Wednesday, September 29, 2021

"2001 - A Comedy Odyssey," Scene C

We're back in the "girls apartment," but it is now the Year 2020, and no, that's not a typo.  But we'll get to that.
 
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF LAVERNE'S DREAM.  THE APARTMENT IS JUST ABOUT THE WAY IT ALWAYS IS.  A LITTLE OLDER BUT ESSENTIALLY THE SAME.  THERE IS A TEAPOT WITH TWO CUPS ON THE COFFEE TABLE.  AN OLD SHIRLEY COMES OUT OF THE BEDROOM CARRYING A "CONFIDENTIAL" MAGAZINE.  SHE IS SPRY, EIGHTY AND BLIND AS A BAT.  SHE SITS DOWN AND FEELS AROUND FOR THE TEAPOT.  SHE FILLS IT, LIFTS THE TEAPOT AND ONE OF THE CUPS.  SHE MISSES THE CUP COMPLETELY, BUT MIRACULOUSLY THE TEA GOES IN THE OTHER CUP.  SHIRLEY GOES INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND BUMPS HER LEG.

SHIRLEY
Laverne's always moving the furniture.

The apartment and Shirley are as described, but she's in the kitchen when the filmed scene starts.  It looks like she just spills the tea on the floor.  And her bumping her leg and commenting on it are omitted.

Here's the description of Laverne:

LAVERNE HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF HERSELF OVER THE YEARS.  SHE IS A VERY FAT OLD LADY.  SHE WADDLES IN....

This was left out after Laverne asks how Shirley knows that "vo-de-oh-do" is "not that big a thing":

LAVERNE
...Do you know?

SHIRLEY
No.  I don't know.  My goodness, Laverne.  You ask me that question fifty times every day.

LAVERNE
Well, I don't want you knowin' if I don't know.

SHIRLEY
You're gonna know soon.  I'm the one that's gonna be an old maid.  Tea?

Onscreen, Shirley just asks if Laverne wants tea.

Carmine is described as "a priest.  He's got grey hair, but the dancing has kept him in pretty good shape.  He is carrying a Bible."  But his hands are free onscreen, and he's able to help Laverne up from kneeling, something not in the script.

They dropped Shirley calling Carmine "you passionate fool."  But they added her telling him she's "read books."

Otherwise, for an eleven-page scene it's pretty faithful.  My main note is that I think it's interesting that Laverne doesn't want Shirley to get laid behind her back, so to speak, when Laverne has been saving herself all this time.  Also, if we assume that the girls are born in 1938ish (Class of '56), then Shirley would be 82ish in 2020.  But I guess that wouldn't have enabled them to get the movie-referencing episode title.

2 comments:

  1. Laverne is so hungry for beef on the hoof she'll even take it via third party stories!

    ReplyDelete

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