THE WILD WILD WEST
"Night of the Bloody Terror"
by
"E. Thropp"
(Patty Wright)
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own crap, yadda yadda yadda
This was a proposed and rejected script for the Cawley Entertainment Company series "Back to the Wild Wild West".
As such, it's formatted as a script rather than as the usual "prose story". The following will give you an idea of how a script is formatted and written for television. Action and scenes are left justified. Diologue is centered, with the speakers name capitalized. It, therfore, takes a bit to get used to the format and "rhythm"/flow... but it will eventually be second nature if you give it a chance.
THIS SCRIPT IS REGISTERED WITH THE WGA.
TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. DANSVILLE STREET – NIGHT
A brick mansion, it's first floor windows lit brightly. As CAMERA MOVES toward a lighted window on the main floor of the mansion –
DISSOLVE THROUGH TO:
INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT
The town's prominent folk, and WEST, are lingering over the end of a meal, including GOBLETS of RED WINE. MAYOR CALEB JACKSON, SHERIFF JACOB ELI, DOCTOR OSWALD ROBERTSON, Woman's Society President CLARA BLUNDELL, banker ALBERT HUSTIN and the Mayor's daughter PHOEBE JACKSON - a pale blond, thoroughly vapid woman in her early twenties.
As they talk, SERVANTS come in and out of the room, cleaning up the meal.
PHOEBE
(eagerly)
Mister West, I hope you've found our reputation for grand entertaining and the gayness of our parties a welcome truth. I am just sure you'll have only wonderful things to report about us.
MAYOR
We are understandably humbled that President Grant is considering visiting our little town.
WEST
Mayor Jackson, your town's ability to come through last year's crop failure without any deaths from starvation has Washington very intrigued.
Doctor
It was a community success. Everyone pulled together for the common good.
Murmurs of agreement around.
WEST
Yes, Doctor. The President hopes he'll find there's something to be learned from you that will help towns facing such dire circumstances in the future.
CLARA
We at the Women's Society have grand plans laid out for his visit.
WEST
I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job, Mrs. Blundell. But, before it comes to that, you must realize, the job of the Secret Service is to ensure the President's safety, and -
The Mayor leaps to interrupt. He doesn't want the girl to hear this conversation.
MAYOR
Phoebe, dear, it's getting late.
PHOEBE
Yes, Father, it is. If you'll all excuse me, I'll say good evening now and take your leave.
BANKER
Allow me to escort you, Miss Jackson.
As the two get up and EXIT, the men rise briefly to be polite to the departing woman.
WEST
I have deep concerns about the President visiting Dansville.
MAYOR
I assure you, we have the best security in the territory here.
SHERRIFF
The hasn't been a single murder in Dansville in the two years I've been sheriff.
Is he kidding? West realizes their obviously using very different dictionaries.
WEST
Twenty-three people - at least - have disappeared without any trace.
The townspeople shift uneasily and exchange glances, checking for an agreed on response.
BANKER
The people you're speaking of were black servants. Since the Emancipation...
ClARA
(interrupting, quickly)
Hear, hear: they all simply left over time to pursue their fortunes.
WEST
With all due respect, we've generally found that people come to Nevada seeking their fortunes, not run from this territory.
SHERIFF
(mocking)
Are their family's searching for them?
CLARA
(dismissing)
No, of course not. It's all so silly...
West thinks he may have entered the Twilight Zone.
WEST
My concerns...
A SCREAM from another room interrupts him.
West leads as they are on their feet, tearing out the door...
INT. HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
... and down the hall, where they join... A SERVANT, holding a tray of dirty dishes, standing with Phoebe, who is cowering against the wall, shaking and crying in fear.
On the floor is a DEAD SERVANT.
The Mayor immediately takes Phoebe in his arms to comfort her while the Doctor kneels down to examine the body.
WEST
How long has she been dead?
The Doctor exchanges glances with the other town elders, judging his words as he stands. There's no getting around it.
DOCTOR
An hour. No more.
WEST
Then I have no choice. Somebody in this house killed this woman, and no one is leaving until I find out who.
The townsfolk are in an alarmed panic at the suggestion - looking at each other for support, falling over each other's words -
MAYOR
(condescending)
Mister West, you don't realize that all the town's leading citizens are here -
ClARA
- You'll shut down everything -
BANKER
- I have a bank to open! There are businesses -
SHERIFF
- This is my town, West. You can't do this!
WEST
I can. And if I have to use my authority to call the Calvary to surround this place, I will.
The Sheriff lunges at West, but he steps adroitly aside.
The Sheriff lands on the floor, as the others push back against the walls to avoid the fight.
He clamors to his feet and rushes forward, plowing a fist into West's mid-section.
West crosses with an upper-right and the Sheriff collapses against the wall, unconscious.
Behind him, the Doctor grabs a knife off a servant's tray and lunges toward West -
- West spins, draws his gun and shoots.
Hit, the Doctor drops: dead.
West's attention is suddenly drawn to a noise off-camera -
SHOT - THE HALL BEHIND THE DEAD DOCTOR
- a rustle of FABRIC from a FIGURE disappears down the hall
SHOT - FULL
West tears after them -
- down the hall -
- skids at the end and turns around the corner -
- and sees no one in the hall but...
SHOT - ON WALL PANEL
As is closes.
SHOT - FULL
West runs up to the panel and pushes on it, bangs his hands against it.
Finally, he backs up and jams his shoulder against it.
It OPENS and West pushes himself inside, the panel closing behind him.
DISSOLVE THROUGH TO:
INT. PASSAGE
Barely the square width to fit West's body, with four solid walls.
West spins, pressing against the solid walls.
There's no way out.
END OF TEASER