Who Framed Roger Rabbit Page #15

EXT. ECHO PARK STREET

Benny is leading a merry chase up and down the hills. Beside

the two Motorcycles, there are half a dozen squad cars. But

as Benny comes over the last rise, we see the road deadends

at Echo Park Lake. The police have blocked off the

perpendicular streets with squad cars. Eddie and Roger see

the deadend fast approaching. Roger covers his eyes with his

ears. Valiant braces himself.

VALIANT:

The brakes! The brakes!

Benny hits the brakes. Smoke pours out as they burn up and

the momentum is barely broken.

ROADSTER:

Forget the brakes, who brought the

water wings?

The Roadster SMASHES through the wooden guard rail and sails

out over the water. KERPLOP! It splashes down in the lake.

THE POLICE CARS:

SCREECH to a stop at the edge of the lake. Santino jumps out

and regards the floating Roadster. He turns to the other

cops with a smirk. When he turns back again, the smirk

disappears from his face.

ANGLE ON LAKE:

Benny is calmly swimming away using his fenders to do the

crawl. Now they pass a spooning COUPLE in a rowboat. The

couple regard them open-mouthed.

THE EDGE OF THE LAKE

Benny nears the shoreline, touches bottom and wades out.

When they hit dry land, Benny shakes off like a dog. He REVS

HIS ENGINE.

ROADSTER:

Maybe it's my imagination, but I always

seem to run better after I've had a

wash.

(turns)

Now where can I drop you cats?

As Benny ROARS off...

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

Benny peeks around the corner, then tip-toes into view. down

the alley until he stops in front of a back door. Eddie and

Roger climb out.

VALIANT:

Thanks, Benny.

ROADSTER:

If you ever need me, just stick out

your thumb.

WHOOSH! Benny is gone. Valiant goes to the door and unlocks

it. As he and Roger head up the back stairs...

CUT TO:

INT. BUILDING - CLOSE - DOORWAY

A hand painted design on the rippled glass shows a knight on

a white charger. On the shield in bold letters it says,

"Veritas". And lettered around it -- "Valiant and Valiant -

Private Investigation".

VALIANT:

sticks his key in the door and unlocks it. Roger studies the

banner.

ROGER RABBIT:

Valiant and Valiant? Who's the other

Valiant?

VALIANT:

My brother. Get inside.

He pushes Roger into the office.

INT. OFFICE

It's a typical detective office -- a couch, a sink, a window

-- except for the partner's desk in the middle of the room.

There's a chair on each side. Valiant closes the door and

locks it.

ROGER RABBIT:

So what's our plan, our scenario, our

modus operandi?

VALIANT:

We can't do anything till it's dark.

Valiant picks up some yellowed newspapers off the couch and

dumps them on the floor. They leave a clean spot on the

couch.

ROGER RABBIT:

Guess you haven't been here in a while.

(reads

headline)

'Japs Bomb Pearl Harbor'.

Roger walks over to the wall. He takes a framed picture off

the wall which shows two guys clowning with Mickey Mouse.

ROGER RABBIT:

Say, who's this guy laughin'?

VALIANT:

Me.

ROGER RABBIT:

Gee, I didn't recognize you... I've

never seen you laugh before. That your

brother makin' the rabbit ears?

VALIANT:

What is this, Twenty Questions?

Valiant grabs the picture from Roger and re-hangs it.

VALIANT:

(continuing)

I'm gonna get some sleep. I suggest

you do the same.

Valiant stretches out on the couch. Roger nudges him to move

over so he can lie down. Grudgingly, Valiant slides over a

fraction giving Roger a tiny piece of the couch. They lie

head to foot.

CLOSEUP - VALIANT

The problems of the day are knitting his brow. Finally his

eyes close. After a beat, we HEAR Roger SNORING. It's LOUD.

Valiant's eyes pop open. He rolls over. WIDEN THE SHOT to

see what he sees.

ABOVE ROGER'S HEAD - A TOON DREAM BUBBLE

has appeared. Inside the bubble is a saw sawing back and

forth through a log. It is SYNCHRONIZED to the SOUND of

Roger's SNORE. Valiant kicks Roger, trying to stop the

infernal SOUND.

Roger sits up.

ROGER RABBIT:

Huh?

In the dream bubble, the saw cuts through the log. One end

of the log falls out of the bubble and BONKS Roger on the

head, knocking him unconscious. Valiant shakes his head and

closes his eyes again. We PAN UP off his face and PAST the

window where the sun is setting. As the CAMERA MOVES ALONG

THE WALL, we see a gallery of framed newspaper clippings.

"Valiant and Valiant Crack Popeye Kidnapping - Return Sweepea

to Loving Arms of Parents". And... "Brothers Find Brothers:

Heckle and Jeckle Rescued From Redwood Forest!" And...

"Goofy Cleared of Atomic Spying Charges". The PAN CONTINUES

until we get to the window again. Now it's dark outside.

MOVE DOWN to Valiant's sleeping face. He stirs. then opens

one eye. Now they both pop open at what he sees.

VALIANT'S POV

Roger has a magnifying glass an inch in front of his face

that distorts his grinning face hideously.

VALIANT:

startled from his sleep, reflexively shoves Roger away from

him. He flies into a swivel chair and goes spinning around.

VALIANT:

You damn Toon! No wonder they picked

you for the patsy. Always gotta play

the fool. You make me sick!

ROGER RABBIT:

Gee, you shamuses are a tough audience,

but what happened to you that was so

dark, lurid, embittering?

VALIANT:

You wanna know? Well, since you're so

goddamn curious, I'll tell ya. One of

you Toons killed my brother.

ROGER RABBIT:

A Toon? Noooo.

VALIANT:

Yeah, a Toon. It was the guy who

killed Bambi's mother.

ROGER RABBIT:

Him? Oh, he was vile, heinous,

despicable... a smear on the drafting

board.

VALIANT:

Yeah, everybody thought so. But me and

Teddy got a kick out of Toons. All

Toons. We couldn't see the bad in 'em.

And when this guy was accused of

knockin' over the First National Bank

of Toontown, we took his case. But

when we looked into it, we found out he

did do it after all. We went to his

house to take him in. But he was wise.

He got the drop on us... literally.

ROGER RABBIT:

(wincing)

Safe?

VALIANT:

Piano. Guy got away, disappeared into

Toontown. Nobody ever saw him again.

Now the PHONE on the desk RINGS. Roger makes a move to it.

ROGER RABBIT:

I'll get it.

VALIANT:

Get away from there.

The PHONE RINGS TWO MORE TIMES and stops.

ROGER RABBIT:

Wrong number?

VALIANT:

No, it's not.

Valiant goes to the phone anticipating a RING which comes

after a moment. Valiant picks up the receiver.

VALIANT:

(continuing)

Dolores?

INTERCUT:

DOLORES:

on the phone in the Terminal Bar.

DOLORES:

I was hopin' you'd be there. Maroon's

called here about four times. He says

he's gotta talk to you tonight. He

says he can help you.

VALIANT:

I'll bet.

DOLORES:

Are you gonna call him, Eddie?

VALIANT:

What've I got to lose? You okay,

Dolores?

DOLORES:

Yeah... they closed me down for a

coupla weeks.

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