Bingtown
By
R. Earle Harris
All rights reserved (c) 2015 (r dot earle dot harris at gmx dot com)
FADE IN:
EXT. BOEING 757 - NIGHT
Bing Crosby's Swinging on a Star is playing softly (through the credits and)
as the jet approaches a large, nondescript (St. Louis) airport in the Midwest.
INT. BOEING 757 CABIN - NIGHT
The sleepy passengers of a darkened, red-eye flight are waking up and doing the
seat-backs and tray-tables thing as the lights come on. Crosby is still singing.
INT. BOEING 757 AISLE - NIGHT
STEWARDESS moves down the aisle as Bing sings the last verse.
BING CROSBY (V.O.)
''And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo.
Every day you meet quite a few.
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are.
You could be swingin' on a star.''
|
Song ends as Stewardess reaches BOB who is still asleep in his aisle seat. Bob is
a good-looking young guy, early-thirties, a Brad Pitt-Mark Wahlberg-type, in a slightly
too-California business suit. Stewardess shakes him awake.
STEWARDESS
You'll need to put your seat all the
way up, sir.
|
Bob is half-asleep.
BOB
STEWARDESS
EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Boeing 757 lands at the (now Cleveland) large, nondescript airport in the Midwest.
INT. JETWAY - NIGHT
Bob sleepily walks through the jetway with the other passengers.
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Wee hours of the morning in the (now Indianapolis) airport. Terminal almost empty.
Bob makes his way to baggage claim.
INT. BAGGAGE CLAIM - NIGHT
Bob stands with the few other passengers waiting for the luggage. Behind Bob is
a shoeshine stand with an OLD BLACK MAN. Standing next to Bob is a MAN, looking
like a Midwestern car salesman. Bob meets Man's eye.
BOB
(Friendly.)
Man looks at Bob as if Bob has just broken a local taboo and moves to the far corner
of the carousel.
INT. BAGGAGE CLAIM - NIGHT
Bob is the last man at the carousel and still has no luggage. The carousel stops.
Bob tries to make sense of things. He looks around, finally coming out of his sleepy
daze.
BOB
OLD BLACK MAN
You got that right. This ain't no
Big Apple. More like Big Cream of
Wheat.
|
Bob puts on his best savvy-urbanite facade and walks away from the smiling Old Black
Man.
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Bob passes the security stations and heads for the main exit where he is quietly
accosted by a Franciscan FRIAR soliciting for charity. The Friar, dressed in a traditional
habit, is a spare, thin man in his fifties, with a dignified face and grey hair.
Bob tries, weakly, to go around him. The Friar, crossing his hands upon his breast,
gently intercepts him.
FRIAR
Sir, I am a poor brother of the Order--
|
BOB
FRIAR
--of Saint Francis. And we poor monks--
|
BOB
FRIAR
--look to you for your loving gift--
|
BOB
FRIAR
--that will help us in our holy efforts.
|
Bob gives in.
BOB
Bob hauls out his wallet to find it almost empty.
BOB (CONT'D)
INT. BOB'S WALLET - NIGHT
Close-up of Bob's wallet. There are only four twenties and no credit cards.
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Continuous. Bob notices his credit cards are gone.
BOB
Friar is still as sweet as can be.
FRIAR
Friar makes a pious, heavenward gesture. Bob pulls his savvy self back together,
pocketing his wallet.
BOB
No...and...heaven help you if you're
looking for charity in this world.
There's not enough to meet the big
demands--
|
The Friar interrupts with a gesture at his humble habit.
BOB (CONT'D)
I know; plain clothes and vegetarian
diet are no big deal. And it's a shame,
because you wouldn't have to work
hard to earn enough for that. And
then you could use rest of the money
you worked for to help old people
and the poor and...and...poor kids.
|
The Friar seems chastised. Bob warms to the attack.
BOB (CONT'D)
That's right. If you'd come asking
for real charity, I'd have...have
opened my wallet to you. But as it
is I think it's important to distinguish
between those who really need help
and those who just want to get by
in life through laziness and ignorance,
for the love of God.
|
The Friar blushes and walks away. Bob looks around, still trying to figure out what
city he is in. Another Man is walking past him.
BOB
(To Man.)
MAN
(Without stopping.)
Man continues out the main doors of the airport. Bob follows him out.
EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Bob comes out onto the sidewalk in front of the (now St. Louis) airport.
Bing is singing In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening over the
airport speakers.
EXT. TAXI STAND - NIGHT
Continuous. Hardly anyone in sight. A couple of scruffy looking taxis wait nearby.
Bob starts toward one of the taxis.
BOB
The cabbie rolls his window up. Bob retreats, looks around again. He sees the Friar
walking away and Bob looks like he's sorry he treated the monk so poorly. The taxis
are gone. Standing with his hand on his wallet, Bob looks out across the parking
lot at Hertz, then at Avis, then, out beyond those, at Pedro's Alquiler de
Carros. Bob heads for Pedro's.
EXT. PEDRO'S - NIGHT
Bob walks in through the gate. There is a hard-looking, old PEDRO in a booth by
the gate and a hard-looking CHICANA inside at the counter.
BOB
(Awkwardly.)
I was going to rent a car.
|
The old man barely nods toward the office window.
PEDRO
BOB
PEDRO
He points at the Chicana inside. Bob nods broadly to show he understands.
INT. PEDRO'S - NIGHT
In the glare of too many fluorescents, Bob stands at the counter before the grim
Chicana.
CHICANA
...and the Taurus, it will be seventy-five
dollars a day.
|
INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT
Flashback to close-up of the four twenties in Bob's wallet.
INT. PEDRO'S - NIGHT
Chicana is waiting.
BOB
Chicana looks down her pretty nose at him. She looks at the monitor.
CHICANA
There's the LTD. It's older.
|
BOB
CHICANA
Eighty-five dollars a day.
|
Bob looks for a response to that. He ends up just shaking his head at her.
CHICANA
Está bien. Why don't you go take a
look around? See if you can find something
inexpensive enough for you. Okaaay?
|
EXT. PEDRO'S - NIGHT
Bing is still singing In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening ,
now through Pedro's speakers. Bob comes out of the office. Beyond the
gate he sees the Friar speaking with a lovely, young MARIA who is
dressed in black. They both stop and look at Bob. Bob gives them a
self-conscious wave.
BOB
Pedro comes out of the booth and looks at Bob suspiciously; Bob waves at Pedro.
BOB
Pedro waves Bob away impatiently. Bob turns and walks among the cars in the little
parking lot. They all look more or less the same--plain and ratty. Finally, he comes
to a beat-up, two-tone Pinto in the back of the lot.
BOB
I can probably afford this.
|
Bob walks around the car and opens the driver's door.
INT. PINTO - NIGHT
Bob, in the driver's seat, closes the door. The floorboards are covered with trash
and the ashtray is full.
BOB
You'd think they'd clean this out.
|
Bob rolls down the window and then looks out the windshield at the (now Kansas City)
skyline. Bing is still at it.
BOB
INT. BMW 740 - DAY
Yesterday. L.A. Freeway. Bob is in the car with BOB'S DAD, a too-short, too-loud,
too-pushy, Danny DeVito kind of man.
Title Over:
Yesterday.
BOB
I've never been to New York.
|
Title Over:
Bob's Dad.
BOB'S DAD
You've never been anywhere, son.
|
EXT. FREEWAY - DAY
The crowded L.A. Freeway.
INT. BMW 740 - DAY
Continuous. Bob's Dad is impatient with Bob.
BOB'S DAD
And not only have you never been to
New York, son, you don't even know
anyone in New York.
|
BOB
That's exactly why I'm going, Dad.
|
BOB'S DAD
BOB
I'm tired of working in Hollywood
where I know everyone because I know
you!
|
BOB'S DAD
And I'm supposed to be ashamed of
having gotten my son a job? What's
wrong with working for Columbia-Tristar
(substitute company that produces
this script)?
|
BOB
Because the only thing that matters
out here is who you know. Do you think
I could have gotten the job I have
if you weren't my father?
|
BOB'S DAD
You could have been some other studio
vice-president's son.
|
Bob doesn't respond.
BOB'S DAD (CONT'D)
You think it's any different in New
York?
|
BOB
They pass a freeway sign that shows they are heading for the airport.
BOB'S DAD
There are only three kinds of people
that end up in New York, son: imbeciles,
New Yorkers, and moribunds.
|
BOB
BOB'S DAD
People too weak to leave. What did
you do with all my money at UCLA,
anyway?
|
BOB
BOB'S DAD
And Columbia Pictures doesn't make
enough films for you?
|
BOB
EXT. L.A. AIRPORT - DAY
The BMW pulls up in front of the passenger drop-off. Bob gets out, hauls out his
suitcase.
BOB'S DAD (O.S.)
INT. BMW 740 - DAY
Bob sticks his head back into the car. Bob's Dad pokes his finger at Bob.
BOB'S DAD
INT. PINTO - NIGHT
Back at Pedro's.
BOB
And I will make it to New York.
|
Screenplay truncated at 500 lines.
|