Full screenplay script transcript for Seinfeld S04E03: The Ticket
17 Scenes408 Lines
Scene 1
Opening Scene
70 lines
Enter Kramer with one pant leg on
Jerry
(going through couch cushions) Where the hell did I put this?
Kramer
What are you looking for?
Jerry
The remote, the remote, I can't find the remote. Did I lost, I lost it. Did you take it? Did you put it some place?
Kramer
No, no, no.
Jerry notices Kramer's look
Jerry
All right, what is this?
Kramer
(clueless) what is what?
Jerry
All right, very funny. I get it.
Kramer
You're in a weird mood.
Jerry
Come on. Go back to your apartment and fix it.
Kramer
Fix what?
Jerry
Your pants!
Kramer is startled when he realizes his looks
Kramer
what is this? What have I got one pant leg on for?
Jerry
Don't you know? Look-look at your face! You only shaved the right side of your face! What is this? A joke?
Kramer
No, t's a joke.. a joke... a joke... you think this is funny?
Jerry
Go look at your face in the mirror.
Kramer
Wha-huh-wha-huh...
door buzzer
Jerry
(pressing intercom) yeah?
George
(on intercom) It's George.
Jerry
Come on up.
Kramer
I don't believe this.
Jerry
You mean, you didn't know you were doing any of these things?
Kramer
No, I swear.
Jerry
I bet this is from that kick from that crazy Joe Davola. You better see a doctor and get some X-rays.
Enter George
George
(to Kramer) Ah! You're just the man I'm looking for.
Kramer
Me?
George hands Kramer a paper
George
Yeah, here you go.
Kramer
What's this?
George
A dry-cleaning bill?
Jerry
From that woman at NBC?
George
Yeah.
Kramer
A dry-cleaning bill for what?
George
For vomiting on her vest!
Kramer
Oh, come on George! I didn't do that on purpose!
George
Well, I shouldn't have to pay for it!
Kramer
Well, neither should I! Jerry's the one who left the milk in the refrigerator.
George
(to Jerry) Yeah, your milk.
Jerry
(pointing Kramer) He drank it.
Kramer
I didn't know.
Jerry
All right, well, we should all chip in I guess.
Kramer
Yeah.
Jerry
How much was it to clean the vest?
George
Eighteen dollars.
Jerry
Can you get vomit out of suede?
George
I don't know.
Kramer
Yo-yo Ma!
Jerry
What? Yo-yo Ma?
Kramer
What about him?
Jerry
You just said 'Yo-yo Ma'.
George
What's Yo-yo Ma?
Jerry
He's a cellist. (to Kramer) You should see a doctor today.
George
All right, come on, come on, let's go. Six dollars.
Jerry
I can't believe she sent you that dry-cleaning bill.
George
I know!
Jerry
That doesn't really bode well for the show, does it?
George
The show! Forget about the show! We should take the idea to a different network
Jerry
Oh, yeah. Right. Like anybody's ever gonna do this! How did you get me to go along with that? A show about nothing!
George
It was a good idea. Susan liked it. Now, if he hadn't vomitted all over her, we'd be writing it right now.
Kramer
Jeez!
George
Anyway.
Phone rings, Kramer picks up. Answers in Italian.
Jerry
(interrupts) What are you doing? What's wrong with you? What're you doing? Give me that phone! Go to your apartment and lie down, I'll make an appointment for a doctor today. (on the phone) Hello? Oh hi! I'm sorry. No, that's my next door neighbor. He's not quite himself. He got kicked in the head. What? Really? You're kidding! Today? Yeah! Sure! We could make it. Two o'clock? Yeah, we would do that. Okay. Great! Thanks a million! Okay, bye.
George
What?
Jerry
NBC! They wanna have another meeting about the idea.
George
They wanna have another meeting? They wanna buy it?! They wanna but it?! Oh! I tell you! We're gonna be rich!! What are we gonna get for this? Fifty, sixty thousand?
Scene 2
Scene 2
8 lines
Jerry
I don't know about sixty.
George
Oh, it's gotta be fifty! Hee hee! You know how much Ted Danson makes, huh?
Jerry
Ted Danson! Now, how are you comparing us to Ted Danson?
George
I didn't say 'We're Ted Danson.'
Jerry
Yes, you did. You said 'We're Ted Danson'!
George
Oh!
Jerry
You know, I think he wears a piece.
George
Yeah, don't worry. He can afford it.
Scene 3
Street
38 lines
Jerry
I'm ten minutes slow again! That's it for this piece of junk! I've had it.
He throws his watch in the trash can beside him
George
What, is that the one your parents gave you?
Jerry
Yeah! But it never works. You know we're supposed to be there by two o'clock. We should take a cab.
George
All right, we'll be a little late, I,m not taking a cab.
Jerry
I'll pay for it.
George
It's not the money!
Jerry
Well, what is it you object to? The comfort? The Speed? The convenience?
Both raise their arm to signal a cab.
Leo
Jerry!
Jerry
Uncle Leo!
Leo
Helloooo!
Jerry
Hello there, how're you doing?
Leo
Ha ha! How are you?
Jerry
Good, good.
Leo
How's your mom and dad?
Jerry
Good, fine.
Leo
What are you getting to be too much of a big shot now to give me a call? I don't hear from you anymore!
Jerry
Oh, no. I've been kinda busy. It's all.
Leo
You know where I just came from?
He grabs Jerry's forearm.
Danny Barma.
Jerry
(not enthousiastic at all) Oh, sure. Danny.
Leo
He used to be in the pajama business. I used to be able to get pajamas for free. I used to come over and get pajamas all the time!
Leo shakes Jerry around using his grip on Jerry's arm.
Jerry
Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember.
George gets impatient, touches his watch subtly, maybe subconsciously.
Leo
The funny thing is: I can't wear 'em. I get too hot. I sleep in my underwear and a t-shirt. If it gets too hot, I just get the t-shirt off! Anyway, Danny says to me: 'You need any pajamas?'
Jerry
(interrupts) I-I'm sorry Uncle Leo, I really gotta get going.
Leo
Oh. Well. You gotta get going, so go.
Jerry
We, we got a big meeting with the president of NBC.
Leo
Nobody got a gun to your head!
Jerry
(seems sincere) Yeah, I'm really sorry, uh.
Leo
Go. Really. I understand. You got an appointment, go to your appointment.
Jerry
I'm sorry, really.
Leo
You know, I know plenty of people in Hollywood too!
Jerry
Sorry, really.
Leo turns around and leaves. He passes by the trash can and sees the watch. He picks it up, takes it to his ear, laughs and puts it on. He walks away.
Scene 4
Hall Out of Kramer's Apartment
14 lines
Newman knocks on Kramer's door
Kramer
(from inside) Yeah?
Newman
Come on, are you ready? Let's go!
Straightens his tie
Kramer opens the door. He has shaving cream on his face.
Kramer
For what?
Newman
What's the matter with you? I just talked to you fifteen minutes ago.
Kramer
what about?
Newman
The courthouse. You gotta go with me to the courthouse. I'm contesting a ticket today.
Kramer
I can't, I'm going to the doctor's later.
Newman
You gotta go with me. I mean, you-you're my alibi. You have to take the stand.
Kramer
Well, I can't!
Newman
Well, let me remind you of something. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me and my helmet. I saved your life! You would be dead! Dead! You would cease to exist! You would be gone for the rest of eternity! You wouldn't even begin to comprehend what that means!!
Kramer
Shut up! I'll get my coat!
Scene 5
Newman Enters Kramer's Apartment
1 lines
Kramer
Don't step on anything.
Scene 6
Nbc's Waiting Room
21 lines
Jerry
You see the look on my uncle's face? Did you see how insulted he was? What could I do? Waht are we supposed to do? You can't leave. There's no excuse good enough to justify walking away from a conversation with one of my relatives.
George
I didn't shave this morning. I don't feel like myself.
Jerry
You could be a fireman on a fire truck on the way to a fire. You bump into one of my relatives. 'I'm sorry Uncle Leo, there's a building full of people burning down. I really do have to be running.' He'll go: 'Go. Go ahead. Go to your fancy fire. If that's what you have to do.'
George
Look at this.
Jerry
Why didn't you shave this morning?
George
'Cause I shaved yesterday in the afternoon.
Jerry
Why?
George
Because of the day before. It's a long story.
Jerry looks down the hall.
Can't get back on schedule.
Jerry
Is that Joe Davola?
Jerry crouches in his seat
George
It's not him!
Jerry
I can't live tlike this. I'm being stalked.
Receptionist
Mister Seinfeld? They're ready for you.
Jerry
Oh.
They get up
George
Mister Seinfeld? What about Mister Costanza? I'm not here?
They walk toward the office
Jerry
All right. Look. Now, you promised you're gonna be a little more flexible on the nothing idea, okay? Jsut a little.
George
Okay. A little.
Scene 7
Courthouse Waiting Room
19 lines
Newman
Okay, you're all set? You got your story?
Kramer
No.
Newman
When the cop stopped me, I told him that I was rushing home because my friend was about to commit suicide.
Kramer
Uhm...
Newman
Now, you're that firend. Now, all we need is a reason why you were going to commit suicide.
Pause; they're thinking
Kramer
I never had an air conditioner.
Newman
No! That's no reason to kill yourself!
Kramer
Why? It gets hot at night, you can't sleep. You ever tried to sleep in a really hot room?
Newman
Every night I sleep in a really hot room, I don't want to kill myself.
Kramer
Well, I slept in really hot rooms and I wanted to kill myself.
Newman
No, no, no. That's not gonna work. Something else.
Kramer
I was never able to become a banker.
Newman has a revelation.
Newman
Banker! So you're killing yourself because your dreams of becoming a banker have gone unfulfilled. You-you-you-you can't live without being a banker.
Kramer
Yeah, yeah. If I can't be banker, I don't wanna live.
Newman
You must be banker.
Kramer
MUST be banker.
Newman (satisfied)
Okay, we'll go with the banker story.
Scene 8
Nbc Office
16 lines
I might be missing a line here, I suck at cutting the commercials. If so, please complete.
George
The story is the foundation of all entertainment. You must have a good story otherwise it's just masturbation.
George is the only one laughing
Russel
And people really have to care about the characters.
George
Care? Forget about care. Love. They have to love the characters. Otherwise, why would they keep tuning in?
Jerry
Wouldn't tune in.
George
Would they tune in?
Jerry
No tune.
Russel
We like to look at the show as if it were in EKG. You have your highs and your lows and it goes up and down.
George
The show will be like a heart attack!
Jerry
Just a huge massive coronary.
Russel
So what you said last week about no story, you're a little flexible on that now.
George
Is-is that what I said 'no story'? Because Jerry had to tell me later.
Jerry
He couldn't believe it.
George
(Laughs, snorts) I said, I said: 'Get outta here! No story? Is that what I said?'
Jerry and George laugh
Scene 9
Courtroom
3 lines
Police Officer
Well, I informed him that he was exceeding the speed limit and uh, that's when he told me that he was racing home because his friend was about to commit suicide.
Judge
And then what happened?
Police Officer
Well, then he became very loud and hysterical. He was flailing his arms about as he told the story and then he threw himself on the ground and he grabbed me around the legs and then he begged me to let him go. And when I refused, that's when he began to scream: 'My friend's going to die, my friend's going to die.'
Scene 10
Nbc Office
19 lines
Russel
Look. I don't know how you two guys feel but we would really like to be in business with you.
George starts, Jerry starts later, both speak at the same time, nonstop
George
Well, we would like to be in business. Let's do business. We'll have some business. Let's have business.
Jerry
We would love to be in business. We'll do business. We're in business. It's... it's business. This is business.
George
Yeah!
Stu
Would it be possible to get a-a-a copy of 'La Cocina'?
Pause. George and Jerry are puzzled.
Jerry gets it, pokes George.
Jerry
Your off-Broadway play.
George
Oh, oh. Uh, you know. It's the damndest thing. I, uh, I moved recently and my files, pfff, disappeared. Now, I-I don't know if they fell off the truck or if there was some sort of foul play but let me tell you something. I'm not through with that moving company.
Jerry
(backs his story) Hmm, hmm.
George
That's my vow to you.
Russel
Well, I got a feeling about you two. And even more than that. I place a great deal of confidence in that lady's judgment.
the lady is Susan
George and Jerry both speak at the same time, nonstop
George
Oh! That's good judgment. That's a pile of judgment there. Sure.
Jerry
Oh! Taht's judgment. Yes, yes. Judgment with earrings on. Yeah.
Russel
(gets up) So, let's make a pilot.
Hand shakes
Scene 11
Courtroom
8 lines
Newman
I had gone up to Westchester. I go there every Tuesday. I do charity for the blind in my spare time for the Lighthouse. I was in the middle of a game of Parcheesi with an old blind man and I excused myself to call my friend as he was very depressed lately because he never became a banker.
Judge
I don't understand.
Newman
You see, it'd been his lifelong dream to be a banker and he uh, just the day before he was turned down by another bank. I believe it was the Manufacturer's Hanover on Lexington and 40th Street. That was the third bank to turn him down so I was-I was a little concerned. I wanted to see how he was doing. Well, Your Honor, he was barely audible. But I distinctly recall him say...
Kramer
(interupts involuntarily) Yo-yo Ma!
Newman
So I sped home to save my friend's life and I was stopped for speeding. Yes, I admit I was speeding but it was to save a man's life. A close friend. An innocent person who wanted nothing more out of life than to love, to be loved and to be a banker.
Judge
So then he didn't kill himself.
Newman
No sir. He did not. But only by thge grace of God. He's in the courtroom today
(Stands up, points to Kramer.) (dramatically) sitting right over there! And he can corroborate my entire testimony.
Scene 12
Nbc's Waiting Room
39 lines
Jerry and George are coming out of the office
George
See?
Jerry
Yeah!
George
I told you, I told you! Ha ha ha! Ooh ooh!
Jerry
Now, all we gotta do is write it.
George
Yes! How're we gonna do that?
Enter Susan
Susan
Hey! Congratulations!
Jerry
Thanks.
George
Oh, thank you.
Jerry
Thank you, thanks.
George
Thanks. Gee, you know, I thought you were mad at me.
Susan
No.
Receptionist
Mister Seinfeld, you have a phone call.
Jerry
Phone call? Who knows I'm here?
He picks up the phone
Hello? Mom? How'd you know I was here? Oh, I was not rude to him, that is baloney! I couldn't talk! I couldn't talk! I had a meeting! I don't know... he-he went off on something about pajamas!
George
When you sent me the-the bill for the dry-cleaning. I thought the show didn't have a chance.
Susan
Oh, it was only vomit.
George
Anyway, I-I would like to-to pay for the cleaning.
Susan
Oh no-no, it's okay. *comment from transcriber: yeah, she doesn't want to be paid, didn't she send the bill?*
George
No-no-no, we all chipped in. We have the money.
Susan
Well, it was eighteen dollars.
George
Okay, uh, eighteen dollars, and there it is. There you go. So maybe we could get together this weekend.
Susan
Yeah. Call me.
George
All right, great.
Susan
Bye.
Jerry
Bye thanks.
George
(chuckles) Bye, thanks. (To Jerry, when Susan is far) I can't believe she took the money.
Jerry
Why?
George
I offered to pay. She should've said no.
Jerry
She did, you insisted.
George
Maybe this is what the pilot should be about, vomiting on somebody's vest.
Jerry
Nah!
George
How much are we gonna get for this? Fifty, sixty thousand?
Jerry
oh, I d-I don't know. I d---
George
Oh, gotta get fifty. Gotta get fifty. All right, I tell you what. We go to the coffee shop, you call your manager. Maybe they made an offer.
Jerry
Okay.
George
(excited, pushing Jerry forward) All right, let's go, let's go, let's go, come on.
Scene 13
Coffee Shop
18 lines
George
Thirteen thousand?
Jerry
Thirteen thousand.
George
a piece?
Jerry
No, for both!
George
That's insulting! Ted Danson makes eight hundred thousand dollars an episode.
Jerry
Oh, would you stop with the Ted Danson?
George
Well, he does.
Jerry
You're nuts!
George
I'm sorry. I can't live knowing Ted Danson makes that much more than me. Who is he?
Jerry
He's somebody.
George
What about me?
Jerry
You're nobody.
George
Why him? Why not me?
Jerry
He's good, you're not.
George
I'm better than him.
Jerry
You're worse, much much worse. (crouches in booth) That's Davola!
George
(crouches too) What? Where? Where?
Jerry
Outside! I saw him outside!
Scene 14
Europe
8 lines
Elaine is kissing with a guy. He stops. She keeps kissing him, then stops.
Elaine
what is it?
Boyfriend
Oh, it's this patient.
Elaine
(sighing) Again?
Boyfriend
I'm fairly certain. I forgot to leave him an extra prescription for his medication.
Elaine
Well, so, he can live without his Valium for a couple of days.
Boyfriend
Nah, you don't understand. He could be dangerous.
Elaine turns around, rolls her eyes.
Scene 15
Coffee Shop
32 lines
Jerry
Go outside and see if he's still there.
George
I can't go out there, he knows we're friends.
Jerry
Well, what are we supposed to do? I gotta take Kramer to the doctor.
A cop sits down at the counter.
George
Tell the cop.
Jerry
Good idea.
Walks to counter
Excuse me officer. There's a guy outside and he's kind of a nut job and I think he's waiting to beat me up. If you could just walk me outside and wait till I get into a cab.
Cop
Yeah, all right. Just let me get a muffin.
Jerry
Thanks.
Jerry waits a while and realizes he has to go sit back with George and wait over there.
Jerry
(back in booth) He's gonna get a muffin and then he'll walk us outside. This is a great way to go through life.
Looks over at the cop
Hey! He's looking at the menu now. What's he looking at the menu for?!
George
I thought you said he was gonna get a muffin.
Jerry gets up and walks to the counter
Jerry
(bossy) What are you doing?
Cop
What?
Jerry
What, are you ordering food now?
Cop
Yeah! Yeah, I decided to get a sandwich.
Jerry
What happened to the muffin?
Cop
I got a little hungry.
Jerry
All of a sudden you get hungry?
Cop
Yeah! You got a problem with that?
Jerry
No! Enjoy your lunch.
Goes back toward the booth and stops.
You know a muffin can be very filling.
(Keeps walking to the booth) (to George) He's getting a sandwich now!
George
I thought he was just gonna have a muffin.
Jerry
All of a sudden he gets hungry.
George
You know, a muffin can be very filling.
Jerry
I know!
Scene 16
Courtroom
49 lines
Newman
(interrogating Kramer) Mister Kramer, you heard the testimony so far. Would you please tell the court in your own words what happened on the afternoon of September 10th?
Kramer
What do you mean 'my own words'? Whose words are they gonna be?
Newman
You know what I mean.
Kramer
(to Judge) I was very upset that day.
Newman
And why was that?
Kramer
(to Newman) Would you let me say it? Let me talk!
Newman
All right, all right. Go ahead, go ahead.
Kramer
All right.
Newman
Okay.
Kramer
(to Judge) I was very upset that day because I could never become a banker.
Newman
And that failure to become a banker was eating at you. Eating-eating-eating at you inside.
Kramer
(not convincing) Uh, yeah.
Newman
It was your family that pushed you into banking , it was their dream for you...
Judge
Mister Newman.
Newman
Your Honor, I'm only trying to establish Mister Kramer's fragile emotional state, my entire case depends on it.
Judge
Uh, continue.
Newman
As you were saying, Mister Kramer...
Kramer
What was the question?
Newman
You're telling how your parents pushed you into banking.
Kramer
Uh, well, my father when I was a kid, he took me to the bank and he lifted me up and he pointed to the teller and he said: 'Sonny boy, take a good look at him, that's gonna be you some day.'
Newman
But you never became a banker, did you Mister Kramer? Why? Why did you fail?
Kramer
I don't know.
Newman
It was because you hated your father and you would do anything to displease him. Isn't THAT true?
Judge
Uh, could you get to the speeding?
Newman
Yuh, yes. I intend to Your Honor. And then, on the afternoon of September 10th, you received a phone call did you not?
Kramer
(puzzled) Phone call?
Newman
Yes, a phone call!
Kramer
From who?
Newman
From me!
Kramer
From you?
Newman
Yes, from me!! I called you remember?
Kramer
You called me?
Newman
Yes, I called you, you idiot! Because you were going to... You were going to... Remember?
Kramer
what?
Newman
You were going to...
Mimmicks hanging himself, growing hysterical as only Newman can
You were going to do something
(Mimmicks stabbing himself in stomach and jerking the knife around) to yourself! You were going to do something to yourself! Remember the banking? The banking, about the banking, about the banking!!!
Judge
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call a---
Newman
Yes, the banker!!!
Kramer
What banking?
Newman
A banker! A banker! Your Honor, Your Honor, Your Honor...
Judge
That's enough already.
Newman
Your Honor, Mister Kramer's obviously very distraught.
Kramer
I'm distraught!?! Wooh-wooh-hoo!
Newman
(to Kramer) You shut up! (to judge) I demand a recess so I can take him outside and help him regain hius composure.
Judge
That'll be seventy-five dollars.
Newman
(Strangling Kramer) What's the matter with you? We had it all worked out!
They fall on their backs. Kramer knocks the flag on judge.
Scene 17
Coffee Shop
45 lines
Jerry
Do you see him?
George
I'm not* sure.
Jerry
Well, either you see him or you don't.
George
All right. I don't.
Jerry
(looking at the cop) What is he doing? Is he getting coffee? I think he's getting coffee.!
George
What's with this guy?
Jerry walks to the counter
Jerry
(still bossy) Did you just order coffee?
Cop
Yeah.
Jerry
This is really too much.
Cop
What is your problem?
Jerry
Well, I'm sitting over there waiting for you to finish your sandwich for twenty minutes. Now you're drinking coffee, that's gonna be another ten minutes.
Cop
Well, you're just gonna have to wait.
Enter Kramer and Newman
Kramer
Never said anything about the banking.
Newman
You're off your rocker.
Jerry
Hey you guys!
Kramer
Hey!
Jerry
What are you doing here?
Kramer
What are YOU doing here?
Jerry
Hey, is Davola outside?
Kramer
Davola?
Jerry
Yeah.
Kramer
No, I didn't see him.
Newman
Crazy Joe Davola?
George
(reading the tabs) Jerry, yours is eleven dollars.
Jerry
Eleven dollars for what?
George
Muffin, sandwich and coffee!
Jerry
(to Kramer) Hey, NBC okayed our idea. We're gonna make the pilot.
Kramer
You're gonna do the circus freak show, uh?
Jerry
No.
Newman
Pilot? So what do you make for something like that? Fifty? Sixty thousand?
George
What's the difference? The money is not important.
Jerry
(looking outside) Hey Newman, is that your red car?
Newman
Yeah.
Jerry
I think you're getting a ticket.
Newman
Deh!
Kramer
Run, run! Go, go, go!
Newman runs outside
Newman
Hey! What are you doing? It's after six o'clock! You can't give me a ticket! Hey, you're not gonna get away with this. I'll fight this. I got witnesses.
Kramer
I saw the whole thing!
Jerry
Maybe this whole thing would be a good idea for the pilot.