EL-LI-OTT, GO(ES) HOME/JIMMIE RODGERS, Scene Outline – II-XXIII (incomplete)
Shawn Elliott with then-girlfriend Donna Murphy and my son, Max, ca. 1988.
Distinguished stage, film and tv actor and close friend Shawn Elliott has finally returned to his Upper West Side digs after a week-long stay at Lenox Hill Hospital for colon blockage and related abdominal problems. Though Elliott’s name is not a household word, you’d probably recognize him for his portrayals of a judge and other characters in Law & Order and as a character actor in other tv venues.
Elliott’s intestinal problems, nagging him for the better part of this year, were finally cleared up after a long, uncomfortable week in the hospital, where doctors and surgeons kept a not-close-enough, in my opinion, watch over his condition and the progress, or lack of it, of their measures to ease the blockage. My wife and I visited him several times before some of the medicos’ voodoo kicked in and he was able to return home to wife Donna Murphy and five-year old daughter, Darmia. Shawn is a devoted family man and was overjoyed to get back to his household.
Besides the tv characterizations Shawn has had a noteworthy career starting in the ‘Sixties, with a cover of the reggae hit Shame and Scandal in Family that climbed the charts (Jason Odd, do you happen to know exactly how far up?) and got him going as a singer. He won raves in the Off Broadway revue “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” adding acting to music for a dual metier.
Shawn has appeared in many films, including Miguel Pinero’s Short Eyes, the Robert Young-directed thriller, Caught, and Crossover Dreams, a salsa musical with Reuben Blades. Fans know him as a featured stage actor in the Broadway productions of City of Angels and Cyrano, where he played opposite Frank Langella. His recent portrayal of the central character in the Off Broadway show Einstein’s Gift won critical reviews. His work usually does.
In October he directed and performed in Begonya Plaza’s play, Teresa’s Ecstasy, “a mystical journey of change and defiance as two opposing sexually charged forces look at love, politics and religion,” produced at the INTAR Rehearsal Studios on West 52nd Street. The work is planned to go into production later this year.
* * * * * * * *
Following is what seems to be a sort of script-outline for the film The Jimmie Rodgers Story with some scenes and dialog written, some indicated TK and some noted q.v., i.e., already written but not included in the outline. I’m putting the outline in today, with some notes to the writer, as one long run-on sentence of a script, and add the q.v.’s in subsequent posts. Give ya a little something to look forward to.
THE JIMMIE ROGERS STORY by Allan Ross
PROLOGUE (Included in second-to-last post, “Clarence White, What He Knew, etc.”)
SCENE I – Contemporary Nashville Session (Included in previous post, “Greg n’ Al’s Run for the Border(s)”)
SCENE II – Audio: YO-DE-LAY-HEE-OOO (Not written)
Sfx: Vocal synthesized and processed, expanded into “surround-sound” mix. Blues licks et al and percussion added. Crescendo to peak, then diminuendo all instmts & vocal except percussion on Wynton Marsalis “BIG TRAIN” figure (Ba-dum ba-dum… Ba-dum ba-dum…).
– Fade to –
SCENE III – Funeral Cortege (Not written)
Passing countryside (credits?) POV from inside special RR viewing car. Countryside changes as train goes from NY to Meridien. People gradually appear along tracks, mourning and otherwise paying respects. By the time train stops in Meridien, people (white, black, city-types, country-types) are in number and we can see individual faces.
SCENE IV – End of Journey (Not written)
Train comes slowly to stop. Hands and forearms reach into car and gently unload casket. Hushed voices. Casket clears doors of car. In a moment, the open slider door is closed, but not before we see Parnell, a black man in his mid-thirties, in middle distance holding something we can’t quite make out and looking on at procession.
– Fade to –
SCENE V – Jimmie Rodgers’ Last Recording Session
1930’s recording studio, POV control booth. Four men stand hunched over sound equipment, gazing apprehensively at figure on other side of soundproof glass.
JR (singing, heard thru small speaker in control booth):
“WHEN YOU SEE A SPIDER,
CLIMBIN’ UP A WALL…”
Ralph Peer (in control booth): THIS ONE’S GONNA GO RIGHT TO THE
WIRE, BOYS.
Engineer (to self): C’MON, JIMMIE, C’MON.
– Cut to –
Studio, MCU of JR singing w/guitar, sound now live and full.
JR: “WHEN YOU SEE A SPIDER,
CLIMBIN’ UP A LONESOME WALL,
YOU CAN TELL THE WORLD,
HE’S GONNA GET HIS ASHES HAULED.
YO-DE-LAYEE, -AYEE, -AYEEEE.”
Performance ends and last chord fills recording studio. JR’s eyes shut tight, face contorts, shoulders hunch and heave in silent convulsions.
– Cut to –
Control booth. Last chord still ringing, but thru monitor again. Otherwise, no sound in booth. Final chord rings a long time as each man in booth goes thru his own personal anxiety symptoms (e.g., Peer looks at clock on wall, Engr. stares at vu meters, plate-cutter stares at engineer, etc.). Finally, Engr. nods to Peer. Peer’s shoulders slump and his chin momentarily rests on his chest. He leans forward toward talkback mic next to Engr., who flicks it on.
Peer: WE GOT IT, JIMMIE.
Control Booth (gen’l): YEA! YEAH, JIMMIE, YOU GOT IT MAN! ETC.
But JR doesn’t seem to hear, possibly because of soundproofing, but mainly, it turns out, because he’s being wracked and wrenched by a coughing fit that convulses his whole body. Two male attendants and a woman rush into studio, but there’s not much they can do when they get to his side, except stand there helplessly looking on. Finally, the seizure abates enough for them to help him stand. In the meantime, the clapping in the booth dies down as Peer and the technicians start to go about their business of turning the performance into a record.
– Cut to –
SCENE V(a): Jimmie’s Dressing Room.
Jimmie is helped onto bed, sits on edge slumping and panting from the coughing seizure. He is all but motionless except for the heaving of his body as he tries to breathe.
Sfx: Clapping from control booth becomes echo-y and ethereal. Synthesized yodel from Scene 2 is reprised briefly.
– Dissolve to –
SCENE VI: Backstage at the Earle (five years earlier)
(Soundtrack cross-fades up to) Wild clapping, whooping, calls for “more” from audience out front as small knot of people gather around a younger and much healthier-looking JR backstage, congratulating and patting him on the back, etc. JR enjoys the adulation, tho’ with occasional wistful glances into middle distance.
Stage hands start to close the theatre for the night.
JR (to entourage): THANKS, EVERYBODY, ‘PPRECIATE IT, etc. HEY, WHY DON’T YOU GUYS GO ON AHEAD? I’LL BE ALONG IN A FEW MINUTES.
Elmo (man in entourage): THE “RED CABOOSE,” JIMMIE?
JR: THE SAME ONE, ELMO. THEY’RE HOLDING A TABLE FOR ME.
Elmo (as if rehearsed): HOW LONG THEY BEEN HOLDIN’ IT, JIMMIE.
JR: ALL NIGHT, ELMO.
Elmo: BOY, I BET THEY’RE TIRED.
JR: BET YOU’RE RIGHT, ELMO. WHYN’T YOU TELL ‘EM TO SET IT DOWN, AND THEN YOU DO THE SAME YOURSELVES.
Elmo: YOU BET, BOSS.
JR: AND ASK FOR “DOM.”
Elmo: “DOM” WHO, JIMMIE?
JR: DOM PERIGNON, ELMO. DON’T YOU KNOW THAT BY NOW? AND SAVE A SIP FOR ME; SINGIN’S THIRSTY WORK. I’M GONNA TALK TO MY BOYS, HERE [indicates stagehands], FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN I’LL CATCH UP TO YOU. G’WAN, NOW, GET OUTTA HERE.
Entourage: SEE YA LATER, J.R., HURRY ON UP, NOW JIMMIE, etc.
– Exeunt Entourage –
Two stagehands pick up a big, quilted furniture blanket, snap it straight between them and lay it, tentlike, over piano. Jimmie watches absently, coughing lightly into his hand.
– Dissolve to –
SCENE VII – Sheets into Tents [q.v. but needs rewrite].
Two boys in their mid-teens, one black and one white, pinning a bedsheet into place as the last panel of a homemade bigtop. It’s the young Jimmie and Parnell.
Parnell: YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE REALLY GONNA COME, JIMMIE?
JR: LIKE MOTHS TO A FLAME, PARNELL, LIKE MOTHS TO A FLAME. C’MON, WE GOTTA GET GOING. YOU’RE MASTER OF CEREMONIES, TONIGHT.
Parnell: NOTHIN’ DOIN’, JIMMIE. THAT’S YOUR JOB.
JR: PARNELL, YOU GOTTA START GETTIN’ SOME EXPERIENCE IN THE
DIFFERENT ROLES.
[They go back and forth for a while. Finally, Jimmie says “Match! Even!” and throws out two fingers. Parnell throws out three. Jimmie will be MC. He smiles, shrugs his shoulders and curls his index finger down so that only his middle digit sticka up at Parnell. They both laugh, and make one more sign to each other, a secret one just between the two of them. Then they run into the tent to get into costume.
Almost no one comes and the show is a complete flop. Just before they decide to strike the “tent,” the sky darkens, wind blows up and flattens it. At the same time there is the sound of a lonesome train whistle blowing not far away, carried even closer by the low pressure of the weather. The sound of the train itself gets closer.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE VIII – Aunt Dora’s (to be written)
Middle aged, kindly woman looks at muddied and probably ruined sheets.
Dora: I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTERTAINER, JIMMIE,
BUT… etc. etc.
Jimmie hugs Aunt Dora and agrees to quit pipe dreaming. But we see in his face over her shoulder that he is mentally crossing his fingers when he makes this promise.
Dora (to camera): Y’KNOW, JIMMIE ALWAYS HAD THESE BIG PLANS TO MAKE
A NAME FOR HIMSELF, BUT WE WERE LIVING IN TOUGH TIMES, ETC. ETC.
– Cut to –
Scene IX – Tent Rep Show (to be written)
Actress weeps melodramatically. Jimmie, several years older than in last scene, watches appreciatively. The drama ends and the [intermission] band plays. (This might be a white string band, and may even be the reason he’s at show in the first place.)
– Fade to –
Scene X Trainz-a-poppin’
Train footage and lots of music as RR guys are shown going high in bad weather, working the brakes, scampering over cars and up and down ladders at night, etc. (May be an interesting time to show what contribution Blacks made to the trains running well, on time, and luxuriously. [“Oh George, would you plump up my pillow for me, and then get me a glass of water? Step lively now, George,” etc, “George,” as in George Pullman, being the generic name for all black train valets.])
– Resolve to –
Scene XI(a) Jimmie in Train Yard (not written)
Last train in Scene X rolls into roundhouse yard in Durham. Weary, begrimed man climbs down boxcar ladder, walks heavily across yard, stops at caboose to drop off something, picks up lunchpale at roundhouse. Couple of light exchanges with other workers. Continues diagonally across yard toward a neat row of small cottages. Just as he reaches them he hears a distant, raucous noise from somewhere toward the far end of the yard. He stops in front of one of the little bungalows, looks back and forth from it to where the sound seems to be coming from, then changes course and walks toward hubbub. We see it is coming from the long, unpainted barracks that serve as the dormitory for colored workers. Jimmie reaches the weatherbeaten wooden shack, pauses at door, then lifts the 2×4 across it and walks in.
Scene XI(b) “The Lounge” (not written)
Sees Parnell talking with short, dark-skinned man while he absently noodles on old guitar. Jimmie and Parnell acknowledge each other almost imperceptibly across the noisy, smoke-filled room. After a few seconds chatting up the other men in the dorm, Jimmie makes his way over to Parnell. The two have some quick repartee, for the “fans,” Jimmie would say, then gets down to the always uncomfortable business of borrowing someone’s musical instrument. Jimmie has an “audition set” to play that night, and he recently pawned his guitar.
It’s been a rough year for Jimmie, cold, with little RR work. He hasn’t been able to send any money home, even did a little hospital time [coughs], but assures Parnell it’s nothing serious.
He borrows the guitar, agrees to return it to the club where Parnell’s playing that night. He thanks him, takes the guitar and leaves.
[Parnell may turn to camera and comment on JR’s talent (or, what Parnell feels is lack of it.]
– Cut to –
Scene XII – Hambly’s Lodge (white folks’ bar) [not written]
JR and band playing. Camera slowly isolates on Jimmie. His singing and playing are heartfelt and slightly melancholy. He’s been in some heavy weather over the last few years, and the easy strength and directness of his performance reflect this, even if one in the tiny audience gives a shit. After this song he turns to his sidemen, mumbles something, and walks off the six-inch high platform that serves as a bandstand. As he goes out the door to return the guitar to Parnell, his sidemen start to play “Lookin’ for a New Mama Blues.” We hear it fade into the distance as Jimmie walks away.
– Cut to –
Scene XIII – JUG JOINT/RAVEN’S REST [q.v.]
There is a black band playing on stage. A thin, light-skinned man with a pencil mustache is playing trumpet, Parnell is on banjo, and the rhythm section is cooking behind them. They’re playing “Lookin’ for a New Mama Blues,” same piece Jimmie’s sidemen were playing when he left Hambly’s, and although the melody and construction are the same, that’s about all that is. The difference between the white band’s version and the black group’s is all too apparent. In a word, one is jazzy and the other isn’t.
Thelma and Jimmie spend some time getting to re-know each other. They remember each other from early in their childhoods when she came down from Harlem to spend a summer with her cousin, Parnell.
She is an exotic, light-skinned Afro cast in the style of the time, i.e., late flapper. He learns that she is following a music/show business career up north, and things are starting to get going for her. She’s got some gigs in the black clubs in Harlem, Philadelphia, Newark, and sometimes goes on the chitlin’ circuit. That’s why she’s here, seeing Parnell; she had a job in Atlanta, and had a few days layover before returning to the Apple.
She asks how it’s going with him, he says “great,” but they both know he’s lying. They are comfortable with each other. They talk easily and familiarly with apparent mutual fondness and respect. They acknowledge what each has gone thru and will probably continue to have to go thru. They marvel at how different and similar they can be at the same time, and get to talking about genealogy, and esp. genealogy in the South. Altho’ they haven’t seen each other in 14 years, electricity arcs between them.
– Cut to –
SCENE XIV – A Railroader’s Life (not written)
Interior of one-room flat. The furniture is spare, the room is grimly plain. JR is in bed with a relapse of his lung problems, and Carrie is trying to minister to him and getting nothing but resistance. He is stubborn to the point of pig-headedness about needing to go back to work, no matter that he is coughing and feverish. Furthermore, no woman’s going to tell him what to do.
He leaps out of bed, grabs his engineers’ hat and light denim jacket and heads for door. At the last second he catches sight of his worried three-year-old(?) daughter, Anita, and, melting, embraces her. After they mumble daddy-daughter things for a few seconds he turns to Carrie and reminds her, almost tearfully, that he hasn’t worked in three weeks, there’s no money coming in, etc. They make up, he gets some heavier clothes on him, and leaves. It’s a bittersweet moment. Carrie waves him down the street, then turns to camera.
Carrie (to camera): HOW HE LOVED THAT BABY. I SWEAR, HE WOULD HAVE SHOVELED COAL WITH HIS TONGUE IF SHE’D OF ASKED HIM. JIMMIE ALWAYS TRIED HARD TO BE A GOOD PROVIDER TO US, WORKIN’ ON THE RAILS AND SUCH. BUT HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE, I DON’T KNOW, DISTRACTED OR SOMETHING BY WANTING TO BE IN “THE BUSINESS.” HE DIDN’T SAY “SHOW BUSINESS,” JUST “THE BUSINESS,” AS IF THE WORK OTHER PEOPLE DID WAS SOMETHING BESIDES BUSINESS.
I’LL TELL YOU ONE THING. I DON’T THINK HE EVER APPRECIATED THE CONTRIBUTION I MADE TO HIS CAREER. WE MUSTA LIVED IN EVERY ROAD CAMP FROM ATLANTA TO ALBUQUERQUE, AND NONE OF ‘EM FOR MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS AT A TIME. I LEARNED TO PACK UP AN ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD AND BE ON THE ROAD IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. DON’T TELL ME ABOUT “BUSINESS.” I KNOW ALL ABOUT IT.
ANYWAY, JIMMIE CAME BACK LATER THAT DAY. HIS EYES WERE BRIGHT–I DON’T HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS THE FEVER OR EXCITEMENT AT GETTING WORK. HE HAD A JOB, ALRIGHT. HE ALSO HAD THE BURKE BROTHERS AND THEIR BANJOS AND UKELELES OR WHATEVER THEY PLAYED ON WITH HIM. HE SAID THE JOB WAS IN ASHEVILLE, AND 45 MINUTES LATER THE FIVE OF US WERE ON THE ROAD DRIVING HELL-FOR-LEATHER (EXCUSE MY FRENCH) FOR THE NEXT TWELVE HOURS STRAIGHT. WE HARDLY EVEN STOPPED TO…RELIEVE OURSELVES, IF YOU GET MY MEANING. I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY JIMMIE WAS SO ANXIOUS TO RIDE STEEL. BEING A BRAKEMAN’S JUST ABOUT THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD. I GOT MY ANSWER WHEN WE GOT TO ASHEVILLE.
Sfx: Audio of the Peaboe Sisters’ radio audition slowly fading up in BG.
– Cut to –
SCENE XV – WWNC AUDITION
At end of scene Peer turns to JR and the others…
Peer: CAN YOU GUYS BE IN NEW JERSEY BY TUESDAY OF NEXT
WEEK?
Later, JR and Carrie in one room apt. in town.
JR: LOOKS LIKE WE’RE FINALLY ON OUR WAY, COOKIE. SEE? THAT WASN’T TOO HARD, WAS IT?
[Fade as he starts a monster, prolonged coughing fit]
– Dissolve to –
SCENE XVI(a) – Carrie in Diner (not written)
Carrie is hanging up waitress’ apron and saying goodbyes to fellow workers.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE XVI(b) – Invisible Royalty Check
Carrie walks into their grim New Jersey apt. to find Jimmie just getting off the phone, and looking a bit guilty or ashamed. They have an exchange about no money coming in (from him) except a discouragingly small royalty check from his first recordings months before, in Asheville. Finally, he says he’s decided to do something about it. He calls (or seems to call) Peer, and announces he’s coming up to the city on the 12:35, and will see Peer then. Hurriedly packs a few things in a small canvas duffel bag, puts his guitar in the case, and tells Carrie he’s going to do whatever it takes to make this thing work, and that he will see her in a day or so. Kisses her and Anita and leaves.
SCENE XVI(c) – Jimmie on Train to NY (not written)
Train montage and music.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE XVII – PEER’S OFFICE – See OBERSCENE
Peer sets up meeting w/Oberstein for following day.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE XVIII – Tryst with Thelma (not written)
SCENE XIX – OBERSCENE (cont’d)
SCENE XX – Camden Recording Session – [q.v.]
SCENE XXI – Thelma’s Apartment, New York – (not written)
Jimmie plays a test pressing from the session for her. She loves it, but, knowing the risks he is taking by recording with colored folks, tells him to go slow, not get himself in trouble. He tells her he is running out of time. And notices that she might be in trouble herself when they embrace and he sees tracks on her arm. When they unclench she asks him if he’s coming to see her show that nite, and he says he wouldn’t miss it for anything. She is glad, pours him a drink, and tells him to wait while she adjusts her makeup. She returns in a few minutes, comes back with eyes sparkling a little too brightly, spirits a little too high.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE XXII – Club Nocturne, Harlem – (Not written)
He sees her act, and it’s smashing. Jazzy, hip, exciting. Towards the end, in an unannounced tribute to him, she does a little bit of yodeling and the crowd is delighted. She lools directly at him, at his table, when she does. Later, he goes away with many ideas for his own music. One riff in particular remains stuck in his unconscious, and we fade out on it.
– Cut or dissolve to –
SCENE XXIII – Fancy Recording Session – (Not written)
Peer walks into recording studio. It’s empty except for Jimmie and open instrument cases all over, music stands and folding chairs haphazardly placed around the floor. The sidemen are out on a “five.” Peer walks around, as if attending to small chores while Jimmie pretends to concentrate on some music on a stand in front of him. Finally, they shy up to each other, exchange a few words, Ralph mumbling something about why he was late. Jimmie tells the recordist to play the test pressing for the producer. He tells the engineer…
JR: …UH, START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND CHORUS, WOULD YOU? YOU KNOW WHERE I MEAN.
The recordist nods, and starts the record in the middle, fading up the sound like a pro. They all listen ’til the end of the performance.
Peer: YOU CHANGED THE ENTIRE CHORUS ON THE SECOND “GO ‘ROUND?”
JR: YEAH. I THOUGHT IT NEEDED A LITTLE SOMETHING TO GO OUT ON, YOU KNOW?
Peer: YOU’RE RIGHT, IT DID. SOUNDS A LOT BETTER NOW.
Just then Jimmie is called outside the control room. He excuses himself to Ralph and leaves, coughing.
Peer (to camera): EVER SINCE THOSE LOUISVILLE SESSIONS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CROSSED HORNS ON THE PERSONNEL, I’VE GIVEN JIMMIE HIS HEAD WITH PLAYERS, CHARTS…HELL, ALL THE MUSIC, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. I DON’T KNOW…HE BREAKS ALL THE RULES: CAN’T READ MUSIC, CAN’T COUNT, BRINGS IN WHATEVER INSTRUMENTATION HE WANTS. WRITES THE SONGS WITH HIS SISTER-IN-LAW THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SESSION… BUT WE’RE SELLING A HELLUVA LOT OF RECORDS.
Players troop back from their “five.” They run down the next chart a few times, then do a take. This is a big session, with eight players, individual mics for each player, a recording booth for Jimmie. He’s in the big time, and revels in it. He sings his ass off on Blue Yodel #7 for Ralph, and Ralph smiles appreciatively, a big sign of approval for him.
JR and Band: “I WAS A STRANGER, PASSING THRU YOUR TOWN,
I WAS A STRANGER, PASSING THRU YOUR TOWN,
WHEN I ASKED YOU A FAVOR, GOOD GAL YOU TURNED
ME DOWN
…
I LIKE MISSISSIPPI, FOOL ABOUT TENNESSEE
I LIKE MISSISSIPPI, FOOL ABOUT TENNESSEE
BUT THESE TEXAS WOMEN, ‘BOUT GOT THE BEST OF ME.
YODE-LAY-EE, LAY-EE, LAY-EEEE.”
Audio: Reprise yodel with effects and echo.
YODE-LAY-EE, LAY-EE, LAY-EEEE.
SCENE ??? – TORN TWENTY
SCENE ??? – GENE AUSTIN’S YACHT
SCENE XXIV – PEACHTREE HALL (q.v.)
SCENE XXV- ENTER: THE MOVIES (q.v.)
SCENE XXVI – BACKSTAGE AT THE PALACE (q.v.)
SCENE XXVII – RODGERS & ROGERS (q.v.)
SCENE XXVIII – ON THE ROAD AGAIN (q.v.)
