Billy Dawson

By by R. Earle Harris
All rights reserved (c) 2015 (r dot earle dot harris at gmx dot com)


FADE IN:

EXT. CLANCY'S BAR - NIGHT

After midnight, outside an Irish bar in the Irish part of modern-day NYC.

EXT. CLANCY'S DOORWAY - NIGHT

NICK opens the entrance from inside and holds the door for DEVLIN. Nick is a still-somewhat-sober, pleasant, dark-featured Irish lawyer in his fifties, carrying a cane and wearing a hat. Devlin is a well-lubricated, well-dressed, younger Irish lawyer having some difficulty getting himself out the door.

NICK
Do you need help, me boy?

Devlin stops, raises a hand.

DEVLIN
I'm fine, Nicholas.

Devlin makes it out the door and heads off down the sidewalk as Nick comes out behind him.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Nick starts to go up the street and notices Devlin is going the other way.

NICK
Devlin?

Devlin stops and turns.

DEVLIN
Yes, sir?

Nick indicates the opposite direction.

NICK
The car is this way, me boy.

DEVLIN
Ah, yes, Sir. Thank you.

Devlin comes back in the right direction.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Nick and Devlin turn down a dark and narrow street. They are headed for a parking garage up ahead.

DEVLIN
--No, no, no. You're way too modest, Nicholas. We'd have lost Giuliani complete if it hadn't been for you.

Nick smiles, acknowledging his own success.

NICK
In times of trouble, young Devlin, always turn to religion.

Nick stops to fiddle with his cane.

DEVLIN
You are absolutely--

Devlin stops and stares. Coming towards them on the otherwise empty sidewalk--

NICK
Eh?

--is a small ball of fire, the size of a will-o-the-wisp. It floats with a slight bobbing movement about five feet off the ground.

DEVLIN
What in Hades is that?

Nick sees the flame and smiles.

NICK
Ah.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Flame halts in front of Nick, who tips his hat to it. Devlin still dumbstruck.

NICK
(To flame.)         
Evening, Mr. Dawson.

Flame flickers in reply. Devlin still gaping.

NICK
And the Mrs.?

Flame flickers.

NICK (CONT'D)
Oh, yes. I forgot.

Flickers emphatically. Nick frowns.

NICK (CONT'D)
Oh, no, no. That is quite out of my hands.

Flame flickers sadly. Nick looks pleased.

NICK (CONT'D)
My dear William, Heaven only knows.

Nick laughs. Flame drifts off. Nick notices the stunned Devlin.

NICK (CONT'D)
(To Devlin)         
Are you alright, boyo?

DEVLIN
Have I been drinking too much?

NICK
Yes.

DEVLIN
But not that too-much.

NICK
No.

Devlin is drunkenly looking for the next question to ask.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Nick laughs again and takes Devlin by the arm. The two continue on down the sidewalk.

NICK
I suppose you are rather new to the business. Come along, young man, and I shall explain your drunken vision as I drive you home.

DEVLIN
You called my drunken vision Mr. Dawson?

NICK
Billy Dawson, he was, is -- the only man ever to outwit me three times running. A rogue complete. And quite the drinker, as I remember him. But then so was his lovely wife, Julie. They had a great deal in common back then,--

EXT. CLANCY'S BAR- NIGHT

Same bar. Cars and such show it is some years earlier.

NICK (V.O.)
--mostly vices: anger, sloth, lust. They scarely missed a sin between them. If he kept her in--

EXT. CLANCY'S DOORWAY - NIGHT

BILLY opens the entrance from inside and holds the door for JULIE. Billy is a still-somewhat-sober, pleasant mechanic in his thirties. Julie, his wife, is an inebriated, younger woman having difficulty making it through the door.

NICK (V.O.)
--whiskey and sugar, she kept him in hot water. Never was there a blessed pair so well met.

BILLY
Do you need help, dear?

Julie stops, raises a hand.

JULIE
I'm fine, William,--

Julie makes it out the door and heads off down the sidewalk as Billy comes out.

JULIE (CONT'D)
but I have a bone to pick with--

BILLY
Julie?

Julie stops and turns.

JULIE
--you.

Billy points in the opposite direction. Julie laughs and heads back in the correct direction.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Billy and Julie make their way toward that parking garage on the same dark and narrow street as above. Julie is upset.

BILLY
(Answering.)         
--Which blonde?

Julie is also quite under the influence.

JULIE
The one ... up whose dress ... you put your hand.

BILLY
I did na--

Julie stops and crosses her arms at him.

JULIE
Did na what?!

BILLY
--put me hand up any woman's dress in that bar.

JULIE
You're saying that was a transvestite?

BILLY
Mmm, no. It was a woman, dear, and--

They continue walking as if they are accustomed to fighting wherever they go.

BILLY
--her dress fell down over me hand.

The fight escalates.

JULIE
An' what was your hand doing thereabouts?

BILLY
She put it down there.

JULIE
Down where?

Billy grabs her to show her where. She squeals.

JULIE
Stop that.

He tries to do it again but she dodges him.

JULIE (CONT'D)
And you let her put your hand there?

BILLY
It all happened so fast, luv, I hardly knew where me hand was until it was too late. I was innocence complete!

JULIE
Innocence complete? You haven't been innocent, even by half, since--

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Long shot. The two continue arguing as they approach the garage.

BILLY
Since I met you?

JULIE
Long before that.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

The two almost at the garage.

BILLY
--I did na!

Julie slaps him angrily on the shoulder.

JULIE
You did! And so did she, if I'm any judge.

Billy takes out the car keys. Julie grabs them.

BILLY
Give me those!

Julie takes off for the garage.

JULIE
Try an' get them!

She is faster than her husband, who chases her.

BILLY
You can't drive like that! You've been drinking

Julie runs into the garage.

JULIE (O.S.)
Hurry back and ask your sober blonde friend for a ride!

BILLY
Don't, Julie! It's not our car!

EXT. PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT

A lovely pink Cadillac convertible explodes onto the street, sending the parking attendant's barrier flying across the pavement.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Julie is driving. Billy is still crawling into the front passenger-side window.

BILLY (O.S.)
You're not driving!

JULIE (O.S.)
Let go of me!

INT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Glimpse of struggle as Billy comes across the front seat.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Billy yelps as if someone is squeezing his tender parts.

BILLY (O.S.)
Stop that!

Julie laughs a long luscious laugh.

EXT. CADILLAC - NIGHT

Heading into the lower-class part of Irish NYC. Car flies over the sidewalk-corner of an intersection.

BILLY (O.S.)
I'm warning you, luv!

JULIE (O.S.)
You wouldn't dare!

INT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Their struggle for control of the steering wheel continues. Julie is roughly tossed into the back seat.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

The car careens wildly and then is brought back under control.

EXT. CADILLAC - NIGHT

Turns into even worse Irish neighborhood.

BILLY (O.S.)
Stay back there!

JULIE (O.S.)
I won't.

INT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Julie coming back over the seat.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Sound of slap.

JULIE (O.S.)
Don't you grab me, Mr. Dawson!

BILLY (O.S.)
Yeow! No, you don't!

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Cadillac out of control. Hits a curb on one side of the street. Bounces off a car on the other side. Someone stomps on the gas.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Caddy ramps up onto a parked car and flips itself into the air and onto its side.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Car slides -- still on its passenger side -- into the middle of an intersection with a traffic light. The light goes red just as the car grinds to a stop.

EXT. CADILLAC - NIGHT

Driver's door is opened. It is beaten up so badly by now that it flops over and rests flat on the front fender.

EXT. CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS

Billy climbs up and out, hops down, and stands in the street with his hands on his hips.


Screenplay truncated at 500 lines.