| The Peter
Leroy Television Series Pilot
Chapter 16, A Brief Escape, in which Pete and Al try being a couple of other people for a while |
by Eric
Kraft
|
In Babbington, the series will run exclusively on
WCLM-TV.
|
INT. SMALL’S HOTEL DINING ROOM. A FEW MINUTES
LATER. Peter is sorting the mail. There’s an envelope for him.
He opens it, and he smiles.
CUT TO:
INT. SMALL’S HOTEL ENTRY HALL.
Peter walks up to Albertine at the desk and says . . . She brightens.Let me take you away from all of this.PETER He takes Albertine by the hand and leads her, still protesting. We can see her spirits lift.At least for the afternoon.PETER (CONT’D.)Oh, I’ve got a lot to do . . .ALBERTINE(likes the idea, but)Ahhh, but with no guests in residence right now, this is the perfect opportunity to refresh ourselves before the hordes arrive for the weekend.PETER(producing a coupon)And the Foggy Cove Inn sent us a coupon for a free lunch. MUSIC UP: “Let’s Get Away from It All,” Performed by Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers. CUT TO:
EXT. THE SMALL’S ISLAND DOCK. A MOMENT LATER.
Peter pumping the launch. Albertine starting it up. Peter casting off. Albertine at the wheel, smiling, the wind in her hair. Peter making the launch fast to the Babbington Town Dock. Both getting into the battered Small’s Hotel van. Peter coaxing the van to start. The van pulling up at the Foggy Cove Inn. It’s everything Peter dreams Small’s could be: beautifully renovated, charming, clean and trim, elegantly furnished, tranquil. They are ushered into the dining room. They are seated. MUSIC DOWN.
INT. FOGGY COVE INN DINING ROOM. LATER. They have finished lunch, but are lingering over the last of the wine. If we sent out coupons for free lunches . . . or even free dinners . . .PETER(dreaming)We’ve tried it, remember?ALBERTINE(sorry to be the realist)It must work for them here.PETERIt probably does . . . but look around.ALBERTINEYeah.PETER(a glance is enough)People want to stay here after they’ve had a free lunch.ALBERTINE(impishly, seductively)We could charge it . . .PETER(in the mood) |
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THIRTY-THREE SECONDS OF "IN THE AFTERNOON" VAN MORRISON |
MUSIC UP: A bit of Van Morrison’s “In the Afternoon”:
“I want to make love to you in the afternoon.”
CUT TO:
INT. A ROOM AT THE FOGGY COVE INN. It’s overdecorated
in floral patterns, but it is luxurious. Peter and Albertine are
lying in bed, after sex, snuggling. We see them from above.
Remember when we tried free lunches?ALBERTINE(reminiscing, like Peter)I’m afraid I do.PETERWe must have fed a hundred clamdiggers and fishermen . . . and every one of them could have used a bath.ALBERTINEThat’s an exaggeration.PETERNot the bath part.ALBERTINEAnd the guy who ate the free lunch and tried to hire Suki away from us?PETERRight! And when he couldn’t hire her he tried to . . . seduce her.ALBERTINE(laughter, then a pause and a sigh)But she wouldn’t leave.(blinks back a tear)Foolish . . . foolish loyalty. CUT TO:
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THIRTY-THREE SECONDS OF "SLIP AWAY" CLARENCE CARTER |
INT. FRONT STAIRS OF THE FOGGY COVE INN.
Peter and Albertine creep down the stairs like guilty lovers. They go up
to the registration desk to check out. HENRY, the manager, a pompous
snob who considers himself a man of the world, is bent over some paperwork.
As soon as Albertine recognizes him, she turns away, flips up the collar
of her coat, and wraps herself in her scarf so that only her eyes show.
Peter tries to drop the room key on the desk and escape.
Wrapped-up Albertine gives him a kick that Henry can’t see.Checking out?HENRY(abstractedly)(then looking up)Room? . . . Oh! Well! This is a surprise. Sampling the competition?(noticing the woman)Sampling . . . oh . . . I see.(pulling the charge slip)I think this counts as . . .(winking, leering, tearing up the slip). . . professional courtesy, don’t you?Thank you, Henry. I hope you’ll let me return the favor sometime.PETER(as one philanderer to another) I just may do that.HENRY(wink, wink, nudge, nudge) CUT TO:
EXT. BOLOTOMY BAY. HALF AN HOUR LATER. Peter
at the wheel, Albertine beside him, hugging him, laughing.
MUSIC UP: “Slip Away,” performed by Clarence Carter, over Peter and Albertine talking animatedly, having given themselves a little hope.That bastard! He thought he was helping you cheat on me!ALBERTINEBut he gave me an idea.PETERI’ll bet he did.ALBERTINE(giving him a punch)No . . . I mean, what if we gave away more than just lunch.PETEROooh, I see what you mean, “Lunch ’n’ Love.” . . . How would we advertise it?ALBERTINE CUT TO:
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||
 Here
are a couple of swell ideas from Eric Kraft's vivacious publicist, Candi
Lee Manning.
You'll find more swell ideas from Candi Lee here. |
Tip the author. You can toss a little something Kraft's way through the Amazon.com Honor System or PayPal.
Copyright © 2002 by Eric
Kraft
The scripts for The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences & Observations of Peter Leroy Television Series are works of fiction. The characters, incidents, dialogues, settings, and businesses portrayed in it are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this teleplay may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. The illustration at the top of the page is an adaptation of an illustration by Stewart Rouse that first appeared on the cover of the August 1931 issue of Modern Mechanics and Inventions. The boy at the controls of the aerocycle doesn’t particularly resemble Peter Leroy—except, perhaps, for the smile. |
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