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?
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Devlin stops, raises a hand.
DEVLIN
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 stops and turns.
DEVLIN
Nick indicates the opposite direction.
NICK
The car is this way, me boy.
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DEVLIN
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.
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Nick smiles, acknowledging his own success.
NICK
In times of trouble, young Devlin,
always turn to religion.
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Nick stops to fiddle with his cane.
DEVLIN
Devlin stops and stares. Coming towards them on the otherwise empty sidewalk--
NICK
--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
Nick sees the flame and smiles.
NICK
EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
Flame halts in front of Nick, who tips his hat to it. Devlin still dumbstruck.
NICK
(To flame.)
Flame flickers in reply. Devlin still gaping.
NICK
Flame flickers.
NICK (CONT'D)
Flickers emphatically. Nick frowns.
NICK (CONT'D)
Oh, no, no. That is quite out of my
hands.
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Flame flickers sadly. Nick looks pleased.
NICK (CONT'D)
My dear William, Heaven only knows.
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Nick laughs. Flame drifts off. Nick notices the stunned Devlin.
NICK (CONT'D)
(To Devlin)
DEVLIN
Have I been drinking too much?
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NICK
DEVLIN
NICK
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.
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DEVLIN
You called my drunken vision Mr. Dawson?
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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,--
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EXT. CLANCY'S BAR- NIGHT
Same bar. Cars and such show it is
some years earlier.
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NICK (V.O.)
--mostly vices: anger, sloth, lust.
They scarely missed a sin between
them. If he kept her in--
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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.
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BILLY
Julie stops, raises a hand.
JULIE
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--
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BILLY
Julie stops and turns.
JULIE
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.)
Julie is also quite under the influence.
JULIE
The one ... up whose dress ... you
put your hand.
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BILLY
Julie stops and crosses her arms at him.
JULIE
BILLY
--put me hand up any woman's dress
in that bar.
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JULIE
You're saying that was a transvestite?
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BILLY
Mmm, no. It was a woman, dear, and--
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They continue walking as if they are accustomed to fighting wherever they go.
BILLY
--her dress fell down over me hand.
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The fight escalates.
JULIE
An' what was your hand doing thereabouts?
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BILLY
JULIE
Billy grabs her to show her where. She squeals.
JULIE
He tries to do it again but she dodges him.
JULIE (CONT'D)
And you let her put your hand there?
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BILLY
It all happened so fast, luv, I hardly
knew where me hand was until it was
too late. I was innocence complete!
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JULIE
Innocence complete? You haven't been
innocent, even by half, since--
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EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
Long shot. The two continue arguing as they approach the garage.
BILLY
JULIE
EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
The two almost at the garage.
BILLY
Julie slaps him angrily on the shoulder.
JULIE
You did! And so did she, if I'm any
judge.
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Billy takes out the car keys. Julie grabs them.
BILLY
Julie takes off for the garage.
JULIE
She is faster than her husband, who chases her.
BILLY
You can't drive like that! You've
been drinking
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Julie runs into the garage.
JULIE (O.S.)
Hurry back and ask your sober blonde
friend for a ride!
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BILLY
Don't, Julie! It's not our car!
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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.)
JULIE (O.S.)
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.)
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.)
JULIE (O.S.)
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.)
JULIE (O.S.)
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!
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BILLY (O.S.)
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.
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