"Excuse Me, May I Cut In," Scene 5

We head back to the "girls' apartment - following night."

Richie singing his signature song of "Blueberry Hill" was added, as was Laverne's line about Fats Domino.  Some of the small talk was also not in the script, nor was Richie's observation "She wears an L on her shirt."  Richie was supposed to immediately sit on the couch, but this was improved to him glancing through magazines standing up, oblivious to Shirley posing for him.  In the script, she greets him with "Hi, Richie," rather than "Hello, Richard."

In the script, he says that Shirley looks "nice," which became "real pretty" by the time of filming.  And she didn't call him "handsome" in the script.  She also didn't offer him a drink.  The "eleven and a half months ago" thing also came along by filming, since in the script it's the less precise "over a year."

The dialogue about what Richie has been up to actually came after the chip & dip bit in the script.  The Leopard Lodge reference was added.  Interestingly, in the script, she touches his hair and his arm, and then blows in his ear!  All while carrying on the conversation.  And then after she says she had a lovely time on their last date, she "fiddles with his collar," and soon she "starts kissing his cheek.  Richie turns, bangs into her with his nose."

After the classic "Anything but murder, mister" line, this was omitted:

RICHIE

Well, we could go to the Freshman-Sophmore [sic] Track Meet.

SHIRLEY

No, the cinders blow in my hair and eyes.

RICHIE

There's a lecture on UFO's.

SHIRLEY

No, I've heard it.

And then he mentions the Homecoming Dance.  In the script, Richie asks, "Laverne likes Potsie?", and Shirley replies, "Sure."

In the script, Shirley "pokes" Richie after saying she knows someone else who'll have a real good time, rather than embracing him as onscreen.  The "not on the first date" thing was added.  And Richie happily anticipating their third date at the end of the scene expands on the closing line of the scene, and act, "Was our date for this evening over?"

Thoughts:

• If this was an audition to write for HD, then Fred Fox, Jr., certainly passed, since he shows a good feel for Richie's character, although the "Blueberry Hill" and "Leopard Lodge" additions probably came from someone deeper into that canon.
• It feels off to have Shirley so touchy-feely with Richie that early in the scene and it works better to have them being more physical as the scene progresses.
• Still, now I want an episode where Richie takes Shirley to a UFO lecture.