Christine, Edward, and the Cube
Hippopotamus Migration in Africa
Andrea Netherwood (anetherwood@yahoo.com)
Scott Cecil (raygunn51@hotmail.com)
"The End of Comedy"
Treatment:
This is the story of Joe and Bill’s encounter with a washed up comic, Mighty Head. The film is set in the 1950’s and has the image of a television sitcom. It takes place in a clean saloon style tavern with swinging entrance doors. The scene takes place during daylight.
Joe and Bill are great admirers of Mighty Head, despite his loss of fame and inflated ego. Mighty Head’s ego is represented by his Mighty Head. His oversized melon extends from the top of his head down to his knees (think Mister Potato Head). His only visible body parts are his hands and his legs from his knees down to his feet. Though this film is supposed to represent a traditional 50’s sitcom (Leave it to Beaver, Donna Read) complete with a laugh track, Mighty Head is anything but appropriate for such a conservative era of television. He is totally glam, complete with false eyelashes, cat whiskers, glitter, and that gargantuan head. Despite his appearance, the other characters draw no additional attention to his look. It speaks for itself. Think corny, cheesy 50’s sitcom and you’re on the right track.
Cast List:
Joe: Male, twenties, apron, hair neatly in place, parted and slicked to the side.
Bill: Male, thirties, just got off of work, tie is loose around the neck, top shirt button unbuttoned, five-o-clock shadow, hair slightly unkempt.
Mighty Head: Open to either gender, but is referred to as being male. Head extends from his knees to above the actor’s head (looks similar to Mr. Potato Head in shape. Must be wide enough to make entering a saloon difficult.) His body (head) is solid white, which makes the make-up he wears very shocking in appearance. His hands stick out of the sides of his head. He likes to talk with his hands. He is totally glam, with false eyelashes, obscene amounts of rouge, lipstick, eye shadow and glitter. He also has one curl of hair on the top of his head and cat whiskers at his cheeks. His feet are small, flashy red shoes are preferable.
SCREENPLAY:
The scene begins with Bill sitting at the bar on a swivel seat and Joe behind the bar with a bar towel in hand on the counter (he had just finished wiping down the bar off camera). We hear quiet jazz music in the background. Joe is looking at Bill after Bill had just told him about an idea he had (off camera). Joe then points an excited finger at Bill.
Joe
You should do a vaudeville review!
Joe releases the towel from his hand and grabs Bill’s beer mug, which is a quarter full. He refills the mug and places it before Bill as Bill is saying,
Bill
But there are no stand-up comics like Mighty Head any more!
The music stops when Mighty Head appears at the doorway.
Mighty Head
Give me a light, boys, for I wants to smoke.
(Bill approaches Mighty Head with a bubble pipe, sticks the pipe in Mighty Head’s mouth and Mighty Head begins blowing bubbles.)
Hey bobareebob, fellas, how’s about a little joke?
Joe remains behind the bar.
Joe
Okay, Mighty Head, will you act in a play for us?
Mighty Head is attempting to get into the bar, but cannot, due to the size of his cranium.
Mighty Head
No, I’m too old for that and too famous for that–
(The pipe falls out of his mouth to the floor.)
I’m just my whole life one big joke.
Ain’t that enough?
(He begins making strange sounds and wobbles from side to side)
Ack ack ack ack!
(He then turns and runs down the street, off into the distance. He runs from side to side in the street and continues "acking.")
Bill and Joe follow Mighty Head, but stop at the doorway. We hear Mighty Head "acking" quietly in the background. They stand in amazement watching Mighty Head run down the street.
Bill
Yes, Mighty Head, that is enough.
(Turns to Joe, Joe continues looking at Mighty Head)
He’s amazing!
(Both actors look into the distance at Mighty Head.)
Continuity Script:
The scene begins with a straight on MEDIUM LONG SHOT of Bill sitting at the bar on a swivel seat and Joe behind the bar with a bar towel in hand on the counter (he had just finished wiping down the bar off camera). Bill is to the right of the frame, while Joe is centered. We hear quiet jazz music in the background. Joe is looking at Bill after Bill had just told him about an idea he had (off camera). Next there is a MEDIUM shot of Joe (centered) and Bill (to the right of the frame). Joe points an excited finger at Bill.
Side note: The Spar bar in downtown Olympia would be a good location to shoot. Swinging doors are not mandatory, but are recommended.
Joe
You should do a vaudeville review!
Joe releases the towel from his hand and grabs Bill’s beer mug, which is a quarter full. He refills the mug and places it before Bill as Bill is saying,
Bill
But there are no stand-up comics like Mighty Head any more!
Bill takes a swig of his beer. The music then stops at the same moment there is a CLOSE-UP of Mighty Head. The camera begins to PAN OUT to a MEDIUM SHOT as mighty head says,
Mighty Head
Give me a light, boys, for I wants to smoke.
Use the laugh track after Mighty Head says his line. We see Mighty Head in the swinging doorway, but he is unable to enter due to the size of his head. The camera should PAN OUT to a MEDIUM LONG SHOT, revealing Mighty Head’s entire figure and we see Bill approaching Mighty Head with a bubble pipe. There is a CLOSE-UP of the bubble pipe as Bill places the pipe in Mighty Head’s mouth. Next there is a MEDIUM CLOSE-UP of Mighty Head blowing bubbles from the pipe.
Hey bobareebob, fellas, how’s about a little joke?
Use the laugh track after this line and have a LONG SHOT revealing all three characters. Joe remains behind the bar and is to the right of the frame. Bill is standing to the left of Mighty Head. Mighty Head is centered. Mighty Head is rocking back and forth and flapping his hands up and down while the other two characters are in frozen positions, motionless and silent. Both men have large, fixed, open-mouthed grins on their faces. After a moment, there is a MEDIUM SHOT of Joe, who is now animated, and is center/right in the frame.
Joe
Okay, Mighty Head, will you act in a play for us?
There is a MEDIUM LONG SHOT of Mighty Head attempting to get into the bar, but cannot, due to the size of his cranium.
Mighty Head
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP SHOT
No, I’m too old for that and too famous for that–
The pipe falls out of his mouth to the floor. (Use laugh track) The camera follows the pipe in a MEDIUM CLOSE UP SHOT as it falls to the floor. We see the pipe land on the floor. The pipe is centered in the frame. The bubble soap in the pipe is on the floor surrounding the pipe. The next shot is a MEDIUM SHOT of Mighty Head.
I’m just my whole life one big joke.
Ain’t that enough? (He begins making strange sounds and wobbles from side to side and back and forth. His hands are flapping about. Use the laugh track while this is occurring.)
Ack ack ack ack!
He then turns and runs from the door entrance. We see a LONG SHOT of Mighty Head running and wobbling from side to side down the street. We still hear him "acking." (Use the laugh track during the scene showing Mighty Head "ack" while he is running in the street). We then see a MEDIUM SHOT of Bill (to the left of the frame) and Joe (to the right of the frame) standing in the doorway as they watch Mighty Head (who is off camera) run down the street. Though Mighty Head is off camera during this time we can still hear him in the background.
Bill
Yes, Mighty Head, that is enough. (Turns to Joe, Joe continues looking at Mighty Head) He’s amazing! (Both actors look into the distance at Mighty Head. There should be an ending instrumental theme song after Bill’s line and during the time that we see a LONG SHOT of Mighty Head running, flapping his hands and wobbling from side to side down the street. We hear his "acking" continue over the music and become progressively more faint as the shot fades out into blackness.