Bill's Matinee
FADE IN
INT - MOVIES - DAY
THE LIGHTS come up, HUNDREDS OF KIDS levitate up the red-carpeted aisles, crowd-borne, too drunk on adventure and jujubes to move on their own.
EXT - MOVIES - DAY
Double doors flung open, the kids pour on to the sidewalk, squinting in the harsh afternoon sun.
MARQUEE
Says: “Daredevil For Hire”. (A Graphic of the Daredevil, Loyal Marsden, flying through the air, telephone in hand. A balloon over his head says, “Danger? On my way!”) (A HINT of the movie MUSIC here helps us to recognize it LATER, when BILL “Ta-da's.”)
A KID
APPEARS, turning RIGHT, instead of LEFT, like the crowd. He is BILL MONCRIEF, nearly nine, in torn sneakers and droopy shorts. His journey home will take him along the tree-shrouded Hampstead Street. There would be empty, overgrown lots, buildings deserted in mid-construction, a roadside ditch and a hill or two to crest.
MOVING SHOT TRACKS BILL
As he walks up Lee Road toward Hampstead The music begins in his head, a moving score, a heart-stirring march, a melodic theme of six or seven heroic notes that follows the hero around - strong and upbeat in his triumphs, fearsome and shrill when he is in danger, anticipatory and driving in his battles.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
- Dun-Dun-Ta-Da, Du-Du-Dun-TADA!
- (Mimicking a NARRATOR'S stentorian VOICE)
- Loyal Marsden, daredevil-for-hire, goes where there's trouble… Anywhere!” Dun-Dun-Ta-Da, Du-Du-Dun-TADA!
PEOPLE PASSING
Perhaps they can detect a slight movement of his lips, and the VOICES, under his breath, a hoarse whisper. They glance at him and shake their heads.
BILL
Is lucky to be eight years old. They give him lots of room as he passes by.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
The evil dictator of this small country of Sefronia has held his people in slavery. Too poor to afford any means to call for help, they believed that all was lost…”
ANGLE
Bill nears the corner. He uses the sign post to fly on to Hamstead.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
Then one day, a small airplane crashed in the hills above the village. The Sefronians saved the pilot's life and in return, he allowed them to make a call on his hand-held telephone. They sent for their only hope, Loyal Marsden - Daredevil-for-Hire!”
A MOUND OF DIRT
He moves up the mound of dirt and there, glowing in the sun, is Loyal Marsden!
BILL
Long ago, at age eight, Marsden single-handedly, foiled a bus hijacking using the ancient Tibetan art of Kat-Man-Du! Now, Slim and hard with buns of iron, He belts on his parachute and…”
Bill wriggles into his parachute,
BILL
Drops in on Sefronia! He dives off the mound, rolling down and pulling on his `chute lines.
CUT TO:
INT SHACK
The remnant of an abandoned garage, LIGHT cuts through the rotted wood. BILL MOVES along the OUTSIDE, his (imaginary) weapon cradled carefully. He APPEARS in the opening, cautiously moving INSIDE.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
Marsden can hardly believe that he once Was scared of dark, creepy places.
SUDDENLY, Bill spins around, leveling his weapon!
ACROSS BILL To IMAGINARY GROUP
BILL
(His own voice as Loyal Marsden)
Who Goes?
BILL
(A Girl's Voice)
Relax, we are your friends.
CUT TO:
EXT HAMPSTEAD STREET - DAY
MOVING WITH BILL
He emerges from the shack at a crouched run, weapon at “high port”. He gestures to his meager gang of followers and cuts through yards, behind garages, along lines of cars.
BILL
Follow Me!
(VOICE-OVER)
Dun-Da-Dun-TADA!
(Narrator's voice)
He could see that they wouldn't be much help, but they meant well, these poor souls. Once again, he was on his own.
EMPTY HOUSE
Bill approaches, signaling to the (imaginary) rebels to “fall back”. He moves on to the porch, crouching under the windows, rising briefly to look inside. He moves to the door.
CLOSE - BILL
He removes an imaginary grenade from beneath his battle vest, pulling the pin with his teeth, holding it at arm's length to burn off the count.
BILL
(As Marsden)
This'll get their attention!
He hurls the pineapple through the doorway, rolls and ducks below a window.
BILL
Kaaaaa POWWWWW!
Brushing the debris from his clothing, he waves to the rebels.
BILL
This Way!
Letting out a martial arts YELL, he charges into the house, firing his imaginary weapon.
CUT TO:
INT EMPTY HOUSE - DAY
FOLLOWING BILL
Through the living room and up the stairs. He fires his weapon.
BILL
Ka-bang. TA-DA-DADA-DUM-DADA.
UPSTAIRS ROOM
As BILL holds a roomful of imaginary enemy at gunpoint.
BILL
Quiet! Everybody on the floor!
He turns to his band, who imaginarily enter the room behind him.
BILL
Take care'a these guys. Tie `em up!
He works his way out of the room, through the imaginary crowd at the door.
CUT TO:
ANOTHER ROOM
Bill charges through the door, confronting his imaginary enemy!
BILL
Finally, we meet!
CLOSE - BILL (DICTATOR)
BILL
(As the dictator, a heavy accent)
Zee famous Loyal Marsden, indeed a pleasure.
A wink, a subtle gesture and a quick movement to get a weapon!
CLOSE - BILL (MARSDEN)
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
(As Narrator)
DA-TA-DADA!
Marsden didn't know about the false bookcase! He was jumped by a man with the longest knife he'd ever seen!
WIDE - THE STRUGGLE
A hand-to-hand fight between Bill and an imaginary knife wielder. Bill moves deftly and gracefully.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
Some said Marsden had been clumsy in his youth! HA!
Pushing over an imaginary table, Bill leaps out the door!
CUT TO:
EXT NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY
TRACKING WITH BILL
He dives behind hedges, crawls under cars, pausing from time to time to fire his weapon.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
DUN-TA-DA-DUN! Bullets flew around him. He was chased by the most evil one, and there, he took careful aim! PA-CA-BOOM!
BILL (As DICTATOR)
DIES HORRIBLY, Pleading for his life, twisting into the grass!
BILL
(As dying Dictator)
AYYYY! My power cannot help me now!
PANNING BILL
As he runs up the steps of a modest frame house, dodging the bullets that still fly around him.
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
Boom! Ching! Ka-pthuey!
(As NARRATOR)
Da-DA-DUN! He had done his job, done it well, But he paid for it with his brave life. POW!
As Bill MOVES along the edge to the porch, he takes a round in the breadbasket. He does a dive through a bush and rolls on to the grass, dying with an angel's demeanor.
BILL
(The Sad Theme)
Duh-duh-dada-dum…
And his eyes close.
BLACKNESS
Then, Suddenly:
P.O.V. - UP ANGLE
BILL'S MOTHER, leaning over him, the SUN BRIGHT behind her. She holds a dollar in her hand.
BILL'S MOTHER
Bill. Run down to the store and get a quart of non-fat milk.
SCENE
Bill gets to his feet, takes the money, heads down the street.
CUT TO:
EXT NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY
BILL
Moves toward us, and as we PAN with him, we hear a different theme song:
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
GA-DA-TA-DUN-DA
(Narrator)
…Little did the robbers know…
As Bill MOVES down the street and becomes small in a VERY WIDE SHOT:
BILL (VOICE-OVER)
…When they entered that store, that they would meet up with a one-man army!
Bill's VOICE continues under, the HEROIC THEME comes UP, and we:
FADE OUT
--THE END—