TITLE: SUDDEN MONEY
Two men have
accidents. Sudden money turns their lives
upside
down. Each is affected in a different
way. But their families and friends are
thrown into turmoil that takes some of them beyond their coping limit.
RUFUS CARDIN is
a high
rolling wheeler-dealer age 70 thin hair well dressed, self-assured,
fair-minded, unpredictable but generous.
He sounds like a foreigner, German, French, Italian. Most of the time he is an iceberg, ninety
percent under cover not necessarily of water.
He will forget the tenet of guarding against his friends once
too
often. His choice of woman is his
Achilles heel.
PETER NOVAK is
clean cut, has
green, blue or gray eyes, wavy hair and is about thirty.
Forces strike at him, which are beyond his
ken. Trying to adjust to the drastic
changes in his life is like sinking into quicksand.
Will his one hobby be enough to save his new
friend's life, or will that man, who is the iron in his new foundation
go south
as well.
PAUL GRANT is
about
thirty-three years old, tall, sinewy and bored with the daily routine. He adapts, maybe too quickly, to the
changes. Paul deals with the dark side
of sudden money well enough or it is not enough cash to ruin his
marriage.
JEANNIE GRANT is
about
twenty-eight, slim and tall. She usually
wears slacks, an old baggy sweater, sneakers or flat sandals. She is blond and has freckles.
Her nails are cut straight and short, devoid
of all nail polish. Jeannie makes ends meet the sudden surge of
spending is
stressful, but she learns to adjust.
BARBARA NOVAK is
a refreshing
twenty-two, with curves and small waist.
She wears skirt and blouse. She
is a brunette and uses lipstick and nail polish in good taste. She cannot escape her mother's influence and
it will break up her and Peter's marriage MOTHER PEARL 55 is Barbara's
mother. She uses make-up
plentifully. Her figure is well padded
and straight as a loaf of bread. She
wears high heels, hat, gloves and matching handbag when outdoors. She has only one daughter and wants her to
have the best, with her help not to be forgotten. Mother Pearl is also
jealous
of her daughter Barbara.
CYNTHIA age 30,
is the more
sophisticated companion of Rufus, mother of his children. She has
gotten used
to and likes the comfortable life. She
is a borderline personality with never-ending thirst for special
passions. Cynthia has a strong drive for
control. This need will drive her to
sacrifice the
only important man in her life?
TOMMY, age
twenty, is the
friend of Rufus and Cynthia, she is tomboyish and naïve. In time she will get used to the lifestyle of
her friends, but she is not secure about what goes on, and her place in
it.
DANNY has always
been just a
low-level deal-maker, not too choosy about what he will do to make a
buck. He
should have stuck with his day job of small time deals. Assassination
proves
fatal for him and his team.
HIS HIGHNESS
PRINCE MUHAMMAD
aged fifty, is a genuine blue-blood and knows what noblesse oblige is
all
about. His lesson to society is that, no
good deed for King and Country goes without reward ALICE, BARBARA,
CINDY, DREW,
EMILY and SUSAN are in their early twenties. They are window-dressing
to the
Prince. When this gig is over, they know
there is life after Prince Muhammad. The question is who is the best
bet to
follow and how to beat the others out with Peter
TITLE: SUDDEN
MONEY (CONT'D)
FADE IN
EXT. ROOF DAY
An ASSASSIN age
forty, in
bulky coveralls with large hat, gloves, and sunglasses, opens a
suitcase and
picks out the parts of a disassembled rifle and a scope.
RIFLE SCOPE
CROSS HAIR DAY
The scope moves
right and
left sweeping the intersection showing that the interior of the cars is
easily
visible.
POV.
A gloved hand
feeds
cartridges into a magazine. The hand
rams the magazine into the rifle action
EXT. HOTEL DAY
A Cadillac limo
is waiting
with engine running. The CHAUFFEUR, 30,
is standing next to the house phone talking into it.
A white stretched Lincoln, the uniformed
DRIVER, fifty, enters, and drives off.
TWO LADIES, in their thirties, one in Lynx-jacket,
alligator-skin shoes,
and matching handbag, with lapdog, the other in full length black Mink
with
matching Snakeskin-bag and shoes. A
DOORMAN helps the two in. A BELLBOY with
a load of luggage goes in the side entrance
EXT. NOVAK'S
STREET DAY
The Novak's
house is next
door to the Grant's with
The street is
lined with
rundown homes.
INT. NOVAK
BEDROOM DAY
The bedroom is
cheaply
furnished, not much in order with underwear and slippers, shoes, towels
ties
and some more clothes strewn around.
BARBARA NOVAK, twenty-two, is disheveled but pretty. She gets out of bed naked.
Her front is visible in the mirror. The
clock on the toilette table shows
seven. Barbara stretches her body.
BARBARA
PETER?
There is the
sound of an
electric shaver from the bathroom, as well as the sound of a backfiring
car
from the outside with the sound of the alarm going off.
PETER
Yea, I am up,
pour the coffee
please.
Barbara, is
still naked when
she walks barefoot to the living room.
INT. KITCHENETTE
AND LIVING
ROOM DAY
Barbara comes
from the living
room to the kitchenette. The coffeepot
stands on a cold hot plate next to an empty one glowing hot. Barbara moves the pot onto the hot plate,
picks up a half piece of a cookie, draws the kitchen curtain open and
goes back
to the bedroom.
INT. NOVAK'S
BEDROOM DAY
The bedroom is a
mess. Barbara takes her slip from a chair
where a
skirt, a blouse, a pair of nylons and panties lie, as if they had been
thrown
there. Still holding the slip she walks
to the bathroom door which will only open a few inches.
BARBARA
Peter...let me
in.
INT. BATHROOM DAY
PETER, age
twenty-eight,
steps to one side in front of the mirror, where he shaves with an
electric
shaver, clearing space for Barbara to get in the door.
PETER
All right. Is the coffee ready?
Barbara squeezes
through the
half open door, steps into the tub, pulls the curtain, and turns on the
shower,
answering.
BARBARA
No Sweetie, you
turned on the
wrong plate.
Peter blows air
through
compressed lips with a disgusted shake of his head.
Finished shaving, Peter, now still naked,
goes to the bedroom.
INT. DINETTE DAY
He is wearing
shirt, shorts,
socks, shoes, suit, but no tie when he comes to the kitchen, where
Barbara in
her slip joins him. Barbara starts the
toaster, which has bread sticking out at the top She has her hair up in
a
haphazard fashion, and pours coffee for both.
Barbara gets the jam out of the cabinet and butter out of the
fridge. The toaster pops up the toast.
PETER
Come on! I got to go!
Barbara shakes
her head at
Peter, with an open mouth!
BARBARA
Well you could
have started
the toast.
PETER
Oh shoot, no
time for it now.
BARBARA
You get paid
today, don't
you...?
Barbara
scratches her butt,
then runs her hand up her neck to move her hair to the left. Peter looks around for the sugar without
success. He runs his hand up under
Barbara's slip. Barbara puts her hand
over Peter's hand.
PETER
Where is the
sugar honey?
Barbara slaps
her forehead
with one hand pulling her slip up over her breast with index-finger and
thumb. She turns and runs to the
bedroom.
BARBARA
Uh, I forgot to
get some.
PETER LOOKS UP
AT
HEAVEN. SHE RUNS FROM THE BEDROOM DOOR,
IN HOUSECOAT AND SLIPPERS, OUT THE SIDE DOOR, YELLING-
BARBARA
I'll borrow some
from JEANIE.
INT. GRANTS'
KITCHEN DAY
Barbara knocks
and bursts
into the neighbor's kitchen/dinette combination.
PAUL in
shirtsleeves and
Jeannie in slippers and shabby housecoat, are having breakfast, over
easy eggs
toast, cereal, coffee. They both look up
as Barbara bursts in, Paul chewing, Jeannie swallowing.
BARBARA
Morning Paul! Jeannie, please, I ran out of sugar.
PAUL AND JEANNIE
Good morning! Morning!
ANGLE ON
His eyes take in
Barbara's
breast, halfway out, her pubic hair through the near transparent slip
and open
housecoat, as she turns, her leg and butt
END
There is
amusement in his
eyes when he lowers his head. Jeannie
with a look at Paul, gets up and fetches a well-started sack of sugar,
while
Barbara rocks her body up and down impatiently till Jeannie hands the
sugar to
Barbara.
JEANNIE
Here, take it.
Barbara talks
back over her
shoulder as she runs out of the house.
BARBARA
Thanks, you'll
have it back
in an hour.
JEANNIE
It's all right,
there is no
rush.
Paul gets up,
slips on his
coat and walks through the living room to the front door.
PAUL
I am off,
Jeannie.
Jeannie with
dish-towel in
hand runs to catch him at the door, while wiping her mouth, catching up
with
him at the door for a good-bye kiss.
JEANNIE
Good bye Sugar.
EXT. DRIVEWAY DAY
Paul comes
outside and gets
behind the wheel of his beat up old 1976 Dodge coupe.
The street is a
lower middle
class slum. Peter comes running through
the gate and Barbara right after him, loosely holding her housecoat
together, a
tie in her hand, calling.
BARBARA
Sweetie, your
tie!
A window across
the street
shows
EXT./INT.
BEDROOM ACROSS THE
STREET DAY
Through
EXT. GRANT &
PETER
I love you too.
Peter hurries
into the seat,
starts the motor and backs out the red, bleached out 1975
When he is gone
from sight
she squeezes it again before she turns away.
INT.
DORIS MOTHER
(O.S.)
There is no
reply.
Breakfast is
ready.
I am coming, mom.
She lays down
the brush and
leaves.
EXT. HOTEL
ENTRANCE DAY
RUFUS CARDIN, in
blue striped
suit with handkerchief and carnation, pigskin gloves in his pocket,
brown
fedora, paisley silk tie, and attaché case in hand approaches the Cadillac limousine. The
CHAUFFEUR opens the door for him and
greets him.
CHAUFFEUR
Good morning Mr.
Cardin Rufus
Cardin gets in
the Limousine
just nodding at the driver who closes the door and gets into the
drivers' seat
and drives off.
QUICK CUTS
SERIES OF SCENES
1)
Peter is in rush
hour
traffic. His eyes are on an attractive
GIRL
who is bending down to pick up a dropped bag.
2)
A MAN in the car
behind Peter
watches the same scene.
3)
Peter looks at
the traffic
light. It is red. He
hits the brake.
4)
The car behind
hits him and
pushes him into the intersection.
5) RUFUS'
LIMOUSINE COMES
INTO INTERSECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES
END QUICK CUTS
EXT. RUSH HOUR
INTERSECTION
DAY
Rufus' Cadillac
limo is
visible through a riflescope. First the
driver's body is covering the passenger, then the passenger in the
back, is in
the crosshair. The cross hair follows
till Rufus Cardin is totally in view.
ASSASSIN
Perfect
the sight leads
so that the
crosshair is in front of the driver. A
mark on the scope to the rear of the car is now fully on Rufus. The gun
coughs,
and the sight rocks.
ASSASSIN (CONT'D)
Oh shit
END ANGLE
as the Cadillac
nosedives
from braking to avoid hitting Peter's red
INT/EXT.
INTERSECTION DAY
QUICK CUTS
SFX 1) The
limo's glass
shatters, 2) The driver's head explodes.
3) Blood sprays
all over the
windows 4) Blood sprays over Rufus face and shirt.
5) Rufus drops
to the floor.
6) The driver
stops rocking
and falls against the steering wheel.
END QUICK CUTS
The Cadillac
limo continues,
at a barely diminished speed after the dead driver loses control,
until, it
hits Peter's car from the left. The head of the assassin shakes swiftly
as he
ducks while casing the disassembled rifle.
EXT.
INTERSECTION DAY
Peter is out
cold. Two police cars show up positioning
themselves to divert traffic, cherries flashing. The
TWO COPS get out to check on Peter. He
tries to move his head to look sideways,
when pain makes him wince. He keeps his
head straight and feels with his fingers to find the door latch when
his head
slumps forward on the steering wheel.
SFX
There is TRAFFIC
NOISE
DISSOLVE
Peter is
strapped to a
gurney; TWO PARAMEDICS lift him into an ambulance.
EXT. PAUL'S
INTERSECTION DAY
Paul is driving
into an
intersection on green, when a car hits him from the right side. The DRIVER from the other car gets out
groggily, walks forward and looks into Paul's window.
DRIVER
Are you all
right buddy?
Paul makes an
effort to turn
but gives up.
PAUL
Open the door,
will you.
The man complies
with the
request.
DRIVER
Are you hurt?
The cars line up
behind Paul
and the cars, which hit him, maneuver for a change of lanes and Paul
sits on
the car door's sill holding his head erect and straight, his body
swaying
gently. He uses his thumb to point to
behind his car.
PAUL
Would you write
down your
name and get the number of the idiot that hit me?
DRIVER
Mister, it was
me.
(Beat)
DRIVER (CONT'D)
I ran into you.
The driver steps
closer to
the car since the traffic light has changed and the traffic starts to
move past
him.
PAUL
Have you got any
insurance?
DRIVER
Sure I do.
The driver takes
a card,
license and pencil from his pocket and writes down his license number.
PAUL
Cripes I'm dizzy. I need a doctor.
A POLICE OFFICER
joins them.
OFFICER
I have called an
ambulance
and a tow truck for your car.
The officer has
taken chalk
from his pocket and quickly marks the position of the cars on the
pavement. The water from the car's
radiator is forming a puddle. The
officer talks to Paul.
A TRAFFIC COP on
his
motorcycle arrives, puts his flashing lights on, and parks behind the
second
car. There is static on the radio, the
officer turns down the volume. He takes a measuring wheel and starts
working up
a report.
EXT. EMERGENCY
ENTRANCE DAY
A siren is
sounding off. An ambulance turns into the
drive marked
"Emergency Entrance". A clock
strikes one.
DISSOLVE TO
LEWIS an
attorney, in dark
blue suit, carrying an attaché case walks into the emergency
entrance.
Semiprivate
hospital
room. Paul Grant is getting his lunch
from a cart by an ORDERLY. A NURSE IS
leaving. He is in hospital gown with a
large collar and a brace. LEWIS an attorney in suit, with glasses and
attaché
case walks in the door.
LEWIS
Paul Grant?
PAUL
Yea?
LEWIS
I am Lewis.
Lewis gingerly
shakes Paul's
hand.
LEWIS (CONT'D)
I am Gerry
Lewis, Mr.
Grant. You called our office and I have
been asked to handle your claim. I have
already been in touch with the Insurance Company and on the way up I
talked to
DR. LINK. We have had speedy response
from the Insurance Company; they are offering thirty-eight thousand at
this
point to settle now.
PAUL
Thirty eight
thousand!
LEWIS
Yes, but the
doctor informs
me that it is impossible to tell the extent of the damage for now. Your hospital costs so far are eight
thousand. Doctor bills are three
thousand. Normal procedure is to ask for
three to five times damages. Right now
including your car with property damage of three thousand it makes it
fifty
five thousand on the low side. Our
office will take twenty percent if settlement takes place without court
costs,
that is, if we are on a contingency basis.
The nurse
finishes and leaves
the room. Paul is dividing his attention
between the nurse and Lewis with an occasional look out the window.
PAUL
The car is a
wreck, and I
have been told to stay home for several weeks!
Lewis takes a
form from his
briefcase and hands it to Paul with a pen.
LEWIS
If I understand
you right we
are going the contingency way. I will
need your signature here.
Paul signs,
nodding at
himself after giving Lewis a thoughtful look.
LEWIS (CONT'D)
Don't sign
anything. We'll
take care of everything Paul nods at Lewis.
LEWIS (CONT'D)
I will call you
as soon as
you are out of the hospital. But give me a call if you have any
questions
PAUL
Okay I'll do
that.
Lewis leaves
waving at Paul.
LEWIS
Good bye, Mister
Grant.
DISSOLVE
Paul without
brace and with
smaller collar is getting dressed in the same clothes he wore the day
of the
accident. Doctor Link comes into the hospital room, picks up the chart
and
signs it with a look at Paul.
DOCTOR LINK
Well Paul, it's
been four
weeks. I think,
(Beat)
DOCTOR LINK
(CONT'D)
we decided to go
with your
wishes, and let you go home early, but take it easy, and check back
with me in
two weeks.
A NURSE walks in
with a
wheelchair
PAUL
Thank you
Doctor, I'll do
that.
([To nurse])
PAUL (CONT'D)
Would you call
me a taxi,
nurse?
THE DOCTOR LEAVES
NURSE There is
at least one
waiting downstairs Mr. Grant.
PAUL
Okay thank you.
EXT. /INT. TAXI
DAY
Paul sits in the
taxi, which
is moving through a street in the business section of town.
PAUL
That car sales
place we just
passed. Will you drop me off there,
please?
The cabby looks
at Paul in
the rearview mirror.
CABBY
Sure thing, Mac.
The cab stops in
front of the
auto show room. The cabby turns off the meter.
EXT. FRONT OF
CAR DEALERSHIP
DAY
A sports coupe
is in the
window. Paul gets out, holds some bills up high, to look at the
denominations
without turning down his head. The cabby
is looking on, then turns to the meter to shut it off.
Turning to Paul
CABBY
That'll be three
Dollars-sixty.
Paul gives him a
ten and
takes the change with his left hand, while holding onto the cab with
his
right. He reaches across his body to
drop the change into his right coat pocket.
Paul holds up his hand, stopping the cabby from giving him the
coins. He let's go of the cab, then
turns to the showroom.
PAUL
Thank you.
DISSOLVE
EXT. SHOWROOM
WINDOW DAY
The sports coupe
in the
window is gone.
PAN TO STREET IN
FRONT OF
DEALERSHIP
The sports coupe
slowly turns
the corner, drives out of sight.
EXT./INT., CAR.
CITY STREET
DAY
The coupe turns
right, then
left. It glides along in the traffic. At
last it turns into Paul Grant's driveway.
EXT. PAUL'S
STREET AND DRIVE
WAY DAY
Paul gets out
and steps out
of the coupe, two steps back to admire it for two seconds.
He steps close wipes a sleeve over the
fender. He turns to look at the house
and lawn. The admiration leaves his face
to be replaced by a frown. He walks on
the lawn, stubbing with the point of his shoe at places where the bare
earth
looks through. Then he goes inside. View down the street. Barbara
is bicycling home, with two full
shopping bags in the basket. She wears
tight slacks and a blouse with two buttons open. She
looks peachy in the face when she comes
home. When she sees the new car in the
Grant's driveway. She whistles. She parks the bike, clutches the two grocery
bags to her body and walks to the side entrance of her kitchen.
INT. NOVAK'S
KITCHEN DAY
Barbara takes a
smaller sugar
bag from the first grocery bag, hefts it in her hand, she looks in
direction of
the Grant's house. She bites on her left
upper lip and with a short nod she walks out the side door toward the
Grant's
house.
INT. GRANT'S
LIVING ROOM / KITCHENETTE
DAY
Barbara knocks
and enters.
Paul, who is
kneeling on one
leg, in the process of switching on the TV hears her and turns to see. She is out of sight.
PAUL
Jeannie?
BARBARA
No Paul, it's me. I am late bringing back the sugar I borrowed
two weeks ago!
PAUL
Oh.
([Pause])
PAUL (CONT'D)
Well a lot has
happened since
then.
BARBARA
Did you get a
raise?
PAUL
No, why?
BARBARA
I saw your new
car. It's beautiful!
PAUL
YEAH, -
(BEAT)
PAUL
this damn TV is
on the blink
again. I am just about fed up with it.
Paul bites his
upper lip,
shakes his head and gives the TV a slap with his hand turning away from
it. Barbara walks into the living room
and sees Paul with his brace. She goes
over
to him to touch it with curiosity.
BARBARA
So they finally
let you
out. Do you really need this thing?
His attention is
on the TV.
PAUL
Hmmm, …Yeah, for
a while
anyway.
BARBARA
You poor
thing...Does it
hurt?
PAUL
No.
At least not as long, as I take my reds.
Barbara bends
down to Paul
and puts a hand on his shoulder.
ANGLE ON PAUL
Paul turns to
her and gets an
eye-full down her blouse.
ANGLE ON BARBARA
Barbara looks
his brace over.
BARBARA
Are you sure it
doesn't hurt?
PAUL
Well, some.
He gets up,
stumbles and half
falls on Barbara who has knelt down. In
an effort to get his balance he takes a hold of Barbara.
Their faces come close, they pause, and they
look into each other's eyes. Barbara
stays rock solid, when Paul, while they both rise, puts his left hand
on her
breast, his right on her shoulder.
ANGLE ON PAUL
He looks down
into the cleft
between her breasts. They breathe
deeply. Then he lets go of her. Ruefully, Paul looks from her cleft to her
face to the TV, shaking his head.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I may as well
buy a new one.
There won't be much else for me to do for a while.
At least it will
be good for
something.
BARBARA
What will?
PAUL
The insurance
money! I've got a partial payment. They offered to pay me off with thirty-eight
thousand.
BARBARA
Why that's
wonderful,
Paul. So Jeannie will get her drapes
finally.
BARBARA TURNS TO
LEAVE
PAUL
Yea, that too.
Hey Barbara
could you look up a number and dial it for me.
Barbara turns
back
inquiringly. Paul points to his collar.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Its kind of hard
to dial,
when you can't look down you know.
He points to his
collar brace
and turns to the telephone.
BARBARA
Oh sure. Who do you want to call?
PAUL
I need Larry, of
'Nelson TV'.
Paul holding his
head up
blindly feels for the telephone book and sits down on the chesterfield
next to
the telephone, when he finds it. He
hands the phone book to the neighbor.
Barbara sits down besides Paul and takes the directory.
PAUL(CONT'D)
(CONT'D)
Under 'N' for
'Nelson's TV'!
Barbara puts her
finger one a
line in the phone book and looks at Paul. He picks up the receiver and
puts the
phone on Barbara's lap. Barbara
dials. Paul hears the ringing and, nods
at Barbara
PAUL (CONT'D)
This is Paul, is
this you,
Larry?
LARRY
[V.O](FILTERED)
Yes - Paul?
PAUL
I want to buy a
new
television, a large one, and projection.
Barbara moves,
her eyes
shifting right and left, then down to her leg, which is touching
Paul's. She
touches his leg to get his attention.
Paul looks at her with raised head.
BARBARA
I have to run
Paul.
Paul looks at
her hand touching
his leg then he looks at her nodding while talking into the phone. He interrupts to thank her.
PAUL
OK, Barbara
thanks.
Barbara puts the
phone on the
couch gets up and leaves slowly stroking her skirt.
She gives Paul a lingering look over her
shoulder.
LARRY
(V.O(FILTERED))
I have one here
still in the
box for nineteen hundred forty-nine plus tax.
Paul breaks in.
PAUL
Okay Okay, that
sounds just
cool.
LARRY(V.O(FILTERED))
Fine, I'll let
you have it
for eighteen and tax. I'll have it over
there in an hour.
PAUL
Okay, I'll see
you.
LARRY
Thank you, Paul.
Paul hangs up.
EXT. PAUL'S
DRIVE WAY DAY
A panel truck
pulls up the
Grant's driveway. The driver jumps out
and dollies a brand new TV into the house.
Paul opens the door for him.
DRIVER
Hi Mr. Grant. Here is your TV and Mr. Nelson says to tell
you he will be over to set it up for you in the morning.
PAUL
Okay put it
where the old one
is and take that and the stand to the dump.
DRIVER
Okay I'll do
that.
DISSOLVE
On his way out with the old
TV, Jeannie Grant who has just eyed the new car mistrustfully meets him
at the
door. Mystified she steps aside to let
him pass, Jeannie Grant wears sandals, skirt and an old sweater.
Pushing the shopping cart ahead she walks
inside.