FADE TO BLACK
FOR COMMERCIAL POSITION # 2
ACT TWO
FADE IN: INT. HOSPITAL
COFFEE SHOP
(BILL IS DRAWING COFFEE,
TURNS TO TABLE AS LAURA ENTERS. SEEING HIM, SHE INVOLUNTARILY
STOPS)
BILL: Hi,
there.
LAURA: Hello,
Bill.
BILL: Join me for a cup of
coffee?
LAURA: I really shouldn't
take the time.
BILL: We both know you
psychiatrists only work a fifty minute hour per consultation. That gives you at
least one extra hour every day and two coffee
breaks.
(HE'S TEASING HER A LITTLE
BECAUSE HE SENSES HER TENSION AND WANTS TO HELP SOMEWAY)
LAURA: Well, just two
minutes then.
BILL: Sit down, I'll bring
it to you.
(LAURA CROSSES TO TABLE AND
BILL BRINGS OVER TWO CUPS OF COFFEE AND SITS DOWN BESIDE HER)
BILL: You haven't been
around too much lately.
LAURA: Oh, I've been
around...it's just that I've been seeing so many patients as possible. Work is
the only safety valve I have right now.
BILL: You can only carry so
much of a case load and do justice to them individually, Laura...Don't push
yourself too far.
LAURA: I won't fail my
patients, Bill, even if I...
BILL: I'm probably just
being the sensitive type but the way you hesitated at the door, I could have
sworn you were avoiding me.
LAURA (looks at him and
finally says): Yes, Bill, I was avoiding you.
BILL: I see...No, I
don't...Why?
LAURA: It sounds a little
paranoid but I've become obsessed with guilt that if anyone sees me with you
they'll think the wrong thing.
BILL (gently, knowing she
needs understanding): Who's "they", Laura?
LAURA: Everyone who knows
us...Would you believe I just snapped at Tom because he asked me how you
looked?
BILL: He must have been
surprised at that.
(BILL'S TRYING TO MINIMIZE
THE IDEA)
LAURA: We'd been discussing
Alice's attitude and how I lashed out at her the other night.
BILL: Mom made a bad mistake
and she knows it...Mickey's disappearance, right on the heels of his coronary,
well, Mom's not thinking straight.
LAURA: Who is,
Bill?
BILL: She wants to apologize
and put things right. Give her credit for that.
LAURA: I do...in fact, I
promised Tom I'd call her just as soon as I get back to the office...and if I'm
going to talk to her before my next appointment, I'd better
run.
BILL: Take it easy...and cut
down on that patient load.
LAURA: I will. Thank you for
understanding.
BILL: I do
understand...whatever happens, remember I'll always understand.
LAURA: I just wish I could
have said something to Mickey that last time...something he could have
understood.
DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
FARMHOUSE PORCH
(MICKEY AS HE
APPROACHES...SCREEN DOOR SHUT BUT DOOR OPEN. FEELING OF OPPRESIVE LATE AFTERNOON
HEAT. MICKEY IS SWEATING AND
FEELING OF FATIGUE. HE CALLS OUT).
MICKEY: Hello, anyone
home?
MAGGIE (voice within):
Yes...what is it?
MICKEY: Could I trouble you
for a drink of water, please?
MAGGIE: Certainly...be there
in a moment.
(MICKEY SITS DOWN, LOOKS
AROUND, AND LIKES WHAT HE SEES. MAGGIE APPEARS AT SCREEN DOOR)
MAGGIE: Here you are...would
you get the screen...it has a loose hinge.
(MICKEY RISES, OPENS SCREEN.
MAGGIE SMILES AND HANDS GLADD TO HIM. WE SEE SHE IS USING CRUTCHES)
MICKEY: That you, thank you
very much.
(HE DRINKS THIRSTILY AND SHE
WATCHES HIM AS WE...)
FADE TO BLACK FOR
COMMERICAL POSITION # 3
FILM: HOUR GLASS (10
seconds)
COMMERCIAL POSITION #
4
ACT
THREE
FADE IN: EXT.
FARMHOUSE PORCH
(PICK UP IMMEDIATELY. MICKEY
HAS FINISHED WATER AND TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND HANDS MAGGIE BACK THE
GLASS)
MICKEY: Thank you. That
really tasted good.
MAGGIE: It's been a hot
day.
(MICKEY WIPES PERSPIRATION
FROM HIS BROW)
MICKEY: Kinda got to me, I
guess.
MAGGIE: You live around
here?
MICKEY: No, just passing
through.
MAGGIE: Oh, I
see.
MICKEY (turning to glance
offstage): Pretty country, peaceful.
MAGGIE: Yes.
MICKEY: I got a little tired
of following the road, so I cut through the woods. And then I saw your
farmhouse.
MAGGIE: I'm glad you did.
Would you like more water?
MICKEY: No, that was
fine.
MAGGIE: Born and raised in
the city, I'll bet.
MICKEY: What makes you say
that?
MAGGIE: Walking in this heat
without a hat.
MICKEY: Not very bright of
me.
MAGGIE: Not
very.
(SOUND EFFECT: A TIMER
BUZZES)
MAGGIE: Would you excuse me
a moment. I've got some jelly on the stove.
MICKEY: Of course. Let me
get the screen.
(HE DOES SO, NOTICES THE
BROKEN HINGE)
MICKEY: This hinge needs
fixing.
MAGGIE: I've been meaning to
get one of the farmhand's to repair it.
MICKEY: Well, I may be a
city feller but I know how to use a few simple tools. Got a
screwdriver?
MAGGIE: You don't have to
bother.
MICKEY: It won't take a
minute. It's the least I can do when you just saved me from dying of
thirst.
MAGGIE (she likes his
attention, laughs): Well, I'll get the tool box.
(MAGGIE REENTERS HOUSE AND
THROUGH THE DOOR MICKEY KEEPS TALKING TO HER AS SHE LOOKS AROUND THE
PLACE)
MICKEY: Do you keep a lot of
stock?
MAGGIE: Not much. Some sheep
and pigs for butchering, and chickens of course. Used to have cows but they
weren't paying for themselves so I sold them
off, all but one.
MICKEY: What about
horses?
MAGGIE: Didn't need work
horses and I don't ride anymore so I sold them too.
(SHE REAPPEARS WITH SCREWS
AND SCREWDRIVER)
MAGGIE: Here you
are.
(MICKEY TAKES THEM, LINES UP
DOOR, TIGHTENS SCREWS AND PUTS IN NEW ONES WHERE NEEDED ON LOWER HINGE.
HE HAS TROUBLE WITH LEFT
HAND, WHICH BOTHERS HIM, BUT HE DOESN'T LET HER SEE)
MICKEY: I don't like things
that don't work the way they should.
MAGGIE: I'm afraid it's been
that way for weeks.
MICKEY: This house is really
well built.
MAGGIE: Yes, my father spent
a lot of time fixing up the place. But nowadays...
(SHE HESITATES)
MAGGIE: It seems there's
always something that needs doing...fences...gate...the barn.
MICKEY: You've got a nice
view...all that rolling green country.
MAGGIE: Yes, and we get the
afternoon breezes, if there are any. The place is a lot of work but it's
comfortable.
MICKEY: There, that should
do it.
(HE SITS DOWN RATHER
ABRUPTLY, HAVING GONE WHITE AND FAINT)
MAGGIE: Are you feeling all
right?
MICKEY: Oh,
fine.
(HE RUBS HIS
CHEST)
MICKEY: Just give me a
minute and I'll be on my way.
MAGGIE: Don't
rush.
(SHE STARTS IN, STOPS AND
TURNS, THINKING HE MAY BE HUNGRY)
MAGGIE: Listen, I've got a
pot of stew on the stove. Would you like a plate of it before you
go?
MICKEY: That's a lot of
bother for you.
MAGGIE: No bother at all.
I've got plenty just waiting for somebody to eat it.
MICKEY: Maybe I could do
some chores.
(FROM THE WAY HE LOOKS,
MAGGIE CAN SEE HE'S NOT FIT FOR MUCH WORK OF ANY KIND)
MAGGIE: Let's get some food
in you first, all right?
MICKEY: Home-made soup
sounds delicious.
MAGGIE: Stay right there.
I'll bring it out and some iced tea to wash it down.
(SHE EXITS. HOLD ON MICKEY
FEELING A LITTLE FAINT AS HE RUBS HIS CHEST LIGHTLY...)
FADE TO BLACK FOR
COMMERCIAL POSITION # 5
ACT FOUR
FADE IN: EXT. FARMHOUSE
PORCH
(IT IS MAYBE A HALF HOUR
LATER...JUST TURNING DUSK. MICKEY IS JUST FINISHED EATING AND OBVIOUSLY FEELS
SOMEWHAT BETTER. HE PULLS A
NAPKIN OUT OF HIS SHIRT, DRINKS THE LAST OF HIS ICED TEA, PATS HIS MOUTH WITH
THE NAPKIN AND THEN FOLDS
THE NAPKIN AND SIGHS A LITTLE SIGH OF PURE CONTENTMENT, GETS UP, PICKS UP DISH
AND GLASS AND GOES TO DOOR
CALLING)
MICKEY: Miss...
MAGGIE (offscreen):
Yes?
MICKEY: Will you take the
word of a city feller that I never tasted anything so good in my life. Thanks so
much.
(MAGGIE COMES TO
DOOR)
MAGGIE: Glad you liked it.
How about a little more?
MICKEY: No, that was just
enough. It's getting dark and I've got to do those chores for you and start
traveling on.
MAGGIE: Are you going
anywhere special?
MICKEY: Not particularly,
no.
MAGGIE: Well, since it's
nearly dark, why don't you sleep in the barn tonight and leave in the
morning.
MICKEY: Thank you, you're
very kind.
MAGGIE: A man on the road
needs encouragement once in awhile.
MICKEY: You're not afraid,
are you, to have me spend the night?
MAGGIE: I grew up learning
how to read faces. That's how my father judged a hired hand.
MICKEY: What does my face
say?
MAGGIE: That you've traveled
a long way and need some rest.
MICKEY: I do seem a little
tired. Maybe I'll turn in now, unless there's something I can do for
you.
MAGGIE: I'll let you feed
the chickens before you leave in the morning.
MICKEY: Even a city feller
should be able to do that, providing they won't bite the hand that feeds
them.
MAGGIE: One of the hens is a
little broody but I'll point her out to you. Good night.
MICKEY: I'm looking forward
to meeting the broody hen. Good night.
(MAGGIE WATCHES HIM
LEAVE)
DISSOLVE TO: INT.
TOM'S OFFICE
(TOM IS MAKING NOTES ON CASE
HISTORY AND CHECKING WATCH ANTICIPATING PERRY'S VISIT. SOUND: KNOCK ON
DOOR.)
TOM: Come in.
(SERGEANT PERRY AND
LIEUTENANT DANTON OF HOMICIDE ENTER. TOM RISES, UNSURE OF WHAT'S
COMING)
PERRY: Dr. Horton, do you
remember Lieutenant Danton of Homicide?
TOM: Yes, I do.
(DANTON CROSSES IN AND THEY
SHAKE HANDS)
DANTON: How are you, Dr.
Horton?
TOM: Well enough. What
brings you here, Lieutenant Danton?
DANTON: Well, Sergeant Perry
wanted me to sit in while he plays some tapes for you, if you don't
mind.
(TOM IS NOT TOO PLEASED, BUT
AFRAID IT TIES TO MICKEY AND MUST BE CHECKED)
TOM: Not at all...shall we
sit down?
(PERRY SETS UP
CASSETTE)
PERRY: I've put them on a
master tape. We'll start with your son, Bill, your son-in-law, Doug Williams,
and your daughter, Mrs. Williams. The following day I
spoke with Mrs. Banning and your wife, Mrs. Horton.
TOM: I take it these are
excerpts from your interviews with members of my family.
DANTON: Correct, taken out
of context, of course.
[TAPES FROM PROLOGUE ARE
PLAYED]
DANTON: From our point of
view, Doctor, these tapes indicate that the two of them might want Mickey to
drop out of sight.
(WE GO TO TOM FOR A TOTALLY
SICK AND SHOCKED REACTION)
FADE TO BLACK FOR
COMMERCIAL POSITION # 6
MUSIC:
THEME
UP ON: FILM: HOUR
GLASS & MATTE CARD/CRAWL
EPISODE #
1948
Maggie tells Mickey her name
Here are the scenes from
Maggie's second episode, # 1948, originally aired on August 22, 1973, picking up
with Tom's voiceover in Act III:
ACT III
INT. TOM'S HOSPITAL
OFFICE
TOM (voiceover): Lieutenant
Danton must have gotten to Bill and Laura by now. He said he'd make a personal
effort to find them and send someone else to talk to
them. I gave him my word I wouldn't contact either of them until today. But I've
got to talk to them...tell them to be careful...careful
about what...they haven't done anything...Perry's built a case out of those
damned tapes and Danton's too good a policeman to let
anything go unquestioned. But it could destroy Bill's career, particularly with
that prison record hanging over his head. It's true the medical
board cleared him, but the facts never came out...they never can come out...and
Laura's part in that board clearance looks worse now. A
lot of people have always had doubts about Bill and there's professional
jealousy right here at the hospital. As for implicating
Laura...too many people have gossiped about them for a long time. Both of them
are high strung and right now Laura's in no condition to
stand up to a lot of wild accusations, and Bill would blow his top. And if they
drag Michael in for more questioning...they haven't
got any facts to go on, but you don't need facts to ruin the lives of
doctors...rumor...scandal and people's confidence is gone and so is
your work. Greg's right, we're not supposed to be human with personal problems,
we're supposed to be some kind of super human
beings. And what will this do to Alice if she finds out about it...For God's
sake, Mickey, wherever you are, come home.
DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MAGGIE'S
BACK PORCH
(MICKEY IS PAINTING A RED
MAIL BOX. HE FINISHES A STROKE, SITS BACK AND ADMIRES HIS
HANDIWORK)
MICKEY: Very neatly done, if
I do say so myself.
FADE TO BLACK FOR
COMMERCIAL POSITION # 5
ACT FOUR
FADE IN: EXT. MAGGIE'S
BACK PORCH
(PICK IT UP IMMEDIATELY.
MICKEY GOES BACK TO TOUCHING UP. MAGGIE APPEARS IN DOORWAY, CARRYING
COLLENDAR OF SNAP BEANS, CROSSES
TO CHAIR, SITS AND STARTS STRINGING BEANS)
MAGGIE: That's a very
professional-looking job of painting.
MICKEY (laughs): Isn't it?
I've just been considering working my way across the country painting
mailboxes.
MAGGIE: Don't limit yourself
to mailboxes. You did pretty well with the chickens, too.
They seemed to take to
you.
MICKEY: I don't know much
about chickens, but I have a sneaking feeling they'd take to anyone who showed
up with feed.
MAGGIE (laughs): They do
have a pretty one track mind, and a narrow track at that.
MICKEY: Say, I hope I
haven't overstayed my welcome, hanging around here all morning.
MAGGIE: Well, you haven't
exactly been lounging on the porch. You trimmed back the honeysuckle vine,
picked enough plums for a batch of preserves, watered
the vegetable garden, picked these beans and brought up the canning
jars.
MICKEY: Nothing too
strenuous there.
MAGGIE: No, but it all takes
time, and I can't let the hands off right now, although they've
offered.
MICKEY: They keep pretty
busy.
MAGGIE: We had a late wet
spring this year. We probably won't have a bumper crop, but if the weather
holds, we'll do all right.
MICKEY: It sure looks like
it's going to hold. Not a cloud in the sky.
MAGGIE: Anyway, you've been
doing my chores and it's put me ahead a lot. I want you to know I appreciate it.
In fact, I baked you a fresh peach pie for
lunch.
MICKEY: That's the kind of
appreciation that comes right from the heart.
MAGGIE (laughs): And goes
straight to the stomach. Do you like peach pie?
MICKEY (hesitating): I
certainly do...I was wonderin' if I could ask you a favor.
MAGGIE: Ask it.
MICKEY: I'd like to heat
some water and use that old tub in the barn to take a bath.
MAGGIE: I can do better than
that. There's a bathroom upstairs that hasn't been used since...for a long time.
You can take your bath up there.
MICKEY: That's an
imposition.
MAGGIE: No such thing. Would
you like to bathe before lunch?
MICKEY: Would it be holding
you up?
MAGGIE: Plenty of time. I
haven't put the beans on yet.
MICKEY: Then I'll do it
now.
MAGGIE: There's soap and
towels in the cupboard by the tub.
(MICKEY RISES)
MAGGIE: And if you'll throw
your clothes over the bannister, I'll run them through the washer and dryer.
They'll be done by the time you are.
MICKEY: Thank you, Ma'am,
that'll be great.
(MAGGIE HEARS THE "MA'AM"
AND SAYS):
MAGGIE: I don't know why I
haven't told you sooner, but my name is Maggie Simmons.
MICKEY: Well, then, thank
you, Miss Simmons.
MAGGIE: Just Maggie. I
noticed your first initial is the same as mine.
(SHE POINTS TO HIS BELT
BUCKLE)
MICKEY: That's
right...wonder if you can guess what it stands for?
MAGGIE: Let me
see...Matthew...Mark...Monroe...Martin...Marty...
(MICKEY STOPS HER. MAYBE THE
"Y" SOUND IN MARTY STRIKES A CHORD)
MICKEY: That's it. You did
guess it. Marty. Marty Hansen.
MAGGIE: Hello, Mr.
Hansen.
MICKEY: Just
Marty.
MAGGIE: Now you go take that
bath.
MICKEY: Yes, Ma'am...Yes,
Maggie.
(MICKEY EXITS)
MAGGIE (softly to herself):
Marty...Marty Hansen.
FADE TO BLACK FOR
COMMERCIAL POSITION #
6