'll just
catch him later.

Oh, we insist.

You two had better watch
out, Charlie's onto you!

That bookworm don't know shit.

He's already spoken to
the Warden. I bet he's

up there right now
telling him everything.

I know where Charlie is right
now, and if my guess is right,

the only guy he's talking to
is my good friend Ed Wutz.

You see, we already disappeared
one clerk off D-Block this year.

Guy by the name
of Arnold Miller.

So if another clerk goes missing,
it's gonna look kinda suspicious.

But you? I bet you never even
met the Warden, did you?

You probably just answered an ad
and came out here on the boat.

Girls like you come
and go all of the time.

Hell, some of them quit and
don't even leave a note.

There was one nurse, she
found out her old man was

playing around while she
was out here working.

She just plain tossed herself into the
ocean, got all mashed up on the rocks.

Might happened you to... after
we've finished with you.

Well, we was wondering
where you'd got to.

How the hell did you go
get yourself locked in there?

You ought to carry a
set of keys, Charlie.

Sherry!

Sherry!

I have over a hundred men
working on this island, Schmidt.

Why do I so often find myself
looking across this desk at you?

I need to report a disappearance,
sir, there's a nurse, and...

Yes, Mr Schmidt, I know all
about your friend Miss Vallens.

You do?

I have it on good authority
that you've been spending time

with this nurse when you were
supposed to have been on duty.

Not to mention a report from the telephone
operator's office about the unusual

number of calls between the Infirmary
and D-Block over recent nights,

which I can only presume
were not official business.

We do not encourage such
fraternising, Mr Schmidt.

Yes, but that's not what
I want to talk about...

I also have it on good authority that
Miss Vallens took the boat back to

San Francisco yesterday
afternoon to go care

for her mother, and she
won't be returning.

I'm sorry if that disappoints
you, Mr Schmidt.

Perhaps your undeniable charm
has failed you on this occasion.

Personally, I can't say I
blame her, I've had about

as much of your company as
I can stand for one week.

Now get out, your shift started
five minutes ago.

But sir, that can't be right,
Sherry's mother died years ago.

I believe I've
made myself clear.

What about all the
deaths on D-Block?

I made a list of all the undocumented
detainees and Sherry said...

I don't want to hear it, Schmidt
- I told you now is not the time.

So you're happy to preside over
corruption - even murder -

as long as you don't miss out
on your Internal Affairs job?

As Shakespeare himself
put it, there is nothing

either good or bad, but
thinking makes it so.

Meaning what?

Meaning that if a few more low-lifes
meet their demise down on D-Block

then maybe the world'll be a better
place for it. Did you ever consider that?

Do you think the world would be a
better place without Sherry Vallens?

Mr Schmidt, I'm warning
you, you're going to

stop these baseless
accusations right now.

Unless you're reconsidering your status
as an ongoing employee of this facility?

Well sir... maybe I am.

I'll see to it that you never
work in this State again.

And you can just forget about ever
getting your hands on that trust fund.

You still need that employment
reference, remember?

Well sir, as Shakespeare
himself might have said...

Yes?

Fuck it.

Where's Sherry? What
happened to her?

Who are you talking about?

I know what you're
up to, Bradbury.

I know all about the
inmates you've murdered.

Take it easy. You mean your nurse friend?
I know what happened to her.

Why don't you tell me?

I'll do better than
that - I'll show you.

What are we doing here?

You wanted to know what happened
to Sherry? Well I'm showing you.

She went out around
the exercise yard,

she came down between the stores and
the Infirmary and she ended up in here.

And this is where we
caught up with her.

And where is she now?

I guess she's feeding sharks out in the
bay - where you're gonna be joining her.

I hate to do this to you, kid,
but there's too much at stake.

You see, I got me a
little nest egg growing.

And some day it's gonna
be big enough that I

can get off this
God-forsaken rock for good.

But until then I
gotta keep growing it,

and that means I gotta keep doing
favours for my friends on the outside.

So when I get the order than somebody
has to disappear... into cell 13 they go.

It's a pity you had to be the curious
type - asking questions, filing reports.

You know what they
say about curiosity.

You shoot that thing
and someone will hear.

There're over a hundred
men on this island -

some of them have
got to be honest.

You may be right. Gerry.

I never killed a single
con on this island.

All I do is put them in that
cell and mind my business.

You're the first guy I ever
saw come out of there alive!

Must be cos you're so
shit-scared you keeled over

and passed out before
anything happened!

Charlie!

Charlie?

Charlie!

Charlie, let me
out! God damn it!

Fuck!

Enjoy your time in solitary, Al!

All I do is put them in that
cell and mind my business.

Where's my pencil box?

Get back! Get away from me!

I gotta have my pencil box!

[LAUGHTER]

[BELL RINGING]

Good morning
Jackson, how are you?

I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was...
it was that early. Erm, is my dad there?

Oh really? Ah -
who else is there?

Oh, could you please put Uncle Frank on?
Yeah, yeah it's really important.

Uncle Frank! How are
you, how've you been?

So according your report, Al
Bradbury took his own life,

just like Billy Rattner?

So it would seem, sir. I believe he was
adversely affected by a social ailment.

I believe it may have
affected his state of mind.

Hmm, that certainly ties in with
his record at the Infirmary.

Well Mr Schmidt, I have to say,

this is the kind of report I can get
behind. Nothing left unexplained.

I thought you might appreciate
the lack of loose ends, sir.

Certainly do. I'd hate for
there to be any kind of

corruption scandal on
Alcatraz during my watch.

So I understood, sir.
There's nothing of that kind in my report.

That's much appreciated.

Though I did find that cell 13 looks
structurally unfit for habitation,

and I recommend it being
permanently closed off.

Recommendation duly noted. You've done
Alcatraz a great service here, Mr Schmidt.

The only question remaining is
what can Alcatraz do for you?

Naturally I've already written
to your father with an

unequivocally positive
employment reference.

You have?

Went out on the boat with the
rest of this morning's mail.

Now, as to the future, we will need
to completely re-staff D-Block.

Perhaps you'd like to be
in charge of that process?

With an appropriate increase
in salary of course.

It may just be my last act as
Warden of Alcatraz before I move on.

Are congratulations
in order, sir?

Well the official announcement
hasn't been made,

but privately Commissioner Warren
has assured me it's as good as done.

I'm expecting his
call any time now.

Head of Internal Affairs - has
a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

One man in his time
plays many parts.

And all the world's a stage.

Well, I appreciate
the offer, sir.

But I'm a little concerned
that to the untrained eye

this sudden promotion may look
like some kind of... pay-off.

And as I said once before, I
don't need to take pay-offs.

Especially now you've kindly
sent that reference to my father.

If you'll excuse me, I think I've
served my time here on Alcatraz.

Think you're pretty
smart, don't you Schmidt?

Not exceptionally sir,
but I am well connected.

And as I said to my Uncle on the
telephone this morning,

family connections
can be very useful.

I told you before, I'm not impressed
by your connection to John J Brennan,

the man's a scoundrel.

Oh, I'm not talking about Brennan.
No, he's just an old friend of my dad's.

I was referring to my uncle from
my mother's side - Uncle Frank.

Or you might know him as Frank
Warren - Commissioner Warren,

of the San Francisco
Police Department.

We had a long conversation on
the telephone this morning.

He's very interested in the penal
service, as you can imagine.

He had a lot of questions I
was able to help him with.

I'm sure you will be receiving that
telephone call from him real soon.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to return this
copy of Hamlet to the prison library.

To thine own self be true.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]