“Crazy Mr. Guggenheim”
Ext. Suburban Street - Day
ESTABLISH a typical, American suburban residential street: tree-lined and neat homes with trimmed lawns and gardens. This could be any pretty street in any town. As we move down the street, we come to a seven year old girl, LUANNE, jumping rope in front of her house.
SINGLE -LUANNE
She introduces herself to US, directly to the camera, “I'm Luanne and I live right here. In this house. That's where Mr. Guggenheim lives.” She points to Mr. Guggenheim's House across the street.
P.O.V. - Mr. Guggenheim's House.
It is neat, well kept-up, fits right in. Oh, yes, behind the house, a tower, topped with a triband beam antenna. A wire antenna crosses the back yard.
BACK TO LUANNE
SEVERAL FRIENDS gather around Luanne, watching us curiously, nodding in agreement. Luanne says: “My Uncle Mort says Mr…”
Int. Luanne's Dining Room - Night
The FAMILY gathered for dinner, Luanne is there with her little brother. Uncle Mort continues: “Guggenheim is sending messages to Mars. There was a guy like him on Rickey Lake.”
Int. Luanne's Bedroom - Night
She's at her desk, doing her homework. She turns to us. “My dad said…”
Ext. Luanne's House - Day
LUANNE'S FATHER is working on his car, Luanne is there. He says to her: “Guggenheim's got his own TV station. The government is letting people do that. He's broadcasting TV.”
LUANNE'S MOTHER comes out of the house, carrying a tray with cookies. She's overheard. She says to Luanne: “Just you stay away from Mr. Guggenheim's house.” They look across the street.
P.O.V.
Mr. Guggenheim is in front of his house, watering his lawn. He looks over at Luanne's family, nods, smiles.
Ext. Luanne's House - Day
Luanne is playing hopscotch with her friends. She turns to us and says: “Everybody says Mr. Guggenheim is doing this thing or that thing, but nobody ever asks Mr. Guggenheim.”
P.O.V.
Mrs. Guggenheim drives up in the family station wagon. It has an antenna and call letter license plates. Mr. Guggenheim puts down his hose and helps her bring in the groceries.
WINDOW OF LUANNE'S HOUSE
Uncle Mort is looking through the window. PAST HIM we SEE Luanne's mother. He says, over his shoulder, “Guggenheim sends FAX's from his car.”
EXT - GUGGENHEIM'S HOUSE - DAY
Mr. Guggenheim is working in his garage. We HEAR Luanne say, “One day, my bicycle broke, right in front of Mr. Guggenheim's.” Guggenheim looks over toward the street, puts down his tools and heads quickly toward:
STREET
Luanne has fallen where her bicycle chain broke. Guggenheim kindly helps her up.
IN THE GARAGE
Mr. Guggenheim bandages Luanne's knee, then repairs the bicycle chain. Luanne looks around awed by all the tools. Mr. Guggenheim asks Luanne if she'd like to see his radio equipment.
STREET - LATER
Luanne's Mother is worried, she stands in the street, anxiously looking, calling through cupped hands, “Luanne!”
INT - MR. GUGGENHEIM'S DEN
Mr. Guggenheim is showing Luanne his equipment. His modern set-up fits right into a corner of the den. He has several awards and plaques on the wall. Mrs. Guggenheim gives Luanne a glass of lemonade. Luanne hears her mother call.
STREET
Mr. Guggenheim has Luanne's repaired bike, and Luanne gushes the news of her time with the Guggenheims, but her mother is unfriendly and cold and she tugs Luanne back to their house.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. LUANNE'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Luanne stands at the window, looking out.
GUGGENHEIM HOUSE
The antenna spins.
INSIDE
Mr. Guggenheim sits at his radio, wearing headphones. Behind him, Mrs. Guggenheim watches “Wheel of Fortune.”
LUANNE'S HOUSE
In the KITCHEN, Luanne's mother is baking a cake. She turns on the MIXER.
In the LIVING ROOM, Luanne's father is watching “Wheel of Fortune” The TV fills with streaks and lines! Luanne's father gets up, SMACKS the TV, hollers: “It's that Guggenheim and his broadcasting station again!”
In the KITCHEN, Luanne's mother says, “What?” and she switches off the mixer.
At that moment, in the living room, the TV CLEARS UP.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. LUANNE'S HOUSE - DAY
Luanne comes down the back steps with a bag of trash and places it in a can. She turns to US and says: “Then one day, a car hit a telephone pole a couple blocks from here…”
STOCK FOOTAGE
A car smashed into a telephone pole. Over this we hear Luanne's voice: “Uncle Mort was in Detroit on business and he forgot his heart medicine.”
INT LUANNE'S HOUSE - SPARE ROOM
Luanne's mother is cleaning up, she finds the bottle on the bureau. She hurries to the `phone, but it's clear to her that it is out of order. She looks panicky.
INT GUGGENHEIM'S DEN - DAY
Luanne and her parents surround Mr. Guggenheim who is patched through to Uncle Mort in Detroit. Luanne's voice, “I knew Mr. Guggenheim could get through because he doesn't need wires. He got hold of someone in Detroit who took the time to track Uncle Mort down!”
INT DETROIT HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Uncle Mort smiles as he talks on the `phone. Luanne says: “We arranged to send Uncle Mort's prescription to his hotel.”
EXT GUGGENHEIM PATIO - NIGHT
Luanne's family and the Guggenheims relax as Mr. Guggenheim passes out lemonade. Luanne: “Mrs. Guggenheim made her special lemonade, and Mr. Guggenheim promised to fix our TV.”
EXT STREET - DAY
Luanne is riding her bike, she says to us, “Now we think of Mr. Guggenheim in a different way. His antenna points to a place where we can go if we ever lose our wires to the rest of the world.”
GUGGENHEIM'S HOUSE
A NEIGHBOR is at the door, VCR carton in hand. Mr. Guggenheim joins him, they head down the street. Luanne: “Mr. Guggenheim helps us with our computers and he knows how to set the time on our VCR's.”
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT LUANNE'S HOUSE - NIGHT
THROUGH THE WINDOW, we SEE UNCLE MORT watching “Wheel of Fortune.” As we PULL BACK, outside, we SEE Luanne's father reading the “License Manual” while Luanne's mother casually waters the lawn while sitting on the porch steps. Luanne appears, says to US: “Mr. Guggenheim is helping my father and me study for our radio licenses.”
LUANNE'S MOTHER
Looks toward Mr. Guggenheim's house, smiles and waves.
MR. GUGGENHEIM'S HOUSE
He's there with the “Missus”, raking leaves. He throws his arm around her, looks over toward Luanne and waves. FREEZE FRAME.
--End—