Nashville Page #8

LINNEA:

What time?

WOMAN'S VOICE

Eight-thirty in the chapel.

LINNEA:

I'll be there.

She hangs up and sighs.

CUT TO:

105 INT. KING OF THE ROAD LOUNGE - NIGHT

NORMAN and BILL are there. An ENTERTAINER is singing the CONNIE

WHITE song that CONNIE is doing at the Opera. BILL is eager to

know where MARY is.

NORMAN:

Maybe she's at the Opera.

BILL:

Why the hell would she be there?

NORMAN shrugs.

106 NEW ANGLE

BILL:

You know goddamn well where she is.

BARNETT, with the flowers, enters and sits in the lounge.

107 ANOTHER ANGLE

It is getting crowded by people returning from the Opera.

OPAL is on one of the house phones, talking to Paris. We can also

HEAR the HOUSE PHONE OPERATOR behind the switchboard desk. OPAL

speaks in a combination of English and French. She isn't saying

much in one language and she might just be talking to the

OPERATOR, but is sounds impressive.

108 NEW ANGLE

CONNIE WHITE and her group step into the lobby. The MC in the

lounge, spots her and coaxes her into taking the stage and

singing one of her hits. When she finishes, BARNETT walks up and

thanks her, handing her the flowers. Meanwhile, HAVEN, who is

there with BUD and PEARL, tells TRIPLETTE that CONNIE and BARBARA

JEAN will replace each other, but never appear on the same bill.

After BARNETT exits, CONNIE leaves with HAVEN, BUD, PEARL and

TRIPLETTE. OPAL is still on the phone, now speaking in Ita1ian.

109 NEW ANGLE

As CONNIE and group step out of the lounge, MARY enters. BILL and

NORMAN see her. BILL reacts.

END OF TUESDAY.

CUT TO:

110 VARIOUS SHOTS - MORNING

CHURCH BELLS RINGING.

111 EXT. STREETS - MORNING

TRICYCLE MAN drives past the different churches.

112 EXT. BAPTIST CHURCH - MORNING

DELBERT enters with his two kids. ALBUQUERQUE watches.

113 INT. BAPTIST CHURCH - MORNING

DELBERT sits. HAVEN and BUD are among those in attendance.

CUT TO:

114 EXT. BLACK CHURCH - MORNING

TRICYCLE MAN drives by as TOMMY BROWN enters.

115 INT. BLACK CHURCH - MORNING

TOMMY sits. LINNEA sings in the all-black choir. OPAL is there

with her tape recorder doing research.

116 INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH - MORNING

We SEE the TRICYCLE MAN outside. Present inside are SUELEEN,

STAR, PEARL and WADE.

117 INT. BAPTIST HOSPITAL - MORNING

A small chapel service for patients and families. FEATURED are

BARBARA JEAN, BARNETT, GREEN and GLENN.

CUT TO:

118 INT. KING OF THE ROAD MOTEL ROOM - MORNING

BILL and MARY are having a violent fight, broken dishes and all.

BILL throws something else.

BILL:

Bastard

MARY:

Stop it!

She spins him around, but he tosses her onto the bed. He calls

her all kinds of things. The PHONE RINGS. BILL wants it to be

TOM, so he can yell at him, too.

BILL:

Tom!

TRIPLETTE'S VOICE

No, ah, Bill?

BILL:

What?

TRIPLETTE'S VOICE

I'm with ABC-TV. Like to come up

and talk to you for a minute if I

could.

BILL starts to laugh. TRIPLETTE starts to laugh. BILL stops

BILL:

Sure.

He hangs up the phone and goes to the mirror, yelling at MARY.

Momentarily, there is a KNOCK on the door.

119 NEW ANGLE

BILL walks to the door and opens it on TRIPLETTE'S sincere smile

and extended hand.

TRIPLETTE:

Hi. I'm John Triplette.

BILL:

Hi. Come on in. Mary!

TRIPLETTE enters the room and starts to take it in. MARY comes

from the bathroom, her face swollen. BILL and MARY act as if

nothing has happened.

TRIPLETTE:

Hello. John Triplette.

MARY:

Hello.

TRIPLETTE:

Glad to meet you.

BILL:

You want anything? A drink?

TRIPLETTE:

Oh, no, listen, I don't want to

take up too much of your time.

BILL:

Don't you worry. We're just having

a quiet Sunday at home.

TRIPLETTE laughs nervously.

TRIPLETTE:

Well, I'm here putting together a

show. It's a benefit really.

BILL:

Whose?

TRIPLETTE:

Hal Phillip Walker.

MARY:

Oh, no.

TRIPLETTE:

He's pretty well known down here.

BILL:

He's pretty well known all over.

TRIPLETTE laughs again. BILL and MARY will be tough to convince.

TRIPLETTE:

I was wondering if you'd like to be

in it. It's going to be televised

and...

BILL lights a cigarette and takes a shot of tequilla out of the

bottle on the floor.

BILL:

What's he running for?

TRIPLETTE:

President.

MARY:

(horrified)

President?

BILL:

When is it?

TRIPLETTE:

Wednesday at the park. We've got a

lot of names coming in...

MARY:

For him?

TRIPLETTE:

Yes.

MARY smiles.

MARY:

Well, we can't. We're registered

Democrats.

BILL ignores her.

BILL:

National television?

TRIPLETTE:

ABC.

BILL:

How much?

TRIPLETTE:

Minimum.

MARY looks at BILL.

MARY:

We can't support him We're

registered Democrats.

BILL begins the fight again.

BILL:

It's an appearance. It has nothing

to do with support. I don't even

like him.

MARY:

Bill, he's a crazy man.

TRIPLETTE moves in fast.

TRIPLETTE:

Well, he- expressed a particular

wish to have you on.

They stop and look at him suspiciously.

MARY:

What for?

TRIPLETTE:

You're real favorites of his.

They seem to change viewpoints in a moment.

MARY:

You're kidding.

BILL:

How come?

TRIPLETTE settles in like they were old friends.

TRIPLETTE:

First you have to understand how

much he admires you.

MARY and BILL get caught up in the sincerity.

TRIPLETTE:

You sing for people and that's what

he's about. He wants to help

people. Especially now, you know.

BILL bypasses all the talk about WALKER.

BILL:

Where'd he ever see us?

TRIPLETTE:

(bluffing)

D.C.

BILL:

D.C.? Tammany Hall? He came

there?

TRIPLETTE:

Sure thing.

MARY:

What National TV...?

TRIPLETTE:

You're doing some recording here,

aren't you?

MARY:

An album.

TRIPLETTE:

Might be good for you.

BILL takes another shot of tequilla.

BILL:

We'll sing.

TRIPLETTE shakes his hand.

TRIPLETTE:

You don't know how pleased he'll

be.

MARY:

(can't believe

it)

What!

BILL ignores her.

BILL:

Okay.

TRIPLETTE:

Okay.

They shake.

CUT TO:

120 INT. TOM'S MOTEL ROOM - DAY

TOM is having a serious attack of too much of everything. He

takes a handful of vitamins, some aspirin and follows it with a

couple of uppers. Then he looks for LINNEA'S phone number.

There is a KNOCK on the door.

TOM:

Come on in.

NORMAN enters and they shake.

TOM:

How's your stomach?

NORMAN:

Pretty good. Sure was surprised to

hear from you. You talk to Bill?

TOM:

Not yet. Listen, Norman, I want...

NORMAN:

They're looking all over for you.

Do you have a copy of the album.

TOM hands over a copy of their last album.

NORMAN:

You know Bill is really mad at you.

TOM:

Oh?

NORMAN:

I mean...

TOM:

Mary?

TOM looks NORMAN down. NORMAN cheerfully changes the subject.

NORMAN:

You know, I've got my own act now.

I'm going on tour.

TOM has found the phone number and dials.

TOM:

Good...

121 INT. LINNEA'S HOUSE - DAY

The PHONE RINGS but no one answers.

122 INT. TOM'S ROOM - DAY

NORMAN:

Listen, Tom, I have a tour to

drive.

CUT TO:

123 INT. KENNY'S ROOM - DAY

We HEAR JOAN singing from her room. GREEN'S dog is on the bed.

KENNY finds a dime, then steps into the hallway.

124 INT. HALLWAY

KENNY calls his MOTHER collect in Indiana. After the rundown

with the operator, they finally speak.

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