"Dance Studio" script, Scene C

Scene C is set in the Dance Studio, later that afternoon, which I guess means this is a Saturday, since the girls don't have to be at work.  It also implies that they're executing their plan pretty quickly.

LAVERNE (O.S.)

Can't we wear somethin' better than this?

LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY ENTER FROM THE DRESSING ROOM.  THEY ARE WEARING TORN TIGHTS, OLD SEQUINED SHORTS WITH LARGE PATCHES OF SEQUINS MISSING, AND SHABBY TUXEDO-TYPE JACKETS AND TAP SHOES.

SHIRLEY

No.  The place has to look crummy so Rocky won't give Carmine the money.

These are obviously not the costumes from the episode.  And they don't seem to care as much about the appearance of the place in the episode.  In fact, Laverne sweeps up.

The part where Shirley "does sexy shoulder shake" and says she can handle Carmine made it in.

LENNY AND SQUIGGY ENTER CARRYING A SLEDGE HAMMER AND CROWBAR.  THEY SEE THE GIRLS.

SQUIGGY

My, my.  Don't you look shabby.  I like it.

LAVERNE

What'd you bring those things for?

LENNY

Squiggy came up with a great idea.  See, we tear the place down to the ground.  Then it ain't here, and nobody can find it.

SQUIGGY

I like it better every time I hear it.

SHIRLEY

Don't touch anything.

LAVERNE

Get back there.  We got costumes for you.

THEY PUSH THE BOYS INTO THE DRESSING ROOM.

SQUIGGY

Okay, but control yourselves and don't peek.

LENNY
I hope they got us tights.  It'll show off our shapely legs.

THE BOYS EXIT TO DRESSING ROOM.

None of that made it in.  I'm not sure how in character it is, but it has a Marx-Brothers-like zaniness to it.  In the episode, Squiggy snaps, "Don't peek!" when Laverne checks up on them in the dressing room.

TWO MEN ENTER.  THEY ARE ROCKY AND SHINS.  ROCKY IS DRESSED IN A GANGSTER-TYPE OUTFIT.  SHINS IS WEARING A CHEAP SUIT THAT'S TOO SMALL FOR HIS NEANDERTHAL BODY.

Nathan the Greek's outfit matches this, but Shins's outfit actually looks a little large for him.

In the episode, Shins calls them both bimbos, but the dialogue runs differently in the script, and no one slaps Shins:

ROCKY

Where's Ragusa?  Some bimbo called and said to meet him here.

LAVERNE

Oh, that Carmine.  He's always running around with some bimbo.  Spends money like water.  But you don't want to hear that.

ROCKY

Yes, I do.  Where is he?

LAVERNE

Where he always is.  At the race track.

SHIRLEY

Losing large sums of money he had to borrow in the first place.

The girls say that they're Carmine's dance instructors, the only ones who didn't run off when he couldn't pay them, although he's now "got some sucker lined up for a loan."  They also say that the entire student body of two will perform a recital.

LENNY AND SQUIGGY ENTER IN SEEDY TOP HATS AND TAILS WITH CANES.

SHIRLEY

(CALLING O.S.) Boys, we're ready.

LAVERNE STARTS THE MUSIC, AND THE FOUR OF THEM DO A COMEDY TAP DANCE "42ND. STREET."  CHOREOGRAPHED BY GARY MENTEER.  ROCKY AND SHINS START TO EXIT.

ROCKY

Come on, Shins.

SHIRLEY

Don't you want to wait to see Mr. Ragusa?

ROCKY

(PUNCHES FIST INTO PALM) We'll see him.  We're gonna talk to him about some suckers he knows.

THEY EXIT.  LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY HAVE A SICK LOOK ON THEIR FACE [sic].

SQUIGGY

These guys ain't gonna lend Carmine a dime.  We sure did good.

LENNY

Well, we did mess up that one step.  It should have been one, two, three, kick.

Almost none of this made it into the filmed episode, where they instead do a ridiculous "Hula Baby" number.  I can kind of picture MMK's theater-kid delivery on Lenny's closing line.  Note that at this time, Gary Menteer was an associate producer over at Happy Days, although he would direct two "theatrical" Californian episodes, "Child's Play" and "That's Entertainment."  DeMarco does seem to have been aware of behind-the-scenes stuff at Paramount, unless other people are responsible for some of the stage directions in this script.

The major difference in this scene is that the girls are trying to shake Rocky's confidence in Carmine on several grounds, while in the episode it's just that the "star pupils" suck.  I don't know if the changes improved this scene or made it worse, but the two versions might be equal.