Scenes

1. The Late Night Party.

A group of executives and friends of PME Corporation are at restaurant celebrating the acquisition of a major new contract. It means money for all involved. Present are Ted Hewitt, David Gold, Fay Livingston and several other executives and members of the senior sales staff.
The discussion revolves around how it was skill and not luck which has brought each of the party to where they were. Ted claims that he has not used any connections, inherited money or handouts of any kind to make his first billion. He was not start out in the right place at the right time, but placed himself there. There are good natured arguments against this, pointing out remarkable coincidences which moved Ted onto the path to his billion dollar wealth.
Ted makes the claim that if all the money in the world was taken from the world’s millionaires and then divided up evenly among the world’s poor. Each poor person would get $35,000. Given the nature of mankind, in seven years – probably as short as five years, the same millionaires would have the money back and the world’s poor would be just as poor as before.
David argues that the money would be unevenly distributed again, but this time it would be a different set of millionaires.
Ted disagrees and says “It takes brains and guts. That’s it. If you have what it takes to be a millionaire, the millions come. Being rich or poor is not an economic issue, it is a person’s destiny.”

2. The Panhandler

(Think about the ancient mariner and the dinner guest) After the party breaks up. Ted, David and Fay are strolling down the deserted city streets smoking cigars and looking for a cab. A panhandler comes out of doorway and asks for spare change. Fay answers him with “get a job”. Ted says, “This is an example of what I was talking about.” He takes out a 20 dollar bill and says. “Here, this is 20 bucks. I bet you have it all spent by 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.” He looks at his friends. “If I had 20 bucks, I could turn it into a thousand in a week and ten thousand in a month a billion in ten years.”
“You wait,” the panhandler says, “Wait until you are down and out in a strange city where no one knows you and you’ve got nowhere to sleep. You wait until all your contacts are gone and the system is designed to keep you crowded in some distant corner where decent people don’t have to see you and the only help you get is an unmarked grave when you die.”
“He’s got a point there Ted,” David says, “The system is designed to work against you without a support base.”
“Nope,” says Ted, “All it takes is brains. I guarantee I can turn 20 bucks into 10,000 in two weeks.”
“Is that a bet?” asks Fay.
Ted, a little the worse for wear from the heavy drinking and lack of sleep, stumbles a little, but recovers. “Your damn straight.”
"What are you putting up."
"If I win, you guys work at a homeless every weekend for a year."
"But what if we win"
"Fay, my darling, You can be CEO of PME for one year."
David, the perennial analyst, begins to think aloud. “We’d have to take your cell and your palm pilot, and all of your credit cards. And it would have to be a city where you don’t have any contacts or company offices. It couldn’t be anywhere in the US. That would be too easy. Hmm, I was going to go to Montreal in a couple of weeks to check out office space for that Enterprise project we’re working on. I guess if we sent you out ahead, I could get there in time to bail you out of jail in two weeks.”

“Two weeks and ten thousand dollars,” Fay says, “I foresee a dark future for you, my boy”.

3. The Plane trip

Ted wakes up wearing jeans and an AC/DC tee shirt in the back of a late flight to Montreal. His clothes have holes in them and he is wearing an old pair of sandals. The pilot is announcing that they will be landing in Montreal International Airport in less than 20 minutes, local time is 9:42 PM. Ted searches his pockets and pulls out a twenty dollar bill.

4. An Encounter in Montreal Airport

In the airport, Ted wanders slowly. The busy crowds are rushing by him. He rubs his growing beard and looks out the windows at the cold looking rain and you can tell by the expression on his face that he’s wondering how the hell he got talked into this.
There is a man - Louie Lemaire - at a bar sipping a martini (at 11 AM) . He is watching Ted carefully.
Right in front of the bar a woman (Margot) bumps into Ted and drops a bag of packages from the duty free shop.
“Excuse me.” He says, although it is clearly her fault, and he helps here pick things up. She organizes the packages on a plastic table in front of an airport bar.
“I am so sorry,” she says in a cute French accent, “I was supposed to meet someone here today and they just called to tell me that they couldn’t wait and took a taxi.”
“That was not polite.” He says.
“I will live, but I have to rush now and get to work. I have wasted too much time here already”.
He flirts with her a while and is rewarded by her smile, unaware of the improbability of this, considering the way he is dressed and the way he looks (and smells).
She gives him a card with her number on it and says. “Call me later, if you want to see the real Montreal.” And she rushes off.
Louie smirks into his drink as Ted stares after her, admiring the way her hips move.

5. The Limo.

Ted wanders down to the ground transportation trying to figure out how to get into town. He asks a passing porter “Excuse me, where are the Hotel shuttle busses?” and gets pointed to an escalator. When he gets on the elevator he sees a bunch of limo drivers forming a phalanx on either side of the elevator to the exit. Each has a card with a name on it and sometimes a company name underneath that. Ted Smiles.
He spies out a limo driver asleep in the corner. This is Sully. The card has fallen down and Ted can’t read it. He bends over and tries to look under it and Sully wakes up. The card says “Wu, PacitCorp.” You can see Ted thinking fast, but not fast enough.
“I’m Wu.” He says. Sully looks at him “Huh?”
“Well I’m not Wu, I‘m here instead of Wu. Wu couldn’t make it. They sent me at the last moment.” Ted shrugged a little and pointed to the way he was dressed as proof of the haste in which he departed.
Sully doesn’t say anything. He just stares at Ted. “I’ve got a big meeting to make. I’ve got to cover Wu’s ass.” The expression on Sully’s face doesn’t change. Ted tries again. “Wu’s kid is sick again…” no expression, “This time they may have to operate.”
“Gee, that’s too bad, eh” says Sully. “Where are your bags?”
“Uh, I had to leave right away, no time to pack. I’ll pick up some clothes at the hotel.”
“I’m supposed to take you right to the conference” Says Sully.
“You better take me to the hotel. I can clean up there and at least get a decent shirt and pants and a pair of shoes. If I buy a tie, I’ll look sort of presentable.”
“Nope, I’ve got to take you to the conference” Ted looks flummoxed. “But I’ll stop at my cousin’s place on the way. He’s about your size and he’ll loan you a change of clothes.”

6. The Conference.

The limo, a 1963 black Cadillac, drives up to the conference center. The sign says welcome International Financial Conference. Ted gets out. He’s wearing a cowboy shirt and string tie with tight pants and cowboy boots. Sully says “I’ll be right over there in the temporary parking when you finish.”
Ted walks up to the sign-in desk and looks at the literature. Out f the corner of his eye he notes that Sully is watching him carefully with his hands folded across his chest.
“Can I help you, eh?” a woman asks.
“Um no, ah I mean yes. Um I’m um Wu.” He says.
“Woo?” She asks. “How do you spell that?”
“It’s W U” he answers looking around for a place to run.
“Oh, here it is.” She says. “Kesheng WU from the University of Bridgeport.”
“Is that Chinese?” she asks.
“Common mistake” he says “It’s actually Norwegian.”
He clips on the name tag, takes the bag of conference literature and wanders into the conference center. Looking back he sees that Sully has sat down and is already starting to doze.

It is possible to do a little slapstick here. He could be assaulted by a rival financial analyst and escape back to Sully. He could be approached by a large woman who “Just had a feeling it was Wu.” Or he could be told he is late delivering the keynote speech and he has to go on stage immediately.
In any case, Ted meets with a group of people who recognize his name and want financial advice. “Professor Wu, would you buy IBM now?” or “Mr. Wu, is it time to sell Corn Futures?” Ted says “When PME Corporation hits 82, buy it.”

In any case as he leaves the conference there is a dignified Asian man (about the same size as Ted) at the sign-in desk arguing with the woman there. “Your name is Wu? Is that a Norwegian name?” can be heard as Ted passes by covering his name tag.

A TV reporter is covering the conference. It’s Mark Jameson. He is talking into a microphone about the financial genius Kesheng WU who will be speaking about the future of the world economy in a few minutes.

Ted gets in the limo and wakes up Sully. “To my hotel – quick”.

7. At the Hotel.

Ted goes to the hotel and tells Sully to wait. He goes up to the front desk and asks for the key to Kesheng Wu’s room. The clerk sees Ted’s name tag and takes it as positive id, and gives him a pass card. “What room was that again” he asks. “1538” she answers.
Ted sprints to the elevator and gets off at 15. He uses the card to get into the room where he finds that Wu has been there already. He goes to Wu’s suitcase which is sitting on the bed and pulls out a suit. “Very nice Mr. Wu” he says and starts taking off his cowboy clothes. He sees a cell phone on the table and grabs it. He leaves the hotel dressed in a well cut black suit which fits him perfectly right down to the patent leather shoes.
Ted stops before he gets into the Limo and makes a phone call on the pinched cell.
“Hello Margot,” he says “This is Ted – from the airport. I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer to see the real Montreal?”
Ted gets in the limo and says “87, Ste-Catherine Est.”
Sully finally cracks a smile and says "Well, All right!"

…… here we need to start the dangerous part of the story. We should work out some of the scenes and introduce some more characters.

8. At Foufounes Électriques. (The Electric Pussies)

This is the famous Alternative Montreal Nightclub on Ste. Catherine's. The people outside the club, sitting on the broad steps leading up and on standing around on the sidewalks are typical over done Punks/Goth/Clubbers with multiple piercings, tattoos and spectacular Technicolor hair. The music is rave or mix or dub or whatever kind of music the place is currently into. The limo pulls in an alley down the street from the nightclub. There are some kids leaning against a car. The window is open.
Sully opens a window and yells “This your car?” they answer “Yeah” with an attitude.
Sully gets out – all 6 foot 5 and 350 pounds and glares at them. The kids back off.
“Well – Move IT!!!” he bellows. The car grinds its gears as the driver struggles to get the car moved.
Sully parks the car and by of explanation says “It’s sometimes difficult to get a parking space at this time of night.”
The party goes up the steps into the club with Sully doing a little shuffling dance to the hypnotic beat of the loud music escaping through the doors.

9. In the Foufounes Électriques.

The club is crazy with music and smoke. There are people dancing and smoking weed and there are nude dancers on platforms- both male and female.
Margot yells something into the ear of a waitress trying to be heard over the deafening beat and they are lead to a table in a small alcove.
Julie Suarez sees Margot as she passes by the table and squeals with delight as both girls kiss and then introduce themselves. Ted gives his name as Kesheng Wu, much to Margot’s surprise. “It’s Norwegian” Margot explains. Julie takes to Sully and they make sexually charged comments to each other.
The waitress asks what they want. Sully and Ted order beers and Margot and Julie order perfect martinis.
“You’re the driver. Should you be drinking?” Juile asks Sully who just guffaws loudly. The music suddenly dies and the feature band starts playing something cool, but decadent – definitely in some Euro style – the kind Americans never quite get. The music is a little less loud and conversation becomes possible.
Sully and Julie get up to slow dance, she has her arms around him and the top of her head doesn’t make it to the middle of his chest. Margot drags Ted to the dance floor where he does some goofy kind of boogaloo which makes Margot laugh. She drags him back to the table. When the drinks come, Margot asks “What brings a rich American to Montreal? Are you here for the Financial Conference?”
“No, I am here on a bet. And I’m not so rich. When I pay for this beer, I’ll be dead broke.”
“Broke? – You have no money. Don’t Joke with Margot.”
“Nope. I’ve got 20 bucks to my name and soon I won’t have that. I think I’m sleeping in Sully’s Limo tonight, unless he figures my name isn’t really Kesheng Wu.”
“Oh shit!” Margot yells. “You mean you haven’t got a dime?”
But Ted is watching the stage. He says “Hey, Speak of the devil”.
At this moment an Asian man dressed in cowboy clothes right down to the boots jumps up onstage, grabs the microphone and starts singing “Home on the Range” With one hand he wards off the girl singer and with the other hold the microphone in front of his face as he keeps singing. The band stops playing except for the drummer and bass player who are trying to keep up with Wu’s performance. Eventually the guitar player catches on and then the crowd starts cheering and clapping along.
Wu finishes with a loud slow ending “and the skies are not cloudy all DAYYYYYYYYY!” with much acid guitar embellishment and cheers from the crowd. A bouncer starts to escort Wu off the stage, but he still has the mic and says “Thank you very much and for my next number I’d like to perform an old favorite by Hank Williams…” The singer grabs the mic and the band goes right into the next song in the set list.
As Wu is dragged down off the stage and towards the door, Sully is there and grabs him away from the bouncer. Sully is much larger than the bouncer and, after a smiling exchange with the him, Sully brings Wu back to the table.
“Meet Kesheng Wu.” sully announces. “This is Margot and this is Julie and this,” pointing to Ted “I don’t know who the hell you are.”
“Busted!” says Ted glumly. He looks at the big man and leans back almost despondently.
“Yeah, I knew since the conference. I saw Wu’s picture there. Of course I wouldn’t have recognized this guy if he hadn’t been wearing Cousin Tony’s outfit.”
“This stuff belongs to your cousin Tony?” He looks at his clothes as though he’d never seen them before. “Cool!”
Wu looks at Ted. “You must be the guy who got my Limo. Hey that’s my suit you’re wearing.”
Ted puts his head down on the table and moans. Margot looks very upset.
“I have to go to the Little Girl’s Room.” Says Margot urgently. She makes eye contact with Julie and the two go off.
“Do you know what happened to my cell phone?” Ted reaches into his pocket and pulls out the phone, holding it towards Wu. He never lifts his head, but just moans quietly.”
“Hey, man” says Sully slapping him on the back. “You were cool. I had to drive you around just to see what nutty thing you’d do next. I ain’t gonna turn you in.”
“I have no hard feelings” says Wu looking at his outfit. “I think I am ahead in this game. By the way, I don’t think that we’ve been introduced. I am Kesheng Wu of the University of Bridgeport.” He reaches out a hand to Ted.
Ted sits up – still not sure that things are no going to hell in a basket.
“I’m Ted Hewitt.” He shakes with Wu.
“I know you… You are the CEO of PME Corporation. You were at the conference telling everyone to buy PME at 82.”
“Busted again”, moans Ted.
“Why 82” asks Wu.
“’Cause that’s what its worth!”
“I agree, a simple analysis of your quarterly statement would reveal that. But it trades at 135. It will not go down to 82 baring some unforeseen circumstances.”
“Such as The CEO going to a Canadian jail or the CEO dropping out for a year. The price will go down to 82, but probably no lower.”
“I will not press charges. Like I said, I am ahead on this deal. But, why would you step down?”
“I made a bet. I was drunk and made a bet. Now I think that it was very stupid.”
Julie and Margot return.
Margot hisses in a loud whisper to the group. “We must leave and leave now!”
“Why?” ask Sully and Wu together.
“There is no time. Mr. Wu, I mean Ted is in trouble. There is a man… I’ll explain it later.” She tugs on his arm trying to get him up. “Come on… Now”

Ted stands up first and then both Wu and Sully follow. Ted gives the waitress his twenty and she starts to yell about the cost of the drinks, Margot and Julie almost frog march Ted through the crowds of oddly colored and shaped revelers.

10. In the Alley.

A TV reporter is in the street reporting on the arrival of local celebrities visiting the Foufounes Électriques. It is our old friend Mark Jameson. He is describing the scene and from the viewpoint to of the cameraman, Ted and company can be seen walking behind Mark.
They turn to the corner and start walking towards the car – it is 20 or thirty yards down the dark alley. It is a typical noir scene with wet streets illuminated poorly by a distant street light. As the walk up to car, shots ring out as a man steps from a doorway. Everyone ducks and Ted pushes open a door and goes into a darkened hall way. He runs down and makes a turn and goes down some stairs. The only sound is the muffled dub of the house mix in the nightclub above. He hears the squeal of tires pealing out and he realizes he’s been abandoned. Ted moves forward – blind in the dark.

11. In the passageways under the Foufounes Électriques.

There are creaking sounds as someone steps on the rickety stairs. Ted pushes his through the darkened hallway and reaches a door. There is a flare behind him as a cigarette is lit. The door is stuck. Ted turns to see a red dot of light from the end of the cigarette turn the corner. He bends over to look closer at the doorknob when a knife hits the wooden door and sticks in right above Ted. If he had been standing he would have been dead. The door pops open and Ted goes into a dark room leaning hard against the door, trying to find a way of locking it.
There is a banging on the door, as someone tries to get at Ted. Ted sees in the nearly perfect darkness a chair and moves to grab it. A shot rings out, and then another one. Each time a hole of light appears in the door. Ted cringes back trying to get out of the way of the bullets. Then another shot flashes, illuminating the room with glare through the tiny holes. Then more shots and then a low moan and a scraping sound (a body slumping down against the door).
There is a moment’s silence. The music stops and Ted hears running feet coming through the ceiling.
He tries to open the door. There is a body leaning against it. He pushes it open, and the body slides to the side. It’s Louie (How do we know? – we must have met him before – so much for time lines).
Ted gingerly steps over the body and starts backing away from it. He stumbles and recovers. About 15 feet down the hall is another body. Ted looks at it. It is a Montreal cop. The cop stirs and opens its eyes looking right at Ted. Ted backs off and runs in panic up the stairs, down the hall and out into the night air.

12. Out of the passageway and into the fire.

Ted emerges from the dark maze under the nightclub and finds himself in an alley full of people. The reporter, Mark Jameson, is yelling into his microphone excitedly and as the camera turns on Ted he stops. Ted looks down at himself to see that his white shirt is covered with blood. Someone screams a police car with lights and siren turns the corner. Ted makes a dash through the crowd, knocking over Mark and the cameraman. The crowd parts as he runs down the alley towards the distance street light. The sound of the fading music is like a fast beating heart.
As Ted reaches the end of the alley, the police are blowing on whistles and yelling “Halt” and “Stop”.
A Classic 1963 Black Cadillac screeches almost to a halt, the door opens and Ted dives in. The Cadillac burns rubber and is gone.

13. Sully loses the police in an exciting chase scene.

This is left to the better judgment of the director. It may be reveled that Sully has a few reasons of his own not to have to speak with the police.

14. At the Chat Noire Jazz Club.

Ted, Sully, Wu, Margot and Julie enter the jazz club. They stop to get used to the dark, lit only by blue lights in the corners of the room and a flickering, but quiet TV. The music stops and the drummer, an old black man, comes up to them. He smiles at Sully. “Sully!”
Sully turns to Ted and company. “This is Babe McKenzie, the greatest jazz drummer of the 20th century.”
“And the 21st as well” Babe says. “Hey man, got your ax? Want to sit in?”
“Not right now” says Sully. “These are some friends of mine. They need a place to rest up for a minute.”
“I know.” Babe motions with his thumb over his shoulder to the TV. Mark is on the screen which quickly cuts to a bloody portrait of Ted turning and running down the alley. The Cadillac can be seen as Ted leaps in.
“What the hell did you do to my car this time?” asks Babe.
“Nothing but a few bullet holes. I’ll get them fixed.”
“Ah well, it won’t be the first time.” Sully turned to the bar. “What will you all be drinking.” He asks.
“Excuse me, I must make phone call” says Wu and turns away. They all look at him.
“He OK?” asks babe. “Yeah,” says Sully, “I think so.”
Sully says that Babe will let Ted get cleaned up at the club and stay in the dressing room for the night.

15. In the dressing room.
The dressing room is a dirty back room with a couch and a sink and old jazz posters on the wall placed there by all of the artists who have visited the place in the last 40 years. Ted takes off his shirt and undershirt and washes the dried blood off of his chest. He is holding up the Hawaiian shirt that he’s been given and is trying to figure out if he should put it on when Margot comes in and looks at him – he looks at her – she looks at him – he looks at her – Guess what happens.

16. In the dressing room – morning.
It’s late morning and Margot is sitting on the edge of the bed hugging her knees. Ted wakes up and pets her back. She pulls away from him.
“I am a terrible person” she says, and confesses to him that the man who tried to kill him was once her lover. She tried to tell him that Ted had no money – that there was no reason to bother him, but Louie said there was money and he would get it. She runs from the room.

17. A la Chat Noire.
Ted, half dressed, runs out, but it’s too late. She is gone.
Wu is lying on a pool table moaning with an ice pack on his head. Sully hands Ted a cup of coffee. Ted looks at the TV and says “Turn that up” someone uses the remote and there is sound. The scene with the TV reporter, Mark Jameson, at the Froufrou is being replayed. The shot of a bloody Ted is shown and then the reporter starts to say “If you see this man…” when behind the reporter trying to get away from the camera is Fay and David.
“That's Fay and David. I left them in NY, what the hell were they doing there? Were they following me?”
“It looks like they were up to no good, if you ask me.” Babe says.
Ted and the audience at the same time say.
"It's the damn bet - they intend to win!"

Now where to???

We may be a little to far in to get out easily. We have to come up with a clever way of solving all of this.

Ted has to confront Fay, soon, but she must die (quite by accident – Ted’s no murderer) with the murder weapon in her pocket.

Ted should go to Fay's hotel room. He has to sneak in. Perhaps Julie and Sully help him, somehow.

Ted has to confront Fay. They argue. He grabs at Fay shaking her and David hits him over the head.

Maybe he comes to with the maid screaming and David dead on the floor. (maybe not)

How does he get back on Fay's trail? He has to find a clue in the hotel room.

Perhaps the cop will come out of his coma and identify her.
Julie and Sully have to fall in love. There has to be some sexy dancing to Jazz. And then some noir moments where we know they are naked, but the movie keeps its PG rating.
Wu obviously has calledhis stock broker – selling short on PME Corp.
Last but not least, Ted must take advantage of the fall of PME stock to make a few million dollars.

999. The final scene.

Two weeks after the adventure started. A limo pulls up to a restaurant in Manhattan and Ted gets out opening the door for Margot. Sully and Julie get out. Sully is holding a bottle of Champagne and singing a Jazz standard (“Baby you’ve got what it takes”), badly. Julie has her arm around him and looks like she is holding the big man up. Wu gets out wearing Sully’s Chauffeur’s cap and laughing runs to catch up with them. The panhandler comes out from his usual spot and begs for “Spare Change?”
“What happened to the fin I gave you two weeks ago?” he asks, “Spent it all already?”
“I had to eat, you know. 20 bucks doesn’t go far, these days”.
“That’s funny” he says, “I turned my 20 into 20 million in two weeks.”
“Huh? You didn’t. You can’t do that.”
“All it takes is Brains!” They laugh and the ending credits appear to the music of Dinah Washington and Brook Benton singing “Baby you’ve got what it takes”