"Bus Stop," Scenes A through D

On January 10, 1978, six weeks before "Bus Stop" aired, its Revised Shooting Script was submitted.  There probably won't be any major changes, but let's find out.

We start in the "girls' apartment - day."  Scene A is very faithful, just with little touches, like Squiggy saying hello when Edna says hello into the phone. 

Scene B takes us to "Ext. Milwaukee Street - afternoon."  Again, I can't really see much difference from what aired, just Shirley saying her preference for Kennedy over Nixon is "a lot more political than sweaty lips," rather than, as on air, how they pronounce "Cuber."

So moving on to Scene C, and back to the girls' apartment with continuous action.  In the script, Edna says both girls look pretty on TV, while in the script Frank says it of just Laverne.  Here's the little bit chopped off, after Squiggy says Nixon reminds him of his dad:

EDNA, FRANK AND CARMINE LEAVE.  LENNY AND SQUIGGY START TO WATCH TV.

SQUIGGY

The Little Rascals.

LENNY

Shh!  It's a silent one.

The next scene is also in the girls' apartment during the day, but possibly a different day.  They added Shirley saying she believes Wanda Hoffman's pregnant-from-the-pool story, and Laverne a bit later saying that her goggles let her see men's legs underwater.

This is what was omitted after Shirley tells Laverne about their double date in Oshkosh with the medical students:

SHIRLEY GETS UP AND LEAVES WINDOW IN DIRECTION OF GIRLS' FRONT DOOR.  LAVERNE BEGINS TALKING TO SHIRLEY.  SHE FACES THEIR APARTMENT'S WALLS, WALKING ALONG TALKING IN THE DIRECTION SHE THINKS SHIRLEY HAS REACHED OUTSIDE.

LAVERNE

Hey that's great, Shirl.  I knew they liked us.  How we gettin' there?  The car's busted.  What the heck, we'll hitchhike up.

SHIRLEY ENTERS.

SHIRLEY

No hitchhiking.  They're going to meet us at the bus station in Oshkosh and then they'll drive us home later.  Forget the pool, we got a bus to catch.

LAVERNE

Oh, boy, makin' out with a medical student.  Shirl, do you know how good those guys know the human body?

SHIRLEY

Forget making out.  These guys are going to be doctors.  That's the kind of catch we've always dreamed of.  Now we have to show them that we're ladies.  I want them to respect us.

LAVERNE

Can't they respect us if we make out?

SHIRLEY

No.

SHIRLEY HEADS FOR THE BEDROOM.

LAVERNE

If you make out real good, they'll respect you.

AS LAVERNE FOLLOWS SHIRLEY TO THE BEDROOM, WE:

DISSOLVE TO [Scene E]:

Thoughts:

• I don't have much to say about the first three scenes, although the Little Rascals thing is cute.
• It is of course Shirley's dream, not Laverne's, to date a medical student, but Laverne quickly sees the advantage, re anatomy.
• We get a clear statement of Shirley's reasons for staying pure to win the heart of a future doctor.
• Laverne's question, "Can't they respect us if we make out?" shows her frustration with the double standard of their time, while her "If you make out real good, they'll respect you" is very characteristic as well.
• Onscreen, there's a little transition of the girls' voiceover for the bus ride, which replaces this exchange.