Sunday, August 29, 2021

"Look Before You Leap," Scenes J and K

With "continuous action," we go to the "girls' bedroom - day (morning)."  In the script, Frank sits next to Laverne on the bed right before saying, "Talk," but this doesn't happen onscreen until later.  In the script, Frank says, "You're my baby, my Muffin...," while onscreen he says the thing about "famiglia."

Here's Frank's rant from the script: "Omigod... thought you were smart...  How... those movies you saw... who... I got a gun from the service... (STARTS PULLING HIS HAIR)  I'm gonna clean it, I'm gonna kill the guy."  Onscreen, there's no mention of movies or his gun, although the latter will make an unexpected appearance in Season Seven's "Crime Isn't Pretty."

In the script, when Frank "wraps Laverne in a hug," he says, "Muffin, my little Muffin," rather than the less obviously sentimental "It's okay, it's okay."

Onscreen, we'd get a comical although sweet bit with Frank "helping" Laverne with her hat and coat.  The version in the script saves its joke until the very end:

HE BRINGS LAVERNE TO HER FEET, HELPS HER ON WITH HER COAT.  HE BUNDLES HER UP AS A FATHER WOULD TO A YOUNG CHILD.  HE PUSHES A LOOSE STRAND OF HAIR UNDER HAT.

FRANK
You tell me the news, soon as you find out.  Either way.

LAVERNE
I will.

THEY HUG EACH OTHER, AND THEN START OUT HOLDING EACH OTHER AROUND THE WAIST.

LAVERNE (CON'TD)
Pop.  I got somethin' else to tell you.

FRANK
What?

LAVERNE    
You got a meatball stuck to your neck.

THEY EXIT.

The tag is only one page and has more handwritten wardrobe notes on it, so here it is:


Thoughts:
  • As with other parts of this script, they had a good solid base that just needed to be polished by the time of filming.  This Frank is a tad too sentimental to be canonical, although I admit that the circumstances would soften him somewhat.  Not that the repeated Muffins aren't sweet to read of course.
  • The meatball line doesn't make any sense, and it's better to not end this emotional scene on a gag like that.
  • As for the tag, the general idea was kept, but again polished, including the boys accidentally Ronnying a man. 
  • In the DVD version, Carmine does not sing "Chances Are" (a song that would turn out to have significance to Laverne later).  
  • The Core Four hopping up and down is cute but a bit over the top.
  • The Fredna cheek-kiss is interesting.
  • The entire audience joining in (I assume the PB crowd) is also a bit much.
  • And, yes, there's nothing of Laverne trying to hide against Lenny's chest.

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