THE BIJOU (The Majestic)

Adele comes down the stairs.

ADELE
No... you were wearing that suit
the last time we went out before...

LUKE
Oh...

ADELE
... and It's just... well, deja vu.

LARDNER
That's it. Deja vu.

Another awkward pause as Adele and Luke stare at each other.
Lardner breaks it.

LARDNER
You kids off to the dance?

LUKE
Aren't you coming?

LARDNER
No, I'm not much of a dancer.

ADELE
(chidingly)
Besides, Daddy's still trying to
figure out how to get his new
television set working.

LARDNER
I had it, a minute ago...

He glances at the TV set. The picture is suddenly crystal
clear.

LARDNER
... ooooh, It's back.
(encouraging them toward
the door)
Well, you kids have fun now...

Adele takes Luke's arm and they exit, exchanging goodnights
with Lardner, who closes the door and turns toward the living
room.

S-l-o-w-l-y, he sneaks into the room, watching the TV
carefully all the while. The reception is staying perfect.
Caesar and Coca are involved in an intricate bit of business,
and Lardner wants to laugh, but he's afraid to. He stifles
his urge, and heads for his chair. Gingerly, he sits. Still
perfect.

Satisfied, he finally LAUGHS out loud and puts his feet up.
The picture goes completely haywire again.

LARDNER
Aw, crap.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Adele and Luke walk along, arm-in-arm.

ADELE
This is strange. Do you feel it?

LUKE
What?

ADELE
We've done this before, so many
times. The last time was so long
ago, but it feels like yesterday.

LUKE
Oh.

Pause.

ADELE
You know, everyone's so excited
about the Bijou re-opening...

LUKE
(interrupting)
It's gonna cost over nine hundred
dollars to open the place, Delly.

ADELE
(shocked)
Nine hundred...

LUKE
Yeah, and needless to say, none of
us has that kind of money lying
around.

ADELE
What about a loan? You could go to
the bank...?

LUKE
A loan to a man who ran his
business into the ground and his
son who can't account for the last
nine-and-a-half years of his life?
Not likely.

ADELE
Well, there's got to be a way...

LUKE
(suddenly)
Have you got a cigarette?

Adele stops.

ADELE
When did you start smoking?

LUKE
I don't smoke?

ADELE
You tried to once. It was pretty
pitiful.

LUKE
Oh.

Adele glances curiously at Luke as we

CUT TO:

A CLARINET

launching into the opening bars of "Don't Be That Way," an
old Benny Goodman tune.

EXT. CITY HALL SQUARE - DAY

Spencer Wyatt's big ban is comprised of a dozen or so
MUSICIANS about Spencer's age -- except for the drummer,
AVERY WYATT, 40s, Spencer's dad. Though no Gene Krupa, he
pounds the skins pretty well, all the while smiling proudly
as his son plays clarinet and leads the band.

Despite the last minute decorations, the Square looks nice,
hung with multicolored paper lanterns and colored lights.

ON LUKE AND ADELE

dancing to the music, along with several other COUPLES.

LUKE
(nodding toward the band)
They're not bad.

ADELE
No, they're not. I'd say your
investment was paying dividends.

LUKE
My what?

ADELE
Back in '37, you heard Benny
Goodman play for the first time, so
you went out and got a used
clarinet. You wanted nothing more
than to be able to play like him.
You tried hard, but it wasn't long
before it was clear that Benny
Goodman would never be looking over
his shoulder. So you gave the
clarinet to Spencer.

LUKE
Huh. That was nice of me.

ADELE
You had a hidden agenda, though.
See, when he was five or six,
little Spence used to follow you
around like a puppy. Bothered the
hell out of you. But as soon as
you gave him the clarinet...

LUKE
... he started practicing, and he
left me alone from then on.

ADELE
Exactly. And he got good.

LUKE
No kidding.

They dance a bit.

ADELE
Now, did you remember that, or...

LUKE
Nope. Just filling in the blanks.

ADELE
Oh. Okay.

And as they dance away, we

CUT TO:

THE SAME - LATER

ON THE REFRESHMENTS TABLE

Luke is pouring two glasses of punch, while Adele is being
shyly admired (and having her ear bent) by two twin brothers,
ALEX and CHARLIE MCKENNA, mid-20s.

ALEX
You're the luckiest guy in town,
Luke. Delly's 'bout the prettiest
thing ever come outta Lawson.

LUKE
(to Alex)
Thanks, Charlie.

ALEX
I'm Alex. He's Charlie.

CHARLIE
I'm Charlie.

ALEX
Yessir, 'bout the prettiest thing
we ever seen, ain't that right,
Charlie?

CHARLIE
You bet.

ADELE
(ala Mae West)
Thanks boys, ya flatter me no end.

The brothers laugh goofily.

CHARLIE
Hey, she's doin' that movie star,
what's her name...?

ALEX
(ignoring his brother)
Hey, Delly, what was that test you
was outta town takin'?

ADELE
It's called the State Bar Exam.

CHARLIE
Shoot!

ALEX
Imagine that, Charlie! A lady
bartender!

CUT TO:

THE SAME - LATER

Adele and Luke are slow dancing to "Thanks for the Memory."

LUKE
How do you tell those two apart,
anyway?

ADELE
Alex and Charlie? Simple. Alex is
the smarter one.

LUKE
That's... pretty frightening.

They laugh and dance a bit more.

ADELE
Your dancing's very good.

LUKE
Thanks.

ADELE
It never used to be. You were two
left feet on the dance floor. Like
pulling teeth to get you to do a
little box step.

LUKE
Guess I must've learned.

Luke dances Adele away, a slightly nonplussed expression on
her face. The band finishes the song, and everyone
enthusiastically APPLAUDS. Spencer bows shyly, blushing
slightly. He nods to the band, and they bow before he
motions for the crowd's attention.

SPENCER
(nervously)
Thanks, folks. Gee, can you tell
we never played in front of people
before?

The crowd yells "No!," "You guys sound great!," etc.

SPENCER
Well, this is our first time, and
it's really all because of Luke. I
mean, it's because of Luke coming
back that we're here tonight -- but
I'm talking about this.

He holds up the clarinet and scans the crowd until he sees
Luke.

SPENCER
(to Luke)
When you didn't come back, I
learned how to play this so I could
remember you. And now that you're
back, well, I'll never forget you.
(to the crowd)
Luke gave me this clarinet, but he
gave this night to all of us.

The crowd APPLAUDS warmly.

SPENCER
Okay folks, here's Mayor Cole!

The crowd APPLAUDS as Ernie Cole mounts the band riser. He
turns and addresses Avery Wyatt, on drums.

ERNIE
Pretty proud of your boy, Avery?

Avery smiles broadly and beats the KICK DRUM five or six
times to register his reaction.

ON THE KICK DRUM -- "WYATT'S HARDWARE, LAWSON, CALIF."

ERNIE
Looks like you might have to find
someone else to mix paint at the
store, 'cause I think Spencer's got
a big career ahead of him.

APPLAUSE again, and Ernie waits for it to settle. As soon as
he starts speaking, the crowd becomes totally silent.

ERNIE
You know folks, here in Lawson, we
gave a lot for our country. A lot.
And we never complained and we
never faltered. And we never
forgot.

Ernie's voice cracks slightly with emotion. He clears his
throat and continues.

ERNIE
We never forgot. And so when one
of our own came back to us, I gotta
tell you folks, it was like a
miracle. Luke, seein' you walking
down the street, it was... well, it
was kinda like seein' one of my
boys alive again. I think I speak
for everyone here when I say that
not a day goes by when we don't
keep our boys' memories alive. But
Luke, having you back among us...
well, it helps us keep their
spirits alive, too. God bless you,
son.

The crowd APPLAUDS. Adele takes Luke's hand and smiles.
Ernie wipes his eyes and changes the subject.

ERNIE
All right, enough a'that. This is
a celebration, so let's have us a
good time -- but not too good a
time, 'cause I see just about every
member of the city council here
tonight, and we have an eight a.m.
council meeting tomorrow morning,
and I expect y'all to be there!
All right, take it away, Spencer!

And Spencer kicks the band into the next tune as we

DISSOLVE TO:

THE SAME - LATER

Luke and Adele come over to Harry and Mrs. Terwilliger,
standing at the periphery. Old Tim stands a few feet back.

LUKE
Why don't you two get out there and
dance?

HARRY
Oh, no, I...

Mrs. Terwilliger blushes.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
I haven't danced with another man
since Mr. Terwilliger passed.

LUKE
When was that?

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Nineteen-oh-nine.

Harry touches Luke's arm.

HARRY
Son, we're gonna go. You two kids
have a lovely time.

Goodnights are exchanged, and the trio leaves. Alex McKenna
comes up to Adele and taps her on the shoulder.

ALEX
Delly, can I have a dance?

ADELE
Sure.

Alex leads her to the dance floor as Adele shoots Luke a
little "help me!" look. Luke smiles back and watches the
dancing crowd. After a moment, a man in a white suit and bow
tie, ROSCOE FITTS, 40s, comes over to Luke and extends his
hand.

FITTS
Luke, you probably don't remember
me, Roscoe Fitts, I'm the grocer
here in town.

LUKE
(shakes his hand)
Good to meet you. Again.

FITTS
Like Ernie said, we're all glad to
have you back.

LUKE
Thanks.

FITTS
And I hear you and Harry are
planning on re-opening the Bijou.

LUKE
We're gonna try. Place needs a lot
of work.

FITTS
I can only imagine. You know, I
spoke with your Dad last year about
maybe taking the Bijou off his
hands. I don't think he gave it
very much thought.

LUKE
Well, he loves the place. It's his
home.

FITTS
Luke, I'm hopping you can help him
see the reality of the situation.
I'll come to the point. I want to
buy the property, and I'm prepared
to offer six-thousand dollars for
it. And that's just for the
property, mind you. If you want,
I'll leave it to you and your
father to dismantle and liquidate
the building for whatever salvage
value it has, and you keep those
proceeds. I just want the land.

LUKE
(taken aback)
That's... well, that's very
generous, but if you've already got
a store...?

FITTS
The days of the storefront grocery
are numbered. I plan on putting up
a free-standing supermarket.

LUKE
(it's an alien word)
A super market. Huh.

FITTS
You think it over. No reason to
risk financial ruin for the sake of
a crumbling old building.

Fitts takes Luke's hand and shakes it.

FITTS
Good to have you back, Luke.

As Luke watches Fitts walk off, we

CUT TO:

THE SAME - LATER

ON SPENCER

SPENCER
Last dance, folks!

The crowd MOANS slightly, and Spencer kicks the band into
"Moonlight Serenade," slow and easy.

ON ADELE AND LUKE

As they hold each other close and dance. Adele rests her
head on Luke's shoulder, her eyes closed. Luke strokes her
hair and sways her gently to the music.

Luke looks toward the edge of the dance floor.

LUKE'S POV

Bob Leffert is standing there, staring at the band. Mabel
comes up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. She's
asking him if he would like to dance. Bob looks down at the
ground, self-consciously shoves his hook-hand in his pocket
and moves away, leaving Mabel standing there.

As Luke watches and the MUSIC CONTINUES OVER, WE

DISSOLVE TO:

MONTAGE:

Luke and Adele dancing...

... walking slowly arm-in-arm down Adele's street, up her
walk to her door...

... kissing passionately on her doorstep...

... Adele going inside and Luke walking away, each unable to
take their eyes off the other...

... Luke walking the quiet streets of Lawson, smiling
beatifically...

MATCH DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE BIJOU - NIGHT

Luke turns the corner and heads for the theater door. He
pulls out his keys and enters.

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Luke's about to close the door, when he looks down and sees

CAT

MEOWING at him from the sidewalk. He holds the door open,
and Cat shoots into the lobby, disappearing into the
auditorium. Luke closes the door... and stops. He HEARS
something, and so do we. Soft and faraway, it's a PIANO.
The melody is soft, lilting -- almost a lullaby.

Luke turns toward the music, which is coming from the
auditorium. The piano continues, building slightly in
volume. He moves to the auditorium doors and tentatively
pushes one open.

INT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT

Luke enters, his face bathed in the soft, flickering,
reflected light of

THE SCREEN.

The movie is "The Big Parade." The old, decomposing nitrate
print is badly scratched and stained. A young, beautiful
Renee Adoree is bidding a tearful farewell to her lover, John
Gilbert, as he marches off to fight the Great War.

Luke stares at the screen. The look on his face is one of
bewilderment -- and awe.

ANGLE - THE PIANO

The rickety old upright is tinny-sounding and slightly out-
of-tune. But it really doesn't matter.

CLOSER

Mrs. Terwilliger is playing passionately. She never takes
her eyes -- which are full of tears -- off the tattered
screen, except to close them when she is overcome with
emotion. Even so, she never misses a beat.

HER HANDS

fairly dance upon the keys. Stiff and wrinkled as they are,
they manage to elicit every possible fragment of sensitivity
that the old piano can muster.

Luke is moved by what he's witnessing. This is the magic...

WIDER ANGLE - THE CENTER SECTION

To the right of Luke, sitting in the center of a row, is Old
Tim. Stroking Cat, Old Tim stares at the poignant scene
unfolding on the screen, pausing only to wipe his eyes and
nose with a handkerchief. He doesn't notice

LUKE

who looks up towards the projection booth.

CUT TO:

A BRIGHT, WHITE, FLICKERING LIGHT,

filling the frame. We're looking directly into the beam of
light radiating from the projector.

PUSHING INTO THE LIGHT, we get closer to the windows of the
booth. We come out of the beam and can just barely make out
the figure of Harry, framed in a small window next to the
projector.

WE CONTINUE PUSHING IN -- closer and closer -- until Harry's
face fills the screen. He is watching the film; his eyes are
wide and moist, as though he's experiencing the magic that's
unfolding on the screen for the very first time.

The warning bell on the projector CHIMES THREE TIMES,
signaling the end of the reel. Harry moves away from the
window.

INT. PROJECTION BOOTH - NIGHT

Never taking his eyes off the screen, Harry watches as the
film comes to an end and flap! falp! falps! out of the
projector. He kills the motor and cranks the carbon arcs
apart, and the bright beam dies. It's not the end of the
movie, but it is the end of the only fragment they have.

Harry moves to the house lights rheostat, and slowly fades
them up. This done, he pulls a handkerchief from his back
pocket and blows his nose loudly.

He crosses back to the projector, unlatches the full take-up
reel and takes it down. He's about to move away, when he
senses that he's not alone. He looks over the projector to
see

LUKE,

standing there. Their eyes meet. Someone should say
something -- both men search for words. Suddenly, Luke feels
very out-of-place, almost embarrassed -- as though he's
interrupted a very private ritual.

Harry senses this. Clutching the precious reel of film
tightly to his chest, he searches Luke's face and smiles
warmly.

HARRY
Beautiful, wasn't it?

LUKE
(softly)
Yes.

HARRY
Well, son, I wish I could've shown
you more, but this is all that's
left. Just this one reel that
never got sent back from a picture
we showed here a long time ago.
Nineteen twenty-five, to be
exact...

LUKE
Dad, I...

HARRY
(a tiny laugh)
Ha!

LUKE
... what?

HARRY
You know, since you've been back,
that's the first time you've called
me "Dad."

Father and son look at each other for a long moment --
searching each other's eyes. Harry smiles a sort-of half-
smile at Luke, and, still clutching the reel, crosses to the
rewind bench. Methodically, he mounts it and threads the end
of the film onto an empty reel. Slowly, he begins to turn
the crank, rewinding the film.

He stops and looks to where Luke was standing... but he's not
there.

ANGLE - PROJECTION BOOTH DOOR

Luke is leaning up against the wall just outside of the
projection booth.

ONE LUKE

As he closes his eyes...

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

ON HARRY

In bed, sound asleep, snoring. A HAND reaches into frame and
shakes him awake.

LUKE'S VOICE
Harry. Dad, wake up. Wake up.

Harry opens his eyes and looks up.

INT. HARRY'S BEDROOM - DAY

HARRY
(bleary)
Luke... what time is it?

LUKE
Six-thirty.
(smiles)
I thought we'd get an early start.

CUT TO:

INT. CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM - DAY

A meeting of the Lawson City Council is in session, Mayor
Cole presiding. Of the dozen council MEMBERS, we also
recognize Avery Wyatt and Roscoe Fitts. VERA DWIGHT, the
council secretary, a cherubic woman in her 40s, is reading
the minutes of the last meeting.

VERA
Finally, Roscoe Fitts moved, and
Red Curtis seconded, that the
council form a committee to
investigate the adoption of a new
property taxation structure.
Motion carried, nine to two, one
abstention.

As Vera speaks, the meeting room door opens and Luke, Harry,
Old Time and Mrs. Terwilliger slip inside and take seats on
the unoccupied benches.

ERNIE
Thanks, Vera.

Ernie notices Luke and the trio.

ERNIE
Well, the chair notes the presence
this morning of Luke and Harry
Trumbo and the rest of the Bijou
staff. Frankly, the chair notes
the presence of just about anyone
who ever finds their way into one
of these meetings. G'moring,
folks.

LUKE & THE TRIO
Good morning.

ERNIE
I'm just guessing, but I bet it's
not a sudden interest in Lawson
politics that brings you all here.

Luke stands.

LUKE
Well, no...
(clears his throat)
I wanted to thank you all for
giving me such a nice welcome, and
making me feel at home. But I...
we're... actually here on business
of a sort...

DALEY THORNHILL, 30s, the council parliamentarian, pipes up.
He's waving a copy of "Roberts Rules of Order."

DALEY
Point of order, Mr. Mayor, this
comes under the heading "New
Business," and this is not the
time...

ERNIE
I think we can make an exception
here, Daley.

DALEY
It'll need to be moved and
seconded.

Ernie rolls his eyes, then quickly and mechanically, without
inflection:

ERNIE
All right, motion to hear the
speaker out of order.

WYATT
Seconded.

ERNIE
Motion on the floor, discussion
open, discussion closed, all those
in favor signify by saying "aye."

ALL
Aye.

ERNIE
Opposed? Hearing no opposition,
the motion is carried.

Pause. Ernie turns to Luke and smiles.

ERNIE
Go ahead, son.

LUKE
Thanks. Well, I'll make this short
and sweet. The Bijou needs a lot
of repairs, and the truth of the
matter is, Harry, um, that is, Dad
and me, Mrs. Terwilliger and Old
Tim, we can't possible afford them
all. So, I'd like to ask your help
to... well, to scrounge around a
bit, and see if you have anything
that might help us out.

WYATT
What kinds of things are you
talking about?

LUKE
Oh, paint, brushes, plaster, light
bulbs, yardage, and if you can't
come up with any of that, we can
use some old-fashioned elbow
grease.

Fitts leans forward.

FITTS
So... you do intend to fix the
place up after all?

LUKE
Mr. Fitts, with all due respect, I
think Lawson needs the Bijou a bit
more than it needs a super market.
And I think Lawson deserves the
Bijou. There's not a lot that can
be done to help us get past the
pain we've all felt...

He looks at Harry and smiles.

LUKE
... but I think a good dose of
magic is as good a place as any to
start.

The council members MURMUR amongst themselves, then:

WYATT
(eagerly)
Motion to encourage the citizenry
of Lawson to help out the Bijou in
any way they can...

DALEY
(a subtle reminder)
... short of the allocation of city
funds...

WYATT
(agreeing)
... short of allocation of city
funds.

DALEY
(enthusiastically)
Seconded!

ERNIE
(brightly)
Motion on the floor, discussion
open, discussion closed, all those
in favor signify by saying "aye."

ALL
AYE!

ERNIE
Hearing no opposition, the motion
is carried! Congratulations, Luke,
you got yourself a town to help you
out!

CUT TO:

INT. CITY HALL BASEMENT STORAGE ROOM - DAY

As the entire city council and the Bijou trio looks on, Luke
moves to the memorial and pulls down the huge piece of muslin
covering it. Harry steps forward and gathers some of it in
his arms.

Ernie and Daley step forward and look up at the monument.

Ernie touches the names of his two sones inscribed on the
base of the monument.

ERNIE
(slowly)
You know, this really ought to be
out where people can see it.

Luke overhears this last, and as he smiles, he turns to
Harry, who brightens as he pulls a large section of the
muslin taut between his outstretched arms...

CUT TO:

MONTAGE - WITH SOME HARD-DRIVING BOOGIE-WOOGIE UNDER...

ANGLE - THE SCREEN

Harry's on a ladder, snipping the cords holding up the old
screen, which is dropping, bit-by-bit, into the arms of Luke
and Adele, who are surrounded by a group of LITTLE KIDS,
watching the goings-on in wide-eyed awe.

Harry snips the last line, and the rest of the old screen
drops down on Luke's head. Suddenly... LUKE'S A GHOST!! He
raises his arms and plays the bogeyman for the kids, who
scream in mock terror and scatter, as Harry and Adele laugh.

INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY

Old Tim and Harry carry a dilapidated row of seats up the
aisle, as Adele and Mabel move in, tearing up the rotten
carpeting and sweeping up the dust and debris.

The men are having a tough time carrying the seats, and just
as they're about to drop the row, someone rushes in next to
Harry and grabs his end. It's Carl Leffert. A second later,
someone else grabs Old Tim's end.

BOB LEFFERT

has a good purchase on the seats with his good hand and his
hook. He nods to Old Tim, who steps away, mopping his brow.

Luke smiles as he sees this from the front of the auditorium.

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - DAY

Harry, Stanton and Mrs. Terwilliger, with the help of Avery
Wyatt and his son Spencer, tear down the rotting draperies
and scrape off the wallpaper covering the lobby walls. Then,
as Harry, Spencer and Stanton sand down the walls, Avery and
Mrs. Terwilliger hand them freshly-mixed cans of red wall
paint and brushes. Immediately, they all set to work
painting.

EXT. THE BIJOU SIGN - DAY

Luke is on the roof of the theater, pliers in hand and tool
box nearby. He's just straightened out the "J" and he steps
back... carefully... to admire his handiwork. For the first
time in a long time, the sign actually reads, "THE BIJOU."

But not for long. Luke tenses... the building starts
shaking... and the train passes by behind the theater. Luke
lunges out of the way as three letters shake lose and fall.
Once again, the sign reads, " HE B J U." Luke winces.

EXT. CITY HALL SQUARE - DAY

Ernie Cole and Avery Wyatt stand solemnly at the front of a
small group gazing at the base of the war memorial, as it
takes shape in a prominent place in the square...

INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY

Harry is on a ladder, attaching the final spring stretcher to
a corner of the muslin. It snaps into place, and voila --
new screen! Luke, Adele, Doc Lardner, and Sheriff Eldridge,
standing below, applaud enthusiastically.

INT. ORCHESTRA PIT - DAY

As work progresses all around her, Mrs. Terwilliger has just
finished dusting off the piano. She opens the keyboard cover
and trails her hand delicately over the keys. She sits,
closes her eyes, and begins to play -- Chopin's Op. 10 Etude
No. 3 -- delicate, flowing music. Even though the piano is a
bit out of tune, it's still beautiful.

As she plays, all the work slowly comes to a halt. Before
long, all eyes are on her. Everyone's listening.
Transported.

After a moment, she stops. Overcome. Everyone applauds.
Surprised, Mrs. Terwilliger stands, and, blushing, bows.

LUKE
That was beautiful.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
I taught you that.

LUKE
I can play the piano?

MRS. TERWILLIGER
(all fluttery)
Oh dear, yes. You were an
excellent student, before all that
clarinet nonsense. You loved
Chopin. You used to call it
"heaven music." "Teach me some
heaven music," you used to say.

She sits at the piano.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Sit. Play with me.

LUKE
No, I...

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Some of it might come back to you.

Reluctantly, Luke sits down to her left. As she begins to
play a Chopin waltz, she encourages him to keep the 3/4 time.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
That's good... that's good...

But it's clear Luke has no idea what he's doing. He's just
plunking bass notes. But after a moment, the bass figures
he's improvising start to change -- and before long, it's
transformed into the eight-to-the-bar figure of a boogie
woogie beat. Mrs. Terwilliger stops playing, annoyed.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Really, Luke! That's no way to
treat Mr. Chopin!

She stands and moves away. Luke keeps playing, grinning
madly -- he's loving it! After a moment, Spencer Wyatt runs
over and takes Mrs. Terwilliger's place, improvising the top
half to Luke's bass line.

OLD TIM

is tapping his foot to the beat. He turns to Adele and says:

OLD TIM
I taught him that.

Off Adele cracking up.

THE MONTAGE CONTINUES...

EXT. THE BIJOU SIGN - DAY

Luke and all the letters up again. He steps back, checks his
watch, and like clockwork, the rumbling begins and a train
goes by. This time, however, only the "J" tips over at a
jaunty angle. Luke smiles.

INT. MABEL'S DINER - DAY

Luke, Adele and Harry, wearing coveralls, sit at the counter,
devouring hefty plates of turkey with dressing and mashed
potatoes and gravy. Luke's and Adele's hair is practically
white from plaster dust and Harry's face and hands are
stained with paint specks.

At the other side of the counter, Mabel is chatting amiably
with Bob Leffert. She smiles at him warmly, then turns to
refill Harry's coffee cup. Harry thanks her, then turns back
to the newspaper he's reading.

INSERT - THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LAWSON JOURNAL-AMERICAN

Prominent is the black-and-white photo of a little boy and a
policeman holding up Pete's jacket, with the accompanying
headline:

BOY, 5, FINDS SUSPECTED RED'S
JACKET ON SANTA BARBARA BEACH
Hollywood Writer Feared Dead
Were Red Agents Involved?

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE BIJOU SIGN - NIGHT

Luke's standing near the sign. He yells to Adele, down below
on the ground. She, in turn, yells to Harry, standing near a
switch panel behind the candy counter. He throws the
switch...

... and the sign lights up beautifully! Then, they all feel
the rumble -- the train rolls past, and, although they rattle
and shake, no letters fall. A CHEER goes up from Adele,
Harry, and the small crowd of ONLOOKERS below. Delighted,
Luke takes a formal bow. The boogie-woogie ends as we

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CITY HALL SQUARE - DAY

ON THE MEMORIAL

Complete and polished, standing proudly in the center of the
square.

WIDER

It's a clear, balmy day, and the whole town is turned out.
Mayor Ernie Cole is at the podium. He finishes his remarks,
then picks up the two faded gold stars representing the lost
lives of his sons. He holds them up, high above his head.

ON THE CROWD

One-by-one, the gold stars of the town's boys are solemnly
held aloft by their loved ones.

Luke and Harry stand at the side of the square, looking out
at the sea of four or five dozen gold stars being held aloft.
Luke catches a glimpse of a man in an army uniform...

LUKE'S POV

It's Bob Leffert, standing with Mabel, looking very sharp in
his dress greens. He brings his hook-hand up and salutes
smartly. Mabel takes his good hand, squeezes it as she
blinks back tears.

Luke smiles at this scene as Harry wipes his eyes and puts
his arm around Luke's shoulder, pulls him close and kisses
him on the forehead.

DISSOLVE TO:

THE SAME - LATER

The Lawson High School Marching Band is set up on the steps
of City Hall, playing the "Star Spangled Banner." They are
being conducted by their director, MR. PHILLIPS. Luke and
Harry, hands over their hearts, watch and sing along. Then,
Luke takes a closer look at the DRUM MAJOR...

ON THE DRUM MAJOR,

a tall young man wearing an ornate brocaded red and white
uniform with "LHS" emblazoned across the chest.

ON LUKE

He has an idea. The anthem ends, and Luke excuses himself
and moves forward, buttonholing Mr. Phillips as he comes down
the steps...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BIJOU - DAY

Luke and Adele are on ladders, hanging letters on the
marquee, which reads:

GRAND RE-OPENING TONIGHT!
GENE KELLY
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Harry comes outside and gets their attention. Grandly, he
gestures toward the door, and out strides

OLD TIM,

wearing his new uniform -- it's the Lawson High School drum
major's uniform, modified here and there. "B-I-J-O-U" is
proudly emblazoned across his chest in gold brocaded letters.

Luke and Adele applaud. Old Time looks up at them -- AND
SMILES!

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Old Tim stands at attention, clutching the front door handle.
Mrs. Terwilliger, wearing a new dress, her hair newly and
perfectly coiffed, stands at the ready at her candy counter,
ready to sell tickets and refreshments.

Harry and Luke nervously pace the lobby. Luke checks his
watch. It's time. He shakes Harry's hand, and nods to Old
Tim, who swings the door open...

ON THE DOOR

Immediately, PATRONS come flooding into the theater. Luke
exchanges surprised glances with Harry -- then walks outside.

OUTSIDE THE THEATER

Luke comes out and looks down the block.

HIS POV

The line of PATRONS stretches two deep down the block and
around the corner.

Luke smiles. Success.

DISSOLVE TO:

THE BIJOU'S MARQUEE -- "FRED ASTAIRE - ROYAL WEDDING"

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - DAY

Luke's selling tickets from behind the candy counter while
Mrs. Terwilliger sells refreshments to a line of CUSTOMERS.
Luke sells a ticket to a WOMAN, who moves away, revealing

BOB LEFFERT AND MABEL.

Luke smiles at Bob, who smiles back, his eyes now fairly
dancing with life. He plunks down his admission, and Luke
hands him two tickets, which he takes with his hook-hand.
Mabel smiles at Luke, takes Bob's good hand, and they move
away, revealing A FARMER AND HIS WIFE, 50s.

The Farmer steps up and holds out a plucked chicken by its
neck.

Luke, surprised, jumps back -- then smiles, pulls off two
tickets, and exchanges them for the chicken.

DISSOLVE TO:

THE BIJOU'S MARQUEE -- "THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL"

INT. BEHIND THE SCREEN - NIGHT

The only light back here is the light of the movie, spilling
through the screen. Luke is straightening up the backstage
storage area, when Adele taps him on the shoulder. He turns,
and she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. She
hands him a paper to read.

ON THE PAPER

Luke angles it so he can read it by the light of the screen.
It says:

California State Bar Association
ADELE LOUISE LARDNER
has PASSED the State Bar examination.

Luke, thrilled, grabs Adele and picks her up, twirling her
around with joy. He sets her down and kisses her
passionately.

DISSOLVE TO:

THE BIJOU'S MARQUEE -- "SAND PIRATES OF THE SAHARA"

INT. PROJECTION BOOTH - NIGHT

Harry is frantically threading the changeover projector. The
bell on the running projector DINGS! once, signalling that
the reel is coming to an end. Harry looks out the window at
the screen, then back to the task at hand.

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Luke comes out of the office carrying a folded movie poster.
With a satisfied smile, he walks through the lobby, admiring
how handsome the old place looks. Old Tim, snappily attired
in his uniform, is sweeping a tiny pile of debris into a
dustpan. Mrs. Terwilliger is straightening up the candy
counter. All is well.

Luke goes to the lobby's poster case. He opens it, and
unfolds a brand-new one-sheet poster for "SAND PIRATES" --
the same design as the one-sheet we saw in Pete's apartment.
Methodically, he thumbtacks the poster up and closes the
case.

As Luke passes the auditorium doors, a MAN comes out of the
theater and crosses to the candy counter. The door stays
open for a moment, and Luke decides to duck inside and catch
a bit of the picture.

INT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT

ON THE SCREEN - "SAND PIRATES OF THE SAHARA"

The second-to-last reel of a black-and-white early-50's
programmer. It's nighttime in the desert. A huge full moon
hangs over a B-movie soundstage version of the pyramids.
GREGORY, a dark, handsome leading man in a pith helmet is
engaged in a fierce swordfight with KHALID, the villain.

Pete takes a seat on the aisle near the door.

GREGORY (ONSCREEN)
You don't think you can win this,
do you?

Khalid lunges and draws Gregory's blood.

LUKE
(ala "Khalid")
"Ha! I'd say I was winning!"

KHALID (ONSCREEN)
Ha! I'd say I was winning!

Luke's look is "How did I know he was gonna say that?"

Onscreen, an EVIL HENCHMAN is sneaking up behind Gregory.

LUKE
"Gregory! Look out!"

WOMAN'S VOICE (ONSCREEN)
Gregory! Look out!

Pete did it again.

Onscreen, Gregory turns and kills the Henchman, then quickly
dispatches Khalid. He stands over the body, catches his
breath and says:

GREGORY (ONSCREEN)
It's all right, Rebecca.

WOMAN'S VOICE (ONSCREEN)
Is he dead?

GREGORY (ONSCREEN)
Yes, Rebecca. He's dead.

REBECCA, a beautiful American woman, comes into view and
takes our attention because she's being played by Sandra
Sinclair, Pete Appleton's ex-girlfriend...

ON LUKE

His mouth is gaping open. He stares at the screen.

LUKE
(a whisper)
Sandra...?

Luke stands. Confused, he stumbles backward, moving into the
lobby as the Man goes back into the auditorium with his
popcorn and the door closes.

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Luke is staring at the closed auditorium doors. Old Tim and
Mrs. Terwilliger take note of his odd behavior.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Luke? Dear, are you all right?

Without answering, Luke turns and runs to the poster case.

ON THE POSTER - "SAND PIRATES OF THE SAHARA"

Forget the cheesy B-movie artwork. As Luke looks at the
poster, it's clear that he's remembering something. He looks
at the picture of Sandra -- then scans down to the credits
block at the bottom of the poster. His eyes lock upon

WRITTEN BY PETER APPLETON

LUKE
My god... my god... no...

Suddenly, all of Pete Appleton's worries have come crashing
down on him...

... because he remembers...

INT. PROJECTION BOOTH - NIGHT

The warning bell DINGS! twice, but the changeover projector's
carbon arcs keep sputtering and the motor keeps dying.

HARRY
(pleading)
Oh, baby, make your daddy happy...

Harry's trying to keep the projector going, as the previous
reel is about to end. Given no other choice, he finally
gives the changeover projector a good swift kick.

It hums to life. A perfect changeover. Harry pets the
projector.

HARRY
You're a good girl. No matter what
I say.

As he turns away, he feels a sudden, sharp pain in his left
arm. Wincing, he grabs his arm, staggers back towards a
chair, and sits heavily.

He tries to clear his throat, but it dissolves into a
hacking, choking COUGH. He tries to stand, but drops to his
knees, clutching his left arm harder than before.

HARRY
(in pain)
Oh, Jesus...

Harry falls to the floor, and as he does

THE FILM

breaks in the projector gate... flap! flap! flap!...

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Luke is still staring at the poster, lost in thought.
Offscreen, we HEAR the audience WHISTLING AND HOOTING in
reaction to the broken film.

Mrs. Terwilliger has been calling Luke's name, but he doesn't
come out of his stupor until Old Tim comes up behind him and
spins him around...

OLD TIM
Mr. Luke!

Luke stares wide-eyed at the old man.

MRS. TERWILLIGER
Luke! Luke, something's wrong!
The film broke, and I can't raise
Harry on the house phone!

LUKE
(still dazed)
What?

MRS. TERWILLIGER
You've got to talk to them before
they tear the theater apart!

Finally, Luke pulls himself together, hears the audience
noise, and moves toward the auditorium doors.

INT. AUDITORIUM - NIGHT

Amid the shouting and tossing of popcorn and debris, Luke
tries to regain his composure as he strides down the aisle
toward the stage.

LUKE
Come on, folks, this happens every
once in a while, just settle
down...

The crowd quiets down a bit. Luke shields his eyes from the
light and calls up to the projection booth.

LUKE
Harry! Harry, why don't you cut
the projector and bring up the
house lights?

No reaction. Just the flickering beam of light.

LUKE
Harry? Harry...?

Luke, gripped by a sudden fear, rushes up the aisle and into
the lobby. The crowd goes silent...

INT. BIJOU LOBBY - NIGHT

Old Tim and Mrs. Terwilliger watch as Luke tears into the
lobby and makes for the balcony stairs...

INT. BALCONY - NIGHT

... and charges between the seats and up the stairs to the
projection booth.

INT. PROJECTION BOOTH - NIGHT

Luke bursts in the sees Harry on the floor. He rushes over
and kneels down next to him.

LUKE
Jesus...

HARRY
(with difficulty)
The film broke...

LUKE
I know, I know... keep still.

A MAN pops his head into the projection booth door.

LUKE
(to the man)
Get Doc Lardner.

CUT TO:

INT. HARRY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Harry is in bed, eyes closed. Doc Lardner has a stethoscope
to his chest. He leans up and pats Harry's hand.

He stands and comes over to Luke and Adele, who are near the
door. Just outside, angling for a view into the room, are
Old Tim and Mrs. Terwilliger.

LARDNER
It's a pretty massive heart attack.
His lungs have filled with fluid,
and, well... it seems as though his
body is just... shutting down.

LUKE
Can we get him to the hospital?

LARDNER
Even if we could, and the move
didn't kill him, there'd be very
little we could do there that we
can't do here.
(puts his hand on Luke's
shoulder)
I'm sorry.

Harry's eyelids flutter.

HARRY
(weakly)
Did you... did you...

Luke rushes to Harry's side and takes his hand.

LUKE
I'm here.

HARRY
Did you... did you...

LUKE
Did I what?

HARRY
(irritated)
Did you fix the damn film? It
broke in the last reel.

LUKE
I know. Everyone went home. We
offered them refunds.

HARRY
Anybody take it?

LUKE
A few.

HARRY
(closes his eyes)
Vultures...

Luke smiles.

HARRY
I'm not happy about this, mind you,
but if I have to go, at least I'm
going in my own bed, the same bed
my Lily died in, and... knowing
that my son is alive. That's not
too shabby, is it?

LUKE
You're not going anywhere, Harry.

HARRY
Don't tell me, I know about these
things. I've seen it before. It's
all right. It's... all right.
You're here. Oh, God, I love you,
son.

Harry smiles. Luke kisses his hand and leans up, whispering
in Harry's ear:

LUKE
And I love you... Dad.

Harry smiles faintly, looks at Luke. He nods, then closes
his eyes.

HARRY
(softly)
Oh, so... much... lighter...

Slowly, Harry exhales. His face relaxes, completely at
peace. He doesn't breathe again.

Luke looks at Harry's face for a moment. Then as the tears
well up, he leans over and ever-so-gently places a kiss on
Harry's forehead.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. LAWSON CEMETERY - DAY

It's a beautiful, bright, sunny day. Luke and Adele stand at
the front of the large group of mourners. REVEREND COLEMAN,
50s, conducts the service.

COLEMAN
We commit to the earth the mortal
remains of Harry Bernard Trumbo,
safe in the knowledge that his
immortal soul is at peace and at
last reunited with his beloved
Lillian in the bosom of the Lord.
Let us pray.

Everyone bows their heads.

COLEMAN
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want, he maketh me to lie down
in green pastures..."

Luke looks up at the sky, then steps forward and lays a
single rose on Harry's casket. Then, as everyone
surreptitiously watches, he turns and walks away from the
gravesite, toward the cemetery entrance.

Adele watches Luke depart...

ANOTHER ANGLE

... and she's not alone. Agents Saunders and Brett are
watching everything from their car, which is parked nearby.
As Luke walks away, Saunders snaps his photo with a long-lens
camera...

DISSOLVE TO:

THE BASE OF THE WAR MEMORIAL,

and Luke's name inscribed there.

EXT. CITY HALL SQUARE - DUSK

Luke stands in front of the memorial, head bowed. After a
moment, he sits, leaning against the memorial.

ON LUKE

Lost in thought, he buries his face in his hands.

ADELE'S VOICE (O.S.)
Mind if I join you?

Luke looks up, squinting. Adele stands above him, backlit by
the golden light of the sundown.

LUKE
Sure.

She sits next to him. Tentatively, she touches his shoulder.
He leans into her, and she enfolds her arm in his.

Pause.

LUKE
Your father said... that I would
start to remember things.

Suddenly, Adele feels as though she's walking on eggshells.

ADELE
(slowly)
What... do you remember?

LUKE
Well... everything. It started
coming back a couple of days ago.
I remember everything now.

ADELE
I see...

LUKE
Delly. I'm... I'm not... Harry
wasn't my father. And I'm not...
I'm not Luke.

She closes her eyes. All her suspicions are suddenly
confirmed.

ADELE
(adrift)
Oh...

Her tears start, and she moves to hug Luke -- but instead,
she starts hitting him, flailing, beating on his chest. He
hugs her tightly, and she completely lets go.

ADELE
(crying)
Oh, god, I knew! I knew! I knew
from the start! I wanted you to be
Luke! I wanted you to be alive!
You're so much like him, you have
no idea. No wonder everyone else
accepted you! You don't know what
you -- what Luke meant to this
town, suddenly being alive! You
don't know what this town lost!
You just don't know...

She pulls away, stands, and looks him in the eye. Luke
rises.

ADELE
(sobbing uncontrollably)
I knew you weren't Luke! And I
tried not to fall in love with you!
And... I don't even know your name!
Oh, god...

Luke moves toward her. She backs away.

LUKE
I fell in love with you, too,
Delly. Only now I don't know how I
feel, about you or about anything.
I only think I know how Luke would
feel.

She's still sobbing. He moves to her, takes her in his arms.

LUKE
Delly, shhhhhh...

ADELE
(pulling away)
No... I can't... I have to... I
can't...

She runs off, crying...

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