Mumford Page #34

SKIP (O.S.)

Far out!

Mumford smiles. He gets up and goes inside, closing the door

behind him so as not to violate their privacy. He goes to

the suitcase, takes out some clothes and begins putting them

back in the dresser. Right now, he's not going anywhere.

INT. MUMFORD'S OFFICE - DAY

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of Ernest Delbanco. We can't tell where he

is at first. As he speaks, we PULL BACK to REVEAL him lying

on Mumford's couch -- a patient.

DELBANCO:

...and when you said at lunch about

everybody having "a secret life",

something just snapped inside me. I

knew I could no longer continue my

relationship with Dr. Sheeler. It

was tearing me up inside. And I know

Phyllis wasn't getting what she needed

from it. What had started as a genuine

respect, I think, for each other's

professional abilities, and became,

over time, a personal attraction had

somehow... migrated into a rather

torrid sexual relationship...

Across the room, Mumford sits, chin in hand, displaying no

reaction.

DELBANCO:

...I won't go into that today. Though,

if we should continue these sessions,

as I certainly hope we will, there

are some aspects of that I would

like to look at. God knows, I've

listened to enough people giving me

the juicy --

(catches himself)

...At any rate, I just wanted to

acknowledge the catalyzing effect

your comment had on me. I just hope

that it doesn't come roiling back

upon you like some dreadful undertow.

MUMFORD:

How do you mean?

This next is painful for Delbanco.

DELBANCO:

Well... you see, when I broke it off

with Phyllis, she was naturally upset

and she became more determined than

ever to pursue certain -- how to put

it -- doubts she's been harboring...

MUMFORD:

What kind of doubts?

DELBANCO:

About you... your background and

your qualifications. I'm afraid

Phyllis somehow got you mixed up in

her fury with me, and actually took

the whole issue to the state board.

Mumford digests this.

MUMFORD:

I see.

DELBANCO:

And please, for whatever small way I

may have encouraged this, accept my

apologies.

(brightens)

There is good news, though.

MUMFORD:

What's that?

DELBANCO:

Phyllis has decided to leave town

and pursue her practice in the city.

Which leaves you the only psychologist

in town.

MUMFORD:

Dr. Sheeler is leaving Mumford? I'm

sorry to hear that.

DELBANCO:

As you can imagine, my own feelings

about this are mixed... Unlike, I

must say, those of my wife.

Mumford's head snaps up. He had no idea Delbanco was married.

EXT. GAS STATION, SMALL TOWN (IN HENRY FOLLETT'S FANTASY) -

DAY:

We (CAMERA) are being pummelled by three SMALL TOWN TOUGHS

behind Old Man Sutter's gas station/diner in the Follett's

fantasy town. [In BLACK & WHITE.] Beyond them, Old Man

Sutter's stacked YOUNG WIFE watches in horror from the

backdoor of the building. We DO NOT SEE The Newcomer yet.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

Old Man Sutter's young bride had got

me in hot water all right, and now I

was bein' dealt the beating of my

life. If there'd just been two of

those bastards it would have been a

little closer...

One of the Toughs winds up and delivers the coup de grace.

CUT TO BLACK, then FADE UP ON:

INT. ATTIC ROOM, BOARDING HOUSE - DAY

STILL IN SUBJECTIVE CAMERA as the concerned Landlady, cleavage

foremost, stands away from us, having patted the unseen

Newcomer's face with a washcloth. Beyond her, near the half-

open door, stands her Cheerleader Daughter, worriedly chewing

on her thumb.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

The Landlady was good at quite a few

things, but doctoring wasn't one of

them...

CUT TO REVERSE and see the hero, who this time is actually

played by Henry Follett, appearing in his own fantasy for

the first time. He's lying in bed, his face bruised in the

manner of a fifties movie.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

...Lucky for me, one of the other

boarders, the broad who lived

downstairs in the front room...

BACK AT THE DOOR, the Cheerleader hears someone coming and

steps aside to make way for -- Althea Brockett, dressed now

in a nurse's uniform so tight the buttons are straining.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

...was a nurse...

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