transcribed by Dominic Kulcsar and Mike Dunn
R O N N Y R O C K E T
earlier draft
There is a dark land where mysteries and confusions abound,
where fear and terror fly together in troubled cities of
absurdities. Black clouds race by over a soot-covered city,
where it is darkest night. Only a few tiny yellow squares
of light in the old buildings and factories. Everything is
so dark. Very little life is noticed except the tiny dark
yellow squares. There are no cars seen from this high angle
looking down over the city - no people out this night.
A closer look at some of the buildings reveals a thirties
style architecture, although quite plain and very massive.
Office buildings with heavy industrial factories. A smoke
stack pours tons of heavy black smoke slowly and silently
into the dark night sky. Hundreds of heavy electrical
wires criss-cross through the sky and electric hums come
from giant boxes on the poles. The headlights and then a
car - it moves slowly below, down a street then turns out
of sight. An old neon sign over a diner says "City Diner."
A large old hospital and the front steps. Inside a nurse
goes by wheeling a patient on a rolling bed. The corridor
is now empty. Moving slowing through the empty corridor
now to darker corridor. An open steel door. Down now two
flights of cement stairs and down a dark and moist corridor
now to a decaying subterranean distant hospital toom. Down
among the boiler room pipes we hear the heavy machinery that
keeps the massive building operating. Entering the room we
see a man, THE DETECTIVE, standing in pants and shoes, a
white shirt, a black jacket which is now hanging on a rack
over against the cement wall, and over his shirt, leather
straps and a shoulder holster which supports a .38 pistol
under the arm. He is standing, looking at the hospital bed.
In the bed, under the white sheets, lays RONALD DE ARTE who,
because of some strange unnamed happening is now here quite
disfigured. There is no human form to him really except he
does have arms and legs, but they're under the sheets. The
chest and head area are very strangely shaped, but there is
a hole for a mouth and a nose. In the mouth there are teeth
and a tongue which moves. There are two eyes above the nose
hole. The eyes dart back and forth. Ronald De Arte' is now
making some sounds - very high pitched whines and is attempting
to reach a piece of paper which lies on a moveable steel tale
next to his bed. The Detective moves in closer and hands the
paper to Ronald who contorts in order to get his arm over to it.
More high pitched whines and a knocking of his hand on the table
near a pencil which leaps
-1-
(RONNY ROCKET) -2-
with every hit lets the Detective know that Ronald now requires
a pencil with which to write. Ronald very shakily scribbles out
the following symbols and all the while he makes very long, high
pitched whines:
The Detective takes the paper and looks the symbols over. He folds
the paper and continues to hold it as he turns toward Ronald again.
He comes up closer to Ronald. Ronald makes some more noises. The
Detective now is very close to Ronald looking into his eyes. Very
faintly the big close up of Ronald stays double exposed as the
Detective turns, gets his coat and goes quickly out of the room.
Putting on his coat he looks suspiciously, left and right down the
dark corridor - no one - he goes down the hall and disappears around
the corner. No one is on the street as he crosses it to a large
building where he stops and turns back to see if anyone is following
him. He looks carefully all around him. Satisfied with the situation
as it is, he turns back again and goes down the street into the
darkness. Ronald's CU fades.
Now the Detective is in a train station. Several people are boarding
a black steel train in a dimly lit passenger loading area. The
Detective climbs aboard and finds a seat. Even with the lights on it
is still so dimly lit. The cigar and cigarette smoke is very thick.
People talk but not too audibly because the train and station sounds
are so loud. It is a dull crowd of very poor working-class people.
The train begins to move and rumbles through the night. At the first
station nearly everyone gets off. A shot of steam and on again to the
next station which appears to be the last because everyone gets off
except the Detective. The people hurry through the under ground
station than all is deserted. The train continues to make sounds but
doesn't move. A conductor appears and finds the Detective still
aboard.
CONDUCTOR
(speaking loudly)
Off the train!!!
(RONNY ROCKET) -3-
DETECTIVE
I want to go deeper into the city. I'm
a detective.
CONDUCTOR
You a detective?
DETECTIVE
Yes.
CONDUCTOR
Train doesn't leave the city . . .
can only go one, maybe two, more
stations. . . closed up beyond that . . .
no one. You want to go, but only
one, maybe two, stations.
DETECTIVE
Can I get another train to go
further?
CONDUCTOR
No more trains ever beyond here
never go . . . now three people.
At this, two strange looking people slowly enter the train
car from the other end and begin coming toward the Detective
and the Conductor.
CONDUCTOR CON'T
'Board!!!
The Conductor leaves the car and the other two sit down
and look at the Detective, then at each other, then down
at the floor, then up at the Detective.
Outside the Conductor yells something which echos in the
backround, then someone way far away yells. The Conductor
yells again and the train begins to move very slowly ahead
with much grinding metal sounds and huge hisses of steam.
Streaking along the train moves into even heavier darkness.
Occasionally a light can be seen outside the windows but
mostly all is black. The lights in the train dim down
(RONNY ROCKET) -4-
lower as a humming sound comes from above the trains. The
train slows and enters a station. This station is empty
and very old. It looks completely un-used. Papers and
dirt are blown through-out, windows are broken, and most
of the lights are out. The outside is suddenly lit up
considerably by a huge electrical arcing of the wiring on
the train. It stops and the lights inside come up slightly.
The Conductor walks quickly into the car and as he goes by
the three of them:
CONDUCTOR
Bad repair . . . electrical sparks!
Outside the electricity arcs again and the train jumps
forward. It moves along slowly and the giant humming sound is
now constant. The train goes through darkness then comes to an
area where there are some lightbulbs strung on wires and then
the train slows to a grinding halt. The two across from the
Detective leave the train as the Conductor walks in.
CONDUCTOR
End of the line.
DETECTIVE
Is this the station?
CONDUCTOR
No one uses the station . . . all that's
left. We have train trouble now . . . a
bad place.
DETECTIVE
Do you know Mr Fry?
CONDUCTOR
Fry? Nope...better get off the train
now . . . this is the end of the line. From
here on you're on your own, Bub!
(RONNY ROCKET) -5-
The Detective steps off the train and the train begins
backing up out of sight. The Detective stands near a bulb.
Moths fly against the bulb. . .over and over again they hit
at it, trying to get at the light. The Detective watches
the moths.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, two men, DR. DAN PINK, and DR.
BOB PLATINUM, sneak down to the hospital basement and look
into each room, searching. When they find Ronald's room
they enter. They move toward Ronald and he starts a high
scream. They muffle him with their gloved hands, unhook
his electrical apparatus, scoop him up and steal him away
from the hospital.
They carry Ronald in an old sedan through dark streets to
an old building. They go to a service elevator and travel
to one of the top floors to a laboratory which the two
of them maintain. It is equipped with black massive elec-
trical appliances and gadgets. The walls are a yellow-
green and all is lit by blue glowing fluorescent lights
giving the place a scientific eeriness.
They sit Ronald in a very special electrical chair which
has several tiers behind the back of the place Ronald sits.
Each tier has new dials and cords and antennae and symbols.
They hurriedly begin hooking up electric cords to Ronald's
body. They take a blood test and spin the blood in a special
jar. They check his tongue and eyes. They throw levers,
turn dials and mumble things to themselves as they work.
They work very quickly. Suddenly, something begins to smoke
on one of the levels of the chair and Ronald begins to bounce
up and down. There is a shuddering noise . . . the fluorescent
lights waiver . . . then a small poof explosion and Ronald's
head droops down. Quickly the doctors analyze the situation
and brings thing under control. Ronald's head comes back up
and he looks around . . . dazed. The doctors study his eyes
again. After studying for awhile they turn to each other.
DAN
Bob, we made it . . . this is a specimen.
BOB
Let's have a malted.
(RONNY ROCKET) -6-
DAN
A malted???
BOB
(surprised)
Yes.
DAN
WHAT?
Dan stands up. He leaps and punches his friend hard in
the jaw, smacking him hard and knocking him down to the
floor.
DAN CON'T
Malteds before we even hardly
get a look at this!!! After all
we've been through? We're going
to work!!!
BOB
I meant to celebrate.
DAN
Hell no!!
BOB
I guess so, but why'd you hit me
so hard? (he pushes Dan back against
a machine) Don't hit me so hard.
DAN
Alright, but let's get a look at
this specimen.
BOB
Okay, let's get a look at this
specimen what a beauty! You know,
we can really do something with this.
Get the chart out.
(RONNY ROCKET) -7-
They both go to the wall and Dan pulls down a wall chart entitled
"The Average Handsome Man." Arrows point to specific features
such as straight nose, clear eyes, ears not large, strong chin, good
jaw, clear complexion, etc.
BOB
It's going to be some work.
DAN
We just have to take our time and think
it through . . . NO MISTAKES THIS TIME, BOB!!
BOB
Whaddya mean, Bob?! What happened
last time? Whaddya mean, Bob?
scalpels, boy! We'll do it okay,
just don't dwell in the past. The
past is past.
DAN
Look, look, look . . . we'll do it!
We'll just take our time and get it perfect!
You know I'm a PERFECTIONIST! (slams his fist
into his hand) I can't stand these mistakes and
then you wanted a malted right away. What is it?!!
You understand, right Bob, we're surgeons!
BOB
We're surgeons . . . I meant to celebrate.
You really get to me. You want me to quit? I
will . . . I've had it . . . no malteds, okay.
No malteds, but stop dwelling in the past. Are
we in the past? No!! Hell no, I'm not going to
quit . . . we're in the present. Why go where
you're not. It's gone.
DAN
Alright.
(RONNY ROCKET) -8-
BOB
You can't bring it back, Dan.
Face it . . . you can't change what's . ..
DAN
ALRIGHT!!!
BOB
. . . already happened.
DAN
Shut up. Just you be quiet. Look
at this chart, okay? We're in the
present . . . we're going to operate.
Let's get some sort of idea where we
stand with this specimen, Ronald De
Arte'. Then we'll fix some malteds . . .
alright Bob, alright?? Now, we're
starting off. It's going to be one of
our finest projects . . . .
There is a knocking at the door. The Doctors turn as the
door opens. In comes DEBORAH very small, very finely
dressed and heavily made-up woman. The doctors obviously
know her and have been expecting her. Her name is Deborah
DEBORAH
Let's see him, boys.
The Doctors take her over to Ronald on the chair.
DEBORAH CONT'D
Oh, Sweeties . . . an awful lot of
work for you . . . oh.
DAN
Don't worry about what he looks like
now.
DEBORAH
He'll be all ours, won't he?
(RONNY ROCKET) -9-
DAN
Yes, he will.
BOB
Yes, he will.
DEBORAH
Please come up to dinner now.
I've been waiting dinner in my
apartment for you, will you come
now?
DAN
Deborah, we're just barely started.
DEBORAH
You have to eat, don't you
DAN
Yes, but . . .
BOB
I can't work on an empty stomach,
Dan. I'm going to start shaking.
DAN
(disgusted)
Shaking, shaking, shaking . . . let's
eat then! I'm going to take off
my light,(takes off forehead light)
and I'm going to pull three light
plugs (pulls plug) and I'm going to
put on my coat . . .
DEBORAH
Sweetie, (she goes to Dan and takes
him by the arm, then referring back
to Bob) Come, Bobby.
They exit after Bob struggles into his coat. (His lining
of his coat was torn and his hand stuck in it.)
(RONNY ROCKET) -10-
Upstairs, Deborah's apartment is extreemly elegant. She
has a big poodle dog and big vases of flowers. The poodle
spends the entire time laying on its back under the dinner
table, panting. Deborah has an older women in a uniform
serving the dinner. The dish this evening is a strange
looking vegetable with clusters of leaves on it. They
begin eating by breaking the leaves off and floating them
in a bowl of water which sits in front of them. With special
spoons, they spoon in small round balls which dissolve and
make the water thicker. They then cut off parts of the
remaining vegetable and dip it into the thickened water bowl
and eat it. It has a spicy hot taste and they all breathe
funny after eating each mouth full.
The conversation during dinner is dominated by Deborah, and
the older uniformed lady listens to all of it from behind
the kitchen door.
DEBORAH
. . . A little tickle, you know
where, I mean now . . . oh, you can
bounce too, Sweetie, and roll and
bounce . . . oh, that's good! I have a
tongue, you know and right away I
start using it, don't I? Right away
I start using it because this is the
way I believe. I have fingers, too,
and right away I start using them
because this is the way I believe.
I take my time, hmm? And I have a
breath . . . this breath . . . I breathe so
quietly and softly on the neck. This
is done over and over . . . and now I
breathe all around . . . this is why I am
breathing . . . because it makes a softness
. . . the hair stands and the skin gets funny
. . . you know . . . The whole thing is so
pretty, like a picture . . . like a furniture.
Now the rubbing . . . (they both turn to
her)(then they turn back to eating) the rubbing
is something that I do because this is the way
I believe. The rubbing or me is beautiful . .
. I am an artist, rubbing and rubbing. Sometimes
I rub hard, sometimes I rub softly . . . sometimes
my little fingers rub, rub, rub so softly . . . so
tenderly. Bobby, you look tired, I think Dan will
stay tonight.
(RONNY ROCKET) -11-
BOB
But, he stayed last night.
DEBORAH
You will stay tomorrow night,
Sweet, I promise.
(During this scene, there will be shots of the panting
poodle and the uniformed lady listening with her eyes closed.)
Downstairs, Ronald sits in his chair in the laboratory.
He looks lonely in this strange green room, many electrical
sounds humming away. A closer at Ronald De Arte' at night in
the laboratory.
The Detective is standing up above the strands of lightbulbs.
He's on a cliff looking down on them. He's looking at his watch,
then up and around as if he's waiting for someone. Out of the
darkness comes an old man, TERRY. In fact, one of the two people
that travelled on the train with the Detective. He is an older
man - rather mean looking and wears one pant leg rolled up exposing
a gauze bandage. He carries a fly swatter with him and from time,
swats his sore leg at the bandage. When the sore is particularly
acting up, Terry turns the swatter around and digs under the bandage
with the wire handle.
Now Terry circles the Detective slowly - eyeing him.
TERRY
So, you want to leave the city.....
Seen you standing here............
No one leaves the city - besides that
you're goin' further into the city
DETECTIVE
I tried the other way.
TERRY
You ever been in this part
(RONNY ROCKET) -12-
DETECTIVE
No.
TERRY
Mr. Fry can't meet you. They asked
me if I'd come up and meet you. I'll
tell you right now Mr. Fry can't get
you out of the city...no one can with
Hank Bartells here. Hank Bartells
closed everything. New rules in this
part of the city...you don't understand.
.....can you form thoughts?!
DETECTIVE
What?
TERRY
Can you form thoughts? (swats his
sore)
DETECTIVE
I can think.
TERRY
You're going to have trouble.
Let me ask you a question.
DETECTIVE
Can we see Mr. Fry now?
TERRY
Let me ask you a question . . . Where
did you get that ugly fresh face?
(silence) Let me say it another way . . .
How is it that you came to an
arrangement of features such as that
which you are exposing to me now? Can
you answer that?
DETECTIVE
No.
(RONNY ROCKET) -13-
TERRY
This is unbelievable.
DETECTIVE
Can we see Mr. Fry?
TERRY
(mimicking Detective)
Can we see Mr. Fry? Tell me a good
reason why I should take you to Mr.
Fry
DETECTIVE
He's got some information for me.
He was supposed to meet me here.
TERRY
He's got a brother...you know, a
brother. Well, Mr Fry's brother
gave me this sore on my leg for
disturbing him and his wife. He
also beat me one other time on the
head with his fists bent so's the
knuckles hit my skull. Mr. Fry is
like that too. Only worse. You
can't survive in here, Sonny. There's
trouble in this part of the city.
Hank Bartells got everything closed
in (they have started walking) Mr.
Fry lives over a.....here wait...
let me tell you a secret. It's all
I know - for what it's worth to you!
The blood. Look for the blood and
if you find it, go up the street to
the old couple - you'll know the place,
it's easy. So this is all I know
DETECTIVE
Yeah? Is Hank Bartells called Mr.
Magic?
(RONNY ROCKET) -14-
TERRY
That's right. One more thing -
the other man with me on the train,
that was Mr. Fry's brother. Don't
ask me why I told you that - he
specifically told me not to mention
that...he'll know I told you so don't
try to cover it up - it will only make
it worse - I've had a tough time in
life but...POP...POP...I'M HERE...
OVER HERE...
Loud sounds come up and Terry goes running off crazily.
The Detective is frightened and now he's left the place
he was supposed to stay in, and he's lost. He's on a street
with large low class hotels. He stands in the shadows
in front of one of the hotels and overhears a part of a
conversation between a hard low class girl and a smooth
greasy tatooed man.
GIRL
I got idea, man...you take me for a
walk ( she moves closer to the guy)
under the sycamore trees (closer)
the dark trees that blow, baby. In
the dark trees I'll see you and you'll
see me...I'll see you in the branches
that blow in the breeze...I'll see you
under the trees.
GUY
I'll twist your neck.
GIRL
NO, NO, NO, NO you won't...I'll
run away from you.
GUY
I'll catch you...I'll catch you
in the dark trees and kill you.
GIRL
NO, NO, NO
(RONNY ROCKET) -15-
The Detective goes into a hotel. Inside, behind the desk, there
is a clerk who's sleeping. The Detective rings the bell and the
clerk awakens slowly as if he may have been drinking a lot.
DETECTIVE
Do you know a Mr. Fry?
CLERK
No.
The Detective goes back outside and the girl and guy are still
outside. He's got his hands around her throat and she has hers
around his. They both are gagging over a bench in the shadows.
The Detective goes back into the hotel. He surveys the lobby to
get a feel for the place.
DETECTIVE
How much is a room here?
CLERK
Three and a half a night.
DETECTIVE
Alright. I'll stay a night
CLERK
You're in 5B . . . top of the stairs . . .
turn left. That's three and a half
in advance.
The Detective gives him the money and the clerk hands
him the key to 5B. At the top of the stairs, the Detective
turns left and go to the door of 5B - opens it - and
enter a tiny hotel room. Old wallpaper, some floor lanps,
and old iron bed, etc. He takes off his coat and lays
it on achair. He stands for a moment then he goes to the
window. He parts the curtain and looks out. Across the
way there is another hotel or apartment window looking on
to a livingroom. On the other side of the livingroom there
is a BEAUTIFUL WOMAN reading. The Detective at first just
casually glances at her, then he stares at her and suddenly
(RONNY ROCKET) -16-
the Woman looks up, right at him, smiling. The Detective
lets the curtains close immediately and goes and turns the
lights off. He waits then goes back to the window and slowly
opens the curtains. She is staring and smiling directly at
him - a fixed stare and a smile.
Downstairs in the lobby, Mr. Fry's brother BILL and Terry walk
in, Bill has his hand clenched around Terry's neck and this
causes Terry to walk on his tip toes. This is a long shot and
we can't hear what they ask or say to the sleeping clerk, but
in a moment they go and climb the stairs - presumably to go to
5B. Now in the hotel lobby is a man with a fairly large head
piled high with wavy hair. He is in the shadows watching. A
closer look at the man as he scratches his wrist, and skin
chaffes off falling like snow on the rug. The man coughs and
his cough is very bad, as if he had Tuberculosis.
A moment later the Detective, Bill and Terry come downstairs.
They go to the front and there is some disturbance with the
clerk. The exit the hotel. The man with the wavy hair walks
around in the shadows. Suddenly he starts clutching his sides
and crouching down letting out a strange sound. Only his back
can be seen. He turns slightly and sees himself in the mirror
as he does this he crouches way down with a wheezing sound and
when he comes up, it's the Detective, although the Detective
looks very confused. He goes up to his room on a back staircase
and looks out the window. The Beautiful Woman is gone.
Meanwhile, Bill and Terry are walking with who they think
is the Detective, but suddenly the Detective begins to stumble
and fall. They help him up, but now it's a man with no face at
all. Terry trys to grab the face but it breaks and the head is
hollow. Inside the whole body is hollow with nothing but some
dust balls and some small amount of fluid trickling out. There
is a hollow rushing air sound.
BILL
I told you to stay with him
(U)all the time(/U)!!!
TERRY
Yes, sir. This is what I tried
to do, this is what I was trying
to do.
(RONNY ROCKET) -17-
BILL
You tell Hank.
TERRY
Come on, Bill, don't make me tell
him. This isn't what I thought,
I didn't want this (he beats his
leg with a fly swatter)
BILL
Get back to the apartment, get
going. I'm going to hurt you when
we get back
TERRY
Oh, please don't
BILL
I am though
Bill and Terry enter a large apartment and a woman, ELEANE
comes out and stands to greet them. She has a questioning
look on her face.
BILL
It's just us, sit down, Terry.
ELEANE
Philip is sick
Bill goes over to Terry, and stands over him beginning to rub his
knuckles into Terry's head. Terry is crying and crying with pain.
Meanwhile, Eleane looks into the bathroom at Philip in the tub. He
is a small child sitting in a large amount of dirty water. He keeps
opening his mouth and out comes loud hiccoughing burps as the child
jerks in the tub.
The Detective is getting a new key from a new hotel and goes into a
new room. The room is similar in decor to the one he left. This one
has a sort of a bay window looking over a street below. He checks
things out, goes to the bed and sits, he removes his jacket and
holster and gun. He puts
(RONNY ROCKET) -18-
the pistol near him on a chair, turns off the light and lies down
on the bed to rest.
Back in the doctor's laboratory, the doctors have opened Ronald
up and are putting electrical components inside of him. After
closing him, they leave a tube through the skin onto which they
hook an electrical device that Ronald will always have to wear on
his chest. Out of the device comes another tube and at the end of
it there is a rubber bag and a small needle which is again inserted
back into Ronald's skin and taped over with adhesive tape.
After Ronald is running properly, the doctors start on the cosmetic
aspect of the surgery. They use electricity in several foreign
manners to carve Ronald's face and graft on new features.
Unfortunately, these doctors aren't the artist they think they
are. Their hearts are in the right place, and they have tremendous
energy, but the results are far and away from handsome. The doctors
are very serious while they work. They concentrate very hard and
their faces contort in funny ways. Every so often, they stop working
and fix malted milks for a break. It's now break time and Bob is
bringing the malteds over to where Dan is by Ronald. As they drink
their malteds they discuss their work.
BOB
What are you thinking?
DAN
I'm thinking that the ears will
have to be really done well this
time, Bob.
BOB
I agree with that.
DAN
They're complicated. And always
before we seem to hurry through
the ears.
BOB
You want to divide up the work as
usual? I'll take the ears and you
do the nose or something?
(RONNY ROCKET) -19-
DAN
Maybe...(he reaches over slowly and
turns a dial and Ronald moves some
and opens his mouth. Inside the
mouth the tongue starts flapping. He
turns the dial down some.) That
mouth is going to be a problem.
BOB
Well, do you want to talk it
through? Shall we start on it?
DAN
There's something else that
we haven't thought about, Bob.
And, that is hair.
BOB
I was going to say... yes, I know,
hair, that is something to think
about.
DAN
Hair...(he downs the rest of his
malted and stands up, close to
Ronald)...I'd like to do the ears,
Bob.
BOB
You've been leading up to this! I
know they weren't quite right last
time. You want the ears? Well, I
want the ears, too! (he stands up)
I grafted them high last time...
but, this isn't the point. I'm the
ear specialist... you've got no right
taking the ears. You've only done
one ear! I want the ears (he's
trembling). You've been trying to
think of a way to get the ears. I
know you. You've been lying awake
nights thinking of how you could
manipulate me into giving you the
ears... and on THIS project! I've seen
you planning... I knew you were
trying to get them from me, I knew it.
(RONNY ROCKET) -20-
Bob strikes cut and smashes Dan in the face. A short
fist fight follows and then . . .
BOB
(bleeding & panting)
Alright... You take the ears. It's
not worth it. I'll work on something
else. Maybe the hair or something.
DAN
(panting)
No . . . I'm sorry, Bob. We'll both
work on everything. That way it'll
be perfect. You take an ear and
I'll take an ear. We just have to
keep good measurements. . WE'VE
GOT TO KEEP GOOD MEASUREMENTS!!
(He buckles over and slams his
fist into his hand for emphasis)
The laboratory is now lit for precision work and the chart
of "The Average Handsome Man" has been moved in closer to the
doctor's work area. They are each working an Ronald's head.
The process involves a light foam over the skin and electrical
instruments hooked here and there. Small electrical tools are
used by the doctors to reform Ronald's skin. The foam hides
most of the work. Dan is now putting the nose into place. Bob
is assisting. Dan lifts the nose off the table (where he has
been fashioning it). The area for the nose has now been cleared
of the black scaliness that had covered it before. Dan is just
starting to place the nose.
BOB
That looks good.
DAN
If I can place it now, let's
have the opening.
BOB
Alright. (He pulls some skin apart)
(RONNY ROCKET) -21-
DAN
(placing the nose)
This is about the best nose
we've ever done.
BOB
It is.
DAN
Hand me the cotter and then let's
stitch this.
BOB
Hold it . . . let me plug it in (as
he plugs the cotter in Ronald
begins to make a strange noise.
Bob adjusts a dial and he stops.
He hands Dan the cotter)
DAN
Good. (he begins a delicate burn all
around the seam of the nose
and head, Bob begins a stitching
process.)
Later, Deborah is standing looking at Ronald and his
new nose. The rest of Ronald's head is covered with foam
except for the mouth which looks like it always has.
DEBORAH
This nose reminds me of a small
pillow... it's so soft looking.
I like it very much. You are
rebuilding this boy... he is so
fortunate to have you two.
Dan and Bob smile. Deborah walks slowly crossing the room, then turns.
DEBORAH CON'T
Bobby, come now . . . upstairs with me.
(RONNY ROCKET) -22-
DAN
Go ahead, Bob. It's late,
we're through for the night.
BOB
(smelling a rat)
Don't do anything till I get back.
DAN
I won't.
BOB
Don't even clean up anything...
Promise?
DAN
I won't.
BOB
Do you promise?
DAN
(screaming)
I PROMISE!
BOB
Just go to bed . . .
DAN
I PROMISE . . . I PROMISE, I PROMISE!
(stamps his feet)
DEBORAH
Come, Bobby, Dan will behave himself.
Deborah and Bob are crossing her living room. It is fairly dark.
(RONNY ROCKET) -23-
DEBORAH
Remember the yellow light bulb?
(she laughs, Bob is embarrassed)
I've got a new one for you, Bobby.
And, some new wire. Happy? Hmm?...
Happy?
Bob smiles sheepishly.
Downstairs in the laboratory, Dan is over near Ronald and he is
pacing around and around. Suddenly, he decides to break his
promise and plunges into work on Ronald. He plugs in several
appliances and Ronald starts to bounce up and down...he also
starts to emit strange sounds again. Dan pulls some of the plugs
out and Ronald slows down, He adjusts some dials and Ronald is
alright again altogether. He begins to prepare the side of Ronald's
head for an ear.
Upstairs Deborah and Bob are in bed. It is quite dark. Bob is on
his hands and knees under the blanket and straddling Deborah, who
is smiling and laughing as she reaches back to plug in a wire.
Bob screams outs as yellow light glows out from under the blanket
illuminating Deborah's chin and sending a faint yellow glow around
the wall. The light begins to blink on and off and Bob begins to
laugh and scream, laugh and scream, in unison with the yellow light.
In the laboratory the next morning, Dan is still at work. Dense
fog is seen out the windows. Dan already has one ear on and is
working on another.
Upstairs, Bob and Deborah are crossing the living room. Deborah's
poodle is whining softly.
DEBORAH
Hmm?
BOB
Yes.
(RONNY ROCKET) -24-
DEBORAH
Better than ever before?
BOB
Yes. Deborah? Can I come up
again tonight? Dan had two nights
in a row.
DEBORAH
We'll see.
BOB
Alright. Would you clean my
hands again?
DEBORAH
Here, let me wipe your hands and
face, Sweet. (she begins to wipe
Bob's face with a damp cloth she has
been carrying. She wipes his face
over and over again, and then she
cleans his hands carefully.)
BOB
I guess I better go wake Dan.
DEBORAH
Alright, my Sweet Cabini . . . fly away.
Remember to try and sit up straight.
You're getting round shouldered. (she
curves her hands over his shoulders.)
Take these sweets for you and Dan.
(she goes to the table and gets some
very fancy large candies and gives
them to Bob. He has to hold them with
both hands.)
BOB
I'll have to clean my hands again now.
DEBORAH
Goodbye for now, Sweet.
(RONNY ROCKET) -25-
BOB
Goodbye . . . maybe I should have
cleaned my hands better . . . these
candies . . .
DEBORAH
They're fine, Bobby. Your hands are
clean. Now go wake up Dan . . . Goodbye.
BOB
(as he goes downstairs)
Goodbye . . . I'll clean them again
anyway soon for work.
It's hard for Bob to open the door to the laboratory while
his hands are full of candies, but he finally manages.
Meanwhile, Dan hears Bob coming in, however, he's in a tickelish
spot and has to hold several things in place, including a cord in
his mouth. He can't hide the fact that he's been working on Ronald
without Bob.
Bob enters and sees Dan. At first he smiles then he sees the ears.
In a rage, Bob flies across the room. He wads the candies in his
fists against Dan's head. He hits Dan over and over again.
Later, the two of them are working very silently. Both are beaten
looking. Dan has mussed candies stuck in his hair. As he rubs his
eyes . . .
DAN
My eyes are still burning. What
was that?
BOB
Your eyes deserved to be burned.
Suddenly, Bob moves a lot of the foam away with an air instrument
and forgetting his anger, yells out . . .
(RONNY ROCKET) -26-
BOB
Dan, look! He's looking good!!!
They push more foam away to get a look. They're both excited.
DAN
Pull # three light
Bob Pulls a switch and Ronald moves up in his chair.
DAN CON'T
Pull # four and five.
Bob pulls them and Ronald moves his head around a little and then
begins to start a long scream.
DAN CON'T
Go on five
Bob pulls number five back where it was and right away the scream stops.
DAN CON'T
Lets come up to 15,000 on
the device. Maybe we can speed
the healing up.
BOB
That's a good idea(Turns some dials)
DAN
All the fluid there is just
over, you know.
BOB
I know, it's going to be easy now.
DAN
Go on # four
(RONNY ROCKET) -27-
Bob pushes number four back to where it was and Ronald sits down
some. They apply some more foam again, and resume working. What
they got excited about wasn't very good looking. All the features
on Ronald are well formed but they do not work well together.
One ear is quite a bit larger than the other. And there is no
hair at all. Several areas are not yet healed either. Suddenly,
Dan starts removing foam again.
DAN
Let's look at this again . . . we've got
the touch, Bob. We've got the touch.
Bob crouches down and eyes the ears on Ronald.
BOB
The ears may be slightly off . . . (he
looks at Dan, Dan dives him a look
back) But he's looking very good.
Let's clean him up.
They peel away the coverings, foam etc. and exposing
more and more of the new Ronald.
BOB
I mean, what can we say. Look at the
quality . . . the workmanship.
They slap each other on the bank.
DAN
I'm a little worried about the hair.
BOB
He's got to have hair! I hate
sticking in all those little hairs
though...that's going to be a big job
DAN
Well, we've got to do it then. What
color do you think?
(RONNY ROCKET) -28-
BOB
We've got a bunch of brown ones
left.
DAN
Alright, by God, let's use them.
LATER: The top of Ronald's scalp. Dan and Bob have put in several
hairs. The hairs are long and wirey, and they have many more
to place before Ronald will even begin to look like he has hair. He
looks quite strange now with these few wirey hairs sticking out.
BOB
You keep going. I'm going to
get us a malted. This hair is
getting to me.
DAN
Alright . . . me, too.
Bob goes over and scrubs his hands and gets going on a couple of
malted milks. Dan remains sticking in more hairs - one at a time.
Bob brings the malted milks over and Dan stops working and takes a
drink.
BOB
My hands came clean.
DAN
They look clean . . . I'm going to
suggest something and you can
stop me if you want to, but I'm
going to suggest it anyway . . .
a wig.
BOB
A wig?
DAN
A wig.
(RONNY ROCKET) -29-
BOB
A wig . . . that's a qood idea.
We'll stop sticking in hairs then?
DAN
We won't stick another.
BOB
Shall we get a brown wig?
DAN (pause)
I've been thinking red.
BOB
Dan, you won't believe it but I've been
thinking red, too.
Later that night Deborah, Bob and Dan are all staring at Ronald. He
has on his new red wig of high wavy pompadore style hair.
DAN
It's perfect.
BOB
It's perfect.
DEBORAH
It is perfect, Sweets. Is he
finished?
DAN
Almost, but we have to start him.
You set, Bob?
BOB
All set!
(RONNY ROCKET) -30-
DAN
Pull three light!!
DEBORAH
Oh!!
Bob and Dan each have several controls. They begin turning
dials and pulling levers. The chair begins to vibrate some
and Ronald begins to come to, but very slowly. From time to
time he opens his mouth and emits strange sounds and also
from time to time he blacks out altogether. Even when he's
out, he twitches and bounces. When he begins to fade, Bob
and Dad pour on the juice and the lights dim way down and
there is an eerie glow. Deborah looks beautiful in the glow
as she watches the spectacle. Slowly, Ronald begins to come
to again. He looks very awake and his eyes roll about. He
begins to move and he begins to scream. He starts to stand
as he screams and vibrates violently when all the lights
blow out. POW!!! All at once. Ronald falls back in his
chair and is still, however, he looks awake now. The
moonlight is illuminating the room slightly.
DAN
Scalpels!
BOB
(looking down out the window)
I think we blew out the whole building.
Ronald moans and his eyes start rolling.
DAN
I hope he's alright.
DEBORAH
How will you fix the electricity?
DAN
They'll be on it soon, but last time
it took hours. I'm afraid this is it
for awhile.
Ronald stops moaning and looks peaceful.
(RONNY ROCKET) -31-
DEBORAH
He looks peaceful now . . . in the dark-
ness.
DAN
I think he's Alright . . . we brought
him around.
A CU of Ronald reveals open eyes and a dazed, peaceful look.
Bob, Dan and Deborah move to a window and look out on the city.
Deborah turns to Bob and then to Dan. She gives Dan a slow
tender kiss on the lips and then she gives Bob the same. The
three of them stand close together looking out the window.
Ronald sits looking around the room still tied to many wires
and sitting low in the chair.
Some clouds go by slowly, and Bob and Dan and Deborah hugging now,
watch the city and the sky.
Suddenly the power comes back on. Ronald screams bloody murder
and is shot out of his chair ten feet through the air. The wires
stuck to him keep him from going any further. The lights in the
room blink on and off and the equipment goes crazy with sounds
and sparks. Dan and Bob rush to turn things off.
BOB
What happened?!!!
DAN
You forgot to turn the damn machine off,
that's what happened.
BOB
I forgot?
DAN
Well, what does it look like?
DEBORAH
Sweets, stop.
(RONNY ROCKET) -32-
BOB
I forgot?! What about you?
Bob shoves Dan and he trips over Ronald's wires. Bob hits
Dan hard in the nose. The fight goes on all around Ronald
who is also on the floor. In and amongst the wires, Dan
and Bob beat each other while Deborah is screaming for
them to stop. Ronald sits up ... the lights flutter several
times, dim and then go out. This stops the fight and all
is dark and quiet except for heavy breathing.
DAN
There must have been 10,000 volts
through him.
BOB
I think we may have some trouble here.
DEBORAH
You're bad . . . you're bad, bad, bad.
DAN
Did you see him fly across the room?
Like a rocket?
Sounds come up slowly.
BOB
Ronny the Rocket.
DEBORAH
Ronny Rocket.
Up close on Ronald. In the moonlight laboratory he says
RONNY
Ronny Rocket.
The other three turn to him in amazement.
(RONNY ROCKET) -33-
Later , Dan and Bob and Ronny enter Deborah's apartment. Dan has
hold of Ronny's hand and leads him along. Deborah hears them enter
and come out of a room to greet them.
DAN
We thought it was about time to
show Ronny your apartment. See
Ronny, isn't it nice?
Ronny looks around but says nothing. Ronald is wearing clothes
(instead of a hospital type robe as before). He wears an electrical
appliance on his chest and the tube and wires coming out of the
device go inside his shirt. One plug and cord comes off the device
and hangs down and then goes off into Ronny's pocket. Ronny is
developing acne.
DEBORAH
Hello Ronny, Sweet. I'll show you
around.
Bob and Dan sit down on two fat stuffed chairs while Ronny
looks around. They watch Ronny and Deborah fondly.
DAN
He doesn't seem to be vibrating too
fast today. I was beginning to get
worried. There was seomthing funny
there.
BOB
I hope we didn't hurt him too bad the
other night. I think that's what
did it. I know it sounds like a big
job, but maybe we should run him
through the RZ again.
DAN
Hell! The Work!!
Ronald has discovered the big floor model radio which is on very
low. He goes up near it and some static occurs but he tries to
hear the voices, etc. Deborah goes to him.
Deborah takes Ronny's hand and begins to lead him but her poodle dog
stands up and begins to growl. Ronny makes a small noise and leaps
back. He shakes with fear.
(RONNY ROCKET) -34-
DEBORAH
Would you like to listen to
the radio? Let's find something
for you.
Across the room, Dan and Bob continue with their conversation yet
they are watching Ronny's interest in the radio
DAN
It's that flip-flop-flip-flop
effect we got before. I don't
know. It could be trouble.
Deborah hits on a station that come in very clear. A beautiful
saprano voice is singing a wonderful birdlike melody. Ronny is
captivated. Suddenly, he begins to mimick the sound. He has a
great voice, and although he doesn't sing the words he catches
the melody beautifully.
DAN
Would you listen to that
BOB
That's pretty good, look at him
They watch the tiny red haired pompadoured Ronny singing out in
front of the large dark wood floor model radio. Some big vases
of roses are by his side. Deborah listens to Ronny happily.
DAN
I wonder how old Ronny is.
BOB
I don't know, twenty maybe.
DAN
Twenty? Hell, he's got acne.
Pretty bad, too. I'll bet he's
sixteen.
(RONNY ROCKET) -35-
BOB
Probably sixteen, yes. I was
overshooting at twenty. He's
high school age. High school
was such a dream.
DAN
High school, that's it! We've
got to get Ronny into high school and
get him an education.
BOB
Oh I don't know . . . He's going to have
to learn an awful lot before we
could ever get him in.
The song ends now.
DAN
Ask Ronny if he would like
go to high school.
DEBORAH
Oh, that's a good idea! (To Ronny)
Would you like to go to high school?
Ronny mumbles some strange sounds. Deborah looks over to Bob and Dan.
DAN
We'll have to teach him some things..
(to Bob) at least he's alive
We'll have to get him enrolled though
. . . that will mean questions . . . we
have to have a plan!
BOB
We have to think!!
They all look at little Ronny Rocket.
Later , a morning in the laboratory. Dense fog is outside
the windows. Deborah is there with Dan and Bob and Ronny and
everyone is dressed up. Ronny is saying the alphabet over and
over again.
(RONNY ROCKET) -36-
DEBORAH
Oh, I'm getting nervous.
DAN
Everything will be fine. They'll just
probably ask a few questions then enroll
Ronny and we'll go home. When they
ask for his school records just hand
them this. I got this made up to show
them. Just average grades, etc.
Dan shows this to Deborah.
BOB
I've changed my mind. You go ahead,
I'll stay here.
DAN
You're going. You're his uncle
and I already told them you were
coming with us...(then he says to
everyone) No one will find out
about us.
RONNY
C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J,
BOB
(begrudgingly)
Alright, how do I look...my hands?
DEBORAH
You're ready...alright, Sweets
we are going to the high school now.
They take Ronny by the hand and leave the laboratory.
They enter the front hall of a large old high school. A student
goes by but other than that the hall is empty. They proceed to
go to the school office. They pause and brace themselves before
entering.
(RONNY ROCKET) -37-
When they enter they are confronted by a very old stern
RECEPTIONIST who speaks right up.
RECEPTIONIST
Can I help you? What is it you need?
DAN
Yes, we're Mr. and Mrs. Pink.
We have an appointment with Mr.
Murdough . . . the principal.
RECEPTIONIST
Yes, I see. He's expecting you.
(she looks at her watch) I'll
get him.
She exits and returns with MR. MURDOUGH
When they walk through the outer office everyone stares at
Ronny. . . including the principal. Once inside his office
they face Mr. Murdough behind his desk. The door has been closed.
MR. MURDOUGH
Hello Mr. and Mrs. Pink.
DAN
Hello Mr. Murdough. This is Ronny
and his uncle Bob Platinum.
MR. MURDOUGH
Hello Ronny . . . Hello Mr. Platinum.
Would you all be seated? Yes, good,
now, you want to enroll Ronny in our
school?
(RONNY ROCKET) -38-
RONNY
Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X . . .
MR. MURDOUGH
Ah . . . yes . . . well.
DAN
Yes we would
RONNY
B, C, E, E, F, . . .
MR. MURDOUGH
(worried)
Where did Ronny attend school
last year?
DAN
High school of Factories and
Service ... we have his records.
MR. MURDOUGH
Good, may I see them?
DEBORAH
Here they are.
RONNY
P, Q, R, S, T, U, V . . .
MR. MURDOUGH
Not bad! However, we will have to
give him an entrance exam of our
own, I'm afraid. (he studies Ronny)
It is our policy on all transfers...
it allows us to better place the
student in a class where he will
fit in. What is the chest appliance
I see on Ronny?
(RONNY ROCKET) -39-
DAN
(answers for Ronny)
He's recovering from an illness . . .
He has to wear this . . . it must be
plugged in every fifteen minutes.
MR. MURDOUGH
I'm sorry . . . every fifteen minutes,
too!
RONNY
F, G, H, I, J, K, L . . .
DEBORAH
We hope this will be a good school for
our Ronny. He needs your co-operation,
he needs the care . . . he needs the
attention . . . this is the way we
believe.
MR. MURDOUGH
I see.
DAN
When will the entrance exam be given?
MR. MURDOUGH
Right now if you like . . . Ronny?
RONNY
P, Q, R, S, T, U . . .
BOB
(to Ronny)
Your test Ronny.
Dan crouches down to Ronny.
(RONNY ROCKET) -40-
DAN
Ronny . . . listen to me . . .
Ronny . . . (the principal watches
wide-eyed) You're going to take
your test now . . . Alright? Ronny?
Your test . . .your test is now.
DEBORAH
Ronny . . . the TEST . . . TEST.
RONNY
B, C, D . . . E . . . test.
DAN
Yes! NOW (to principal) he's ready
now.
The principal is staring at Ronny and the group.
Ronny is now off in a room by himself taking the exam which
is a written exam. It's a multiple choice test where one
darkens little squares of your choice. At the top of the
paper he has written his name as Ronny Rocket. In the middle
of the exam he slows down and has to be plugged in. He then
resumes work. Suddenly a bell rings and Ronny's head flies
back and his mouth goes open. When the bell stops, Ronny is
back at the exam again. Deborah, Bob and Dan are watching
Ronny from behind a glass door.
DAN
I told him just color in the blocks where
he wanted to . . . we'll leave it up to
fate.
BOB
He looks like a student though...
doesn't he? Working away like that.
I worked hard like that in school
DEBORAH
When I was at school I played
and played. Now it's the same. Life
is so beautiful. This is how I
believe...life is beautiful
(RONNY ROCKET) -41-
Later in the principal's office they all wait as a woman
brings in the results of the entrance exam. She hands
them to Mr. Murdough. The woman exits. Murdough looks at
the exam and then at Ronny.
MURDOUGH
Ronny Rocket
RONNY
Ronny Rocket.
MR. MURDCUGH
You like mathematics?
Ronny says nothing.
MR. MURDOUGH CON'T
Are you interested in mathematics?
(getting no response from Ronny he
speaks to the rest) He shows a
definite gift in higher mathematics,
quite a gift. The rest of the exam
is mediocre, but as far as I'm
concerned, he is eligible for our
school. He's a puzzling boy. Does
he have brothers and sisters?
DAN
No, he's an only child.
MR. MURDOUGH
I see, an only child, huh Ronny?
Ronny says nothing.
MR. MURDOUGH CON'T
(looking at Ronny)
He's got the blemishes they all
seem to get at this age. (he
chuckles over this and tries to
get them to chuckle along) I had
the blemishes bad when I was a
youngster. Coal cities is where I
grew up. The black coal dust clouds
(RONNY ROCKET) -42-
would blow all day and all into the
night, it got the coal dust in my
teeth and hair and all in the pores
of my skin. All the kids had it bad.
It's when I saw Ronny here, I hadn't
seen it quite like his since I was
back in the coal cities. The factories
here will do it, too. The coal, the
smoke. The black smoke makes red sores.
That always seemed funny to me . . . that
black smoke would make red sores. All
the kids sure had 'em. Reminds me just
looking at Ronny. (he picks up the-
exam) So this Ronny Rocket is a
mathematician, is he? (all nod up and
down) Ronny Rocket.
RONNY
Ronny Rocket.
MR. MURDOUGH
Yes, well you can start school on Monday,
Ronny
At this, the camera moves in on Ronny and he gets a queer expression
on his face and bends over slowly and walks to an outlet and plugs
himself in. The principal watches this. Ronny's face is close now,
forlorn, a far away look in his eyes. Deborah, Dan and Bob all look
at Ronny, and then at each other and Mr. Murdough then back to Ronny
who has found several dead flies by the window. He is gathering them
together in his hand.
Back with the Detective. He, too, is by a window. he is watching a
fly batting against the window trying to get out of the light. Down
below in the corner he also sees a big black spider waiting. The
Detective is in the new hotel room. Very dreary daylight filters
in. The Detective looks down below into the street. The street is
lined with black cars and is very quiet. A man dressed in a black
overcoat goes to one of the cars and opens the door. He is about
to get in when he spots a man he knows who is in exactly the same
position only across the street and up aways, They have to yell
pretty loud to be heard by each other but they exchange hellos and
yell out the following conversation which the Detective overhears.
(RONNY ROCKET) -43-
JAMES
Hey, Pete! I got my car fixed
PETE
I was going to say... you got
your car fixed.
JAMES
They were going to polish it.
PETE
They fixed it up though?
JAMES
Pretty good, it runs bad though
sometimes
PETE
Oh yeah?
JAMES
Hey Pete, it's blowin' black
smoke, what does that mean?
PETE
Blows Black Smoke?
JAMES
Yeah
PETE
Did they put that distributor in?
JAMES
Yeah, they said it was the right one
PETE
If it was the right one would I
tell you it was the wrong one?
You're blowing black smoke aren't you?
(RONNY ROCKET) -44-
JAMES
They told me it was the right one.
PETE
You're wiring's all off, you've got
the wrong distributor.
JAMES
It's blowing black smoke, I know that.
PETE
Well, I'll talk to you about it
sometime, but they put the wrong
one in.
JAMES
Did you see the girls down at Jim's?
They're beautiful girls, Pete.
PETE
How is Jim?
PETE
He's had another heart attack
JAMES
He didn't have another heart attack.
He told me his arm tightened up,
well, if it was a heart attack a lot
more than that would have happened.
JAMES
He told me it was another heart attack
A very dirty dog walks by Pete dragging a dead mangled animal
PETE
Well, what about those doctors last
month... that's not what they said
They had him up to their private
lab and everything
(RONNY ROCKET) -45-
JAMES
You got a few minutes? We could get
a drink.
PETE
No, I gotta go up, and get my
dad. He's comin' over to the
house to fix my spring mattress.
JAMES
Oh yeah? I haven't see him in
awhile.
PETE
No. he's been up there in his
room, sick as a dog he says. he
says sick as a dog but I say he
is just too damn lazy to go out
anymore. His place sure stinks
up there though.
JAMES
Oh yeah? It's pretty bad huh?
PETE
Yeah, he's getting pretty old.
JAMES
My aunt is getting that way. The
neighbor lady called in the
authorities and they had to put
in kerosene oil and scrub out her
place. You couldn't get near her
she smelled so bad.
PETE
Yeah, they can get pretty bad.
I know my dad's place sure stinks
up there.
JAMES
The problem is I guess they're getting
old and can't get to anything anymore.
(RONNY ROCKET) -46-
PETE
Yeah, you got your job yet?
JAMES
Nope, not yet... still waitin .
Hey, Pete?
PETE
Yeah?
JAMES
You ever find anymore of those
string beans?
PETER
No, I never did.
Just then the Detective spots Terry down the street spying on him.
The Detective leaves the window and rushes out to the street to
catch Terry. When Terry sees the Detective coming after him, he
starts to hobble off. The Detective catches him.
DETECTIVE
Alright, old man, (the Detective has
Terry in a strange hammerlock hold)
How'd you find me here?
TERRY
OW!
DETECTIVE
Where's Mr. Fry's brother?
Where is he?
TERRY
Bill? I don't know. OW!
Hey, you're snappin' my neck...my
spine is splitting! I cam feel it!
Stop it! I'll tell you...you're
snappin' me in two!
DETECTIVE
Where?
(RONNY ROCKET) -47-
TERRY
He's home.
DETECTIVE
What are you doing over here?
TERRY
I'm up for a drink at Pop's.
DETECTIVE
C'mon, tell me...
TERRY
Come on ... me a riddle.
Make a riddle ... why'd the man
go out?
DETECTIVE
You're really on the bottle, huh?
TERRY
Bill would kill me quick, no bottle.
DETECTIVE
What are you doing over here?
TERRY
I come over for ..what's that
you're doin' to my neck? It's
splitting off and you're going to
kill me.
DETECTIVE
I'm not going to kill you, you
just tell why you're over here and
why you tried to get me the other night.
TERRY
I can't breathe... (gagging) Why'd
the man go out... why'd the man go out?
(RONNY ROCKET) -48-
DETECTIVE
Come on ... tell
TERRY
Where's my swatter, man? Let me
get to my leg ... you got to...l
got the worms...MY GOD, where's
my swatter? All my blood's goin'!
I left it at Pop's! I left it at Pop's!
DETECTIVE
Alright, let's go get it and meet
this Pop ... maybe he can help you
talk.
TERRY
Get that swatter... got to!
They go quickly through some dark back streets to a little diner
named Pop's. Terry practically leeps in when he spies his swatter.
Immediately he digs into his leg under the bandage and eases the
itching.
POP, who is the old man behind the counter, eyes the Detective.
DETECTIVE
(to Pop)
You know this man?
POP
Yeah, Terry. What's it to ya, Bud?
TERRY
Hi, Pop. (then quietly to Pop)
Where's Andy? (Terry laughs)
POP
Shut up!
DETECTIVE
Say, do you know a Mr. Fry?
(RONNY ROCKET) -49-
POP
Beat it.
TERRY
Got to go now, Pop.
DETECTIVE
Wait a minute. (senses something)
Come on, Terry, can we go upstairs
here?
POP
No, you can't go upstairs here.
TERRY
Andy wouldn't like it... Andy
wouldn't like it.
There are a few other people in the diner. One of them is a large
ran who has a peculiar sort of bug-eyed glazed smile. The man is
eating a pile of large jelly doughnuts, covered with white powdered
sugar. He is also having a large glass of milk with the doughnuts.
Every so often he opens his eyes real wide and smiles.
The Detective draws his gun and moves to the rear of the diner.
DETECTIVE
Alright, hold it everyone.
Terry, you and I are going upstairs
to see Andy.
POP
Get your butt outta here. You
can't go upstairs.
Pop looks at the doughnut man and the man's eyes bug out and he's
grinning from ear to ear. Pop is nervous.
TERRY
Let's go from here, now!
(RONNY ROCKET) -50-
DETECTIVE
No.
Detective starts climbing the stairs and the doughnut man bugs his
eyes out again and gives Pop a big smile. Terry waits but then
follows the Detective upstairs. They enter a dark little apartment
with bowls of candies and two very fat sleeping dogs and over stuffed
furniture with doilies. The apartment is quiet. No one seems to be
there. The Detective pokes around a little looking here and there.
He looks out the window and see a dimly lit deserted street corner.
DETECTIVE
(quietly to himself).
Darkness all around.
He turns back into the apartment and shuffles through some papers.
Suddenly, he spots a photograph of a man. It is the man with wavy
hair in the hotel who turned back into the Detective. The Detective
picks the photograph up and studies it, then quickly takes Terry
back downstairs and through the diner. The doughnut man calmly eats
his doughnuts.
POP
Out! And your legs come off if
I see you in here again.
The Detective takes Terry around to the corner he saw out the
apartment window. They look up and the empty apartment above
Pop's diner. The Detective quietly draws his gun and holds it
to Terry's head as he cocks it.
DETECTIVE
(slowly)
Now, tell me, Terry, that was Mr.
Fry's place, wasn't it?
TERRY
Yeah, maybe so.
DETECTIVE
Let's go see Bill.
(RONNY ROCKET) -51-
TERRY
I'm in trouble.
DETECTIVE
Where does he live, Terry?
Later in a hallway, the Detective and Terry are by Bill's door.
The Detective nods to Terry to knock and Terry does so. Bill's
wife, Eleane answers the door and the Detective enters pushing
Terry in ahead of him at gunpoint. Bill is over watching
television (the t.v. is like a very old one. It has a giant-box
with a very small screen, very thick black cords come out from
behind it and go into a strange outlet. The antennae is very
fancy with a gold and silver insignia on it.) Bill gives Terry
a dirty look.
BILL
Sit down.
ELEANE
Is this the man?
BILL
This is him - he's the Detective
from the outer city. Coming into
the inner city he's causing himself
trouble.
ELEANE
What are you going to do?
BILL
I don't know. He's going to be
doing the doing. He's got a pistol
there.
DETECTIVE
I don't want to hurt you. I just
want information. I want to see
Mr. Fry, (points to Bill) your
brother.
ELEANE
He's not here. He's gone away.
(RONNY ROCKET) -52-
DETECTIVE
Where is he?
BILL
He's not here.
Eleane goes over and sits on a couch. Two little children begin
slapping her face and giggling. She seems to take this without
getting mad or repremanding them. The kids are spoiled rotten.
They keep slapping her, she smiles nervously. Bill lights
another cigarette.
BILL
Why don't you sit down.
The Detective and Terry sit in big easy chairs similar - to Bill's.
DETECTTVE
I figure your brother will come here.
TERRY
He just might.
BILL
Shut-up, Terry.
TERRY
Yes, sir. This is fine with me...
very fine .... very fine.
BILL
Shut-up.
On the t.v. is a shot of a group of men all wearing
black overcoats standing huddled together, each stamping
his right foot up and down.
(RONNY ROCKET) -53-
BILL CON'T
(turning from the t.v. to the
Detective) How are you getting along
in the city, Mr. Detective? Not so
good, I'd say. You don't understand
our ways. (Bill is chain smoking and
has a huge ashtray of butts by his
chair) You haven't done anything since
you got here. You haven't solved
anything. You have a few clues maybe,
but nothing more. You come in so
unprepared. This is what amazes me.
You won't succeed. You can't. You
think you're in control right now.
You've got the gun. You have no control.
In a few minutes 'Science World' will
be on. The neighbor boy, Riley, will
come over. By the end of the show, you
will be sitting there but you won't
understand any more than you do now,
and I' 11 have the gun on you.
TERRY
I told you you'd be in trouble.
There's a knock on the door.
BILL
Come on in, Riley!
RILEY comes in and shuts the door. He is dressed in a dirty
white t-shirt and black pants and shoes. He has black, greasy
hair, but he's a pretty good sort of kid.
RILEY
Hi, Bill.
BILL
Come on, Riley, Science World's
almost on...you're a little late.
RILEY
I was workin' on my car. My car's
smokin'...blows black smoke.
(RONNY ROCKET) -54-
TERRY
Another riddle.
DETECTIVE
(thinking back)
Maybe it's your distributor.
Riley doesn't even acknowledge the Detective. Terry and Bill
watch Riley and the Detective. The Detective senses that
something is wrong and begins to get nervous. Bill leans
forward and very slowly begins adjusting the television and
the picture begins to fade. The Detective watches as Bill
dials through stations at lower and lower numbers. Sounds
begin to slow down and the picture takes over the Detective's
mind. He suddenly sees Ronny riding in a car carrying a
handful of books. Dan is driving. There is a C.U., of
Ronny looking around as if he senses something.
DETECTIVE
(calling out)
Ronald!!!
Suddenly, he's back in Bill's apartment.
BILL
(grinning strangely)
Ronald? Who's Ronald? There's no
Ronald here and there's no gun
either... at least not with you.
See? (He points the pistol at
the Detective) By the way, tomorrow
we're going to see Hank. I think
Terry told you about Hank. Well,
we'll see Hank tomorrow. I know he
wants to tell you something. Riley?
Are you enjoying the show?
RILEY
Yes, sir!
DETECTIVE
I don't want to see Hank Bartells
yet. I want... I can't remember his
name...
(RONNY ROCKET) -55-
BILL
Oh, you can't? Well look, it
doesn't matter one little bit what
you want ... we'll see Hank tomorrow.
TERRY
See, it isn't easy...it's confusing.
BILL
Terry? Come over here.
TERRY
What are you going to do?
BILL
Come here.
Terry crosses the room to Bill.
BILL CON'T
Get on your hands and knees.
The Detective watches Bill and Terry but everyone else watches
Science World.
TERRY
What are you going to do?
BILL
I'm going to punch your head
three times for talking so much
again.
TERRY
(as Bill hits him)
Oh!! OW!!! Aw!!
BILL
Go back and sit down and watch
the show.
(RONNY ROCKET) -56
Terry's head is aching as he holds it and goes over and sits.
Everyone, including Terry, now is watching Science World.
Every once in awhile one of the little kids hits the mother.
She never does anything to them. On Science world, two scientists
(#1 and #2) are assembling a metal box with electrical equipment
inside. Another MAN watches them. #1 is having trouble putting
in a screw on the back panel. #2 wants to help, but is
not because he wants to let his partner do it alone. The man,
on the other thinks he can put the screw in better himself, so
he is trying to get close and do it, but #2 is pressing very hard
against the man to keep him away from his partner. The man is
pressing very hard too, but it is a stand off, basically...every
now and again, one inches the other back, but each is holding his
own. Meanwhile,' #1 keeps turning the screw but it keeps getting
a bad start and keeps popping out onto the floor. Everyone has been
watching this but suddenly the Detective's eyes are diverted from
the t.v. to the couch. Sitting at the other end of the couch is
the SMILING WOMAN...staring with her fixed smile at the Detective.
The Detective and the woman stare at each other for several seconds.
It is a very powerful experience for the Detective...he feels
exhilaration, fright and curiousity all at once. No one notices
the extra woman except the Detective... they all continue to watch
t.v. The woman goes as suddenly as she appeared. Afterwards, the
Detective also watches the t.v. but also watches Terry dig vigorously
into his sore with the fly swatter.
Later that night, Bill is taking the Detective back through his home.
BILL
You're going to sleep in this room.
Now, I know you are anxious to
see Hank, but don't try to leave here
tonight. My wife and I will be sleeping
right here (points to a bed just outside
the door of the room he's putting the
Detective in) I'll hear you if you even
move... and don't forget'...l have your
pistol.
The Detective enters his room and sits down on his bed which is
very low, almost a lone mattress laying on the floor. The door
is still open and he sees the wife walk by and then their lights
go out and the door is closed. The Detective's room is dark now
except for some light coming in the windows. Soon the Detective
falls asleep.
(RONNY ROCKET) -57-
Later, the Detective is awakened in this darkened room the sound
of the door opening. The wife looks in at the Detective but she
leaves and closes the door. The Detective is curious about what
she was doing and lies awake for awhile. He yawns and looks out
the windows. Suddenly the door opens again. Again the wife looks
in at the Detective but this time she steps into the room...very
quietly. She slowly opens her robe and pulls out her breasts and
shows them to the Detective. She moves her tongue in her opened
mouth. She then disappears again into her room and closes the door.
The Detective sits up and rubs the back of his head while he looks
to the door. He strains to hear something but all is silent so he
lays back down. He tosses and turns some. Again he hears the door
open. She comes all the way in to the room this- time. Her tongue
moves. Very quietly she turns and this time she pulls her robe
slowly up... exposing more and more of her leas and then her bare
buttocks which she pushes out toward the Detective, and also moves
from side to side. Suddenly there is a snapping noise from the other
room and she hurridly leaves. The Detective is exasperated. Now she
is coming into the room again. She comes toward him and opens her
robe. She kneels down to the Detective. He reaches for her but
she playfully slaps his hands away and makes him lay there with
both his hands at his sides. She slowly moves her breasts right
down on his face when in comes Bill.
BILL
Get out!!! What are you doing here?
(he's crying and screaming)
ELEANE
He made me do it! He pulled
me in here. I'm so glad you came in.
(She's breathing funny and she runs
to Bill)
Bill breaks down and begins sobbing pitifully.
BILL
(to The Detective)
I'm doing to have to torture you.
(sobbing) Yes, I am. I'll have to
torture you for this. (Still sobbing
he pulls the pistol out and points
it at the Detective) Now come here,
over here on the floor... hands and
knees.
(RONNY ROCKET) -58-
The Detective crawls over. Bill puts the gun to the Detective's head.
BILL
Eleane, you watch this ...
YOU WATCH!!! (Still sobbing, he
says to the Detective) Spread your
fingers. I'm going to give you
a shoe torture.
Bill places the heel of his shoe right on the fingernail of one of the
Detective's fingers. The Detective grimaces as Bill exerts force down
on his fingernail Bill's face shows strain through the sobbing. He
keeps the pistol to the Detective's head as he squeezes each fingernail
of both hands.
BILL
(after finishing)
We'll go see Hank right now.
I want to get out of here. Terry!!!
The Detective and Eleane look at each other as the Detective is ushered
toward the front door. Soon Terry comes out to join them ... he's
buckling up his pants.
Bill and Terry take the Detective cut into the night. They go out of
this old hotel district...out of the factory district, into a dark
industrial field of old ruins and junk. It is very dark now and when
there is a light, it is only on a bulb on a pole with a tiny rain
shield on the top. There are puddles of old oil, rusted pipes, and
some old vents coughing out bursts of steam. There is a strange old
diner out in this area. Outside the diner there is an almost burnt
out neon sign shedding some glowing, vibrating light on the oily
ground. All around in the dirt there are insects which look like a
cross between a frog and a moth. These things are flitting and
crawling and making hideous sounds. A small dog is outside gagging
horribly.
Bill and Terry take the Detective into the diner but stop by the door.
Inside it is filthy and all of the twenty or so people within look
like the worst sort of bums. Most are shaking and smoking cigarettes.
Over in a corner sitting at a small round table is Hank Bartells, or
MR. MAGIC. Bill and Terry leave the Detective by the door and they
go over to Mr. Magic. Magic doesn't look up. He speaks
(RONNY ROCKET) -59-
with Bill only and sends Terry to another part of the diner. Mr. Magic
is dressed in filthy clothes and needs a shave. His fingers are
orange from smoking so much. Two people sit at the table with Mr.
Magic. One is a man with shiny black hair, the other is a cheap
looking, heavily made up woman dressed in purple. The atmosphere is
frightening inside the diner and the Detective feels uneasy. Hank
does small dirty magic all the time as well as, his big magic. The
small dirty magic for instance, may be making one of the bugs from
outside slide into the center of the diner and catch on fire. This
he'll do in a minute, but right now he lights a cigarette by touching
it on the table. He looks up at the Detective for the first time and
studies him while he inhales, then exhales a large amount of smoke.
Be starts tapping the table and a strange sound begins. Everyone
turns to him and he points casually at the floor by the Detectives
feet. In slides a bug under the door and bursts into flame in the
center of the diner. He laughs a little and everyone laughs.
MR. MAGIC
Come over here, Mr. Detective.
An uneasy silence follows as the Detective slowly steps over to Mr.
Magic. Several of the bums are staring at The Detective as he stands
there for some time.
MR. MAGIC CON'T
Say .... what are you doing here
anyway... in this part of the city?
DETECTIVE
I want to leave the city.
MR. MAGIC
Why do you want to do that? There's
no end to the city ... there's just
more city. (He laughs) No one leaves
something that there's no end to.
DETECTIVE
I think the City ends somewhere
and there's something beyond.
(Ronny Rocket) -60-
MR.MAGIC
But, I just told you that it
doesn't end. And guess what else
I want you to get out of here. I
don't like you. Doya understand
that? (the Detective is silent)
Doya understand?( still the
Detective is silent) What are you
lookin' at my table for? I'll show
you...look
On the table is a circle of floating light about an inch
off the table surface. Mr. Magic slams the Detective's head
down in the center of the circle. The Detective can see
a beautiful scene below through the thick magical glass on the
table. The scene is an aerial view of the city and a
gold Ronny is floating above it. The whole thing suddenly
goes murky and dark with swirling particles as if it was
underwater. The Detective sees that Mr. Magic has clouded
the scene. Mr. Magic pulls the Detective away.
MR.MAGIC CON'T
There, but you'll never find it.
The Detective tries to look again but is pulled back.
DETECTIVE
YOU!!!
The Detective lurches for Mr. Magic but that instant,
Mr Magic slams his hands together and before the Detective
touches him, he sends the Detective crashing to the floor.
There is a tremendous sound and wind blows through the diner.
The purple lady laughs hysterically along with the greasy man
who also starts spitting on the Detective. The Detective is pulled
to the floor by an unseen force while the sounds continue heavily.
Suddenly the Detective is flipped to his feet. He tries again to
get at Mr. Magic. He grabs Mr. magic's hands and sounds are louder,
Mr. Magic turns into the Doughnut man who was in Pop's diner. The
hand comes off as the Doughnut man bugs out his eyes and smiles.
The Detective turns and can't release the hand, it turns into a
hissing bug and BAM! the Detective is back on the floor and Mr.
Magic. looking again like HANK, is stepping on his throat.
(RONNY ROCKET) -61-
MR. MAGIC
You want to go into the city?
Alright, I'll send you further
in, but you won't like it there.
(He turns to Terry) Big mouth
Terry, you're going in too.
TERRY
No , Hank, Please
The wind comes up more all goes darker and darker and
quieter and quieter. Black clouds move over the gold image.
The Detective and Terry find themselves in a desolate factory
area scattered with decaying row houses. Very poor and dark
and frightening.
TERRY
I've been here before. Let me tell
you...WATCH OUT. These people will
kill you quick. They'll beat you
bloody in a minute. A lotta them has
warts too. I'm scared to even move
in here. God, I'm scared to even move.
(Terry starts to cry)
The Detective surveys the landscape. He takes Terry by
the arm and slowly they go into this new area of the city.
BACK TO RONNY
Ronny is sitting in a classroom in high school. The room is very
dirty and drab. Soot clouds go by and smoke stacks blow out smoke
and everything is dingy. The black board is filthy with coal dust
and the white chalk looks dark grey. The teacher is an old man with
wild hair and glasses. With a long pointer in his hand he is pointing
to a detailed drawing of a dog with stars and swirling lines around
it as if it may be some constellation in space.
TEACHER
Can anyone show us the equation
for the time involved here?
No one raises his hand. Ronny is sitting in a desk by the wall. His
acne has gotten even worse and together with his red hair he is quite
a sight. He is still wearing his
(RONNY ROCKET) -62-
His chest apparatus and still needs a plug-in every fifteen minutes.
He is just rising to go with his plug to the wall socket when the
teacher spots him.
TEACHER CONT
Alright, Ronny, step to the
blackboard and write out the
equation. (Ronny doesn't move)
Step to the board and write out
the equation.
Ronny goes to the board and stands there. Finally the teacher goes
and puts a piece of chalk in his hand. Ronny puts his nose right
next to the black board and very carefully he draws a very small
symbol like the ones in the hospital.
STUDENT
Not again?
Even before Ronny finishes the second symbol the teacher is asking
for another student.
TEACHER
Can anyone write out the proper
equation? Jane?
JANE
Alright
Jane is a very beautiful girl who is stacked. She is dressed in a
tight white sweater and a black tight skirt. She has blonde bee-hived
hair. She goes to the board and begins to write out her answer.
Meanwhile Ronny is still working on his symbols. Some guys and
the teacher are looking at Jane's beautiful body. Suddenly the
bell rings and Ronny's head flies back violently and his mouth
opens wide. School is over for the day. All the students leave
the room, bumping into Ronny who going to his desk to get his
books. On the way out he and the teacher stare at each other.
Ronny is in a sort of trance, running low on electricity.
TEACHER
School's out, Ronny!
(RONNY ROCKET) -63-
Ronny leaves the room. The hall is practically empty. The clock says
3:30. Ronny grabs hold of his plug and as he walks down the hall he
looks from side to side for an outlet. There are none in the hall.
He comes to come steps leading down to the basement and he follows
them down -looking for an outlet. Finding no outlets on the steps,
he pushes the basement doors open and enters a large room where a
rock and roll band is setting up to rehearse. They are getting
equipment together and tuning up as Ronny enters. The musicians
are factory greaser types dressed in black suits. The band is
not big time but they do have managers. The main manager is a fat
man who is mean and powerful. His name is MR. BUCKO, and his
associate is MR. GREEN. Ronny goes to the opposite end of the
room and plugs in, minding his own business. There are a few
other kids in the room waiting to hear the band play.
MR. BUCKO
(to the band)
You guys are late setting up for
rehearsals again. I'm SICK of this.
We're not going to win any record deal
tomorrow night if you guys don't get
to work. I'll pull my money out quick
. . . I'll break a few arms, too . . . we
don't want to manage a bunch of losers.
MR. GREEN
(under his breath to Bucko)
We may not want to but I think we are.
MR. BUCKO
Hey, Johnny, let's go!
JOHNNY
Sorry, Mr. Bucko, but we got a lot of
equipment to set up. We're almost ready.
Johnny plugs in some big amplifiers and microphones. All the
equipment has a very foreign look to it. It is equipment that
is very strange looking, the microphones are all very large . . .
the amps and speakers and equipment are all
(RONNY ROCKET) -64-
jet black and very strangely designed like a cross between 1920's
electrical and a gloss black Porsche speedster. The band is ready
and they warm up by playing about fifteen seconds of very cool music,
then Johnny stops and takes a long cord and finding no other place to
plug it in, goes over to where Ronny is sitting to use his outlet. He
and Ronny look at each other as Johnny plugs in his cord right above
Ronny's. Johnny is carrying his electric guitar and in order to test
the new change he turns his guitar on and begins to play. SUDDENLY
out of Ronny's mouth comes a very strange loud musical sound. The
sound scares Johnny. Ronny then lets out another strange sound, a
musical scream and one of the band's speakers begins to vibrate and
it blows out. Ronny begins to make some new strange sounds, sounds
he has never made before and he begins to twitch in a rhythm and for
a short while something begins to happen but Ronny pulls his cord out
and stops. The entire Band is staring at Ronny.
Outside Dan and Bob pull up to the high school and wait for Ronny.
Back inside, Johnny is still staring in disbelief at Ronny.
MR. BUCKO
What happened? Let's get to work . . .
leave that kid alone. What's going on
here?
JOHNNY
Wait a minute . . . we could use this
kid. I've never seen or heard anything
like him. We could use this kid, Mr.
Bucko.
MR. BUCKO
(Thinking, then looking at Mr. Green,
eyebrows go up, then, turning to Ronny,
squinting at him) What's your name?
Ronny is silent.
MR. BUCKO CONT'D
Hey, kid . . . what's your name?
They walk towards him. Ronny is silent.
MR. BUCKO CON'T
Johnny, take him over and see what he
can do.
JOHNNY
Come here kid.
Johnny takes Ronny over to the rest of the band up on the stage and
puts him in front of a microphone. When everyone is set he puts Ronny
in. Instantly, he screams but he and the music cause the scream to be
beautiful and then he twitches and moves in rythm with the drummer.
Ronny begins to make strange sounds which work together with the
music. Some more students hurry into the room drawn by the music.
The managers hurry into the room drawn by the music. The managers
notice this. The kids are staring in disbelief at Ronny. Johnny
signs a few lines and Ronny mimicks him in a very strangely cool
way. Ronny starts to vibrate and he turns around and all the
instruments change together going way up then down. Ronny looks
great in front of ihe microphone and this rock and roll is totally
crazy and heavy and the students who are witnessing it are spellbound.
The band is really going.
The song ends, the people break into applause. Ronny is gripping the
microphone. As the applause dies down someone yells out "What's your
name?" The others begin to ask. As the applause is almost gone, there
is a short space of silence coming up into which Ronny inserts:
RONNY
Ronny Rocket.
People begin to say his name out loud, as they burst into applause
again. Ronny tries to pull his plug but Johnny has to help him.
When Ronny finally gets unplugged he starts walking back- wards in
a circle and finally falls down and sort of collapses. There are a
few screams by some girls and lots of murmurings. Mr. Bucko and Mr.
Green hold the kids back as they try to get up close to Ronny to see
if he is Alright. Just then, Dan and Bob enter and look around.
They are about to turn and go when they hear someone mention Ronny
Rocket. They go into the room. Finally they see him and rush to him.
DAN
What happened, Ronny? (to others around)
What happened to him?
(RONNY ROCKET) -66-
JOHNNY
He was playing some music with us and
guess it got him tired or something
MR. BUCKO
Are you the kid's father or what?
DAN
Yeah, come on, Bob, let's get him home.
Dan picks up Ronny and carries him out of the room.
MR. BUCKO
(to the band)
You guys keep rehearsing, we'll be right
back. (he winks at them)
JOHNNY
Get that kid!
Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green catch up to Dan, Bob and Ronny by their car.
The Doctors, Dan and Bob stare at Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green.
MR. BUCKO
We're very interested in your boy there.
DAN
Why, what did he do?
BOB
(he and Dan defensive)
What is it?
MR. BUCKO
(chewing a cigar)
Hey, wait a minute, he didn't do anything
except make great music. Your kid's
got something. We think he could be
big. I mean, your kid's got something.
We want to make a deal, together we can
make more money than you ever dreamed
of. Are you his father?
(RONNY ROCKET) -67-
DAN
(looks quickly at Bob)
Yeah, Bob's my partner. What's the deal?
Ronny is feeling much better and during Mr. Bucko's talk, he has
wandered out onto the ground in front of the school. As the deal
is being made, Ronny wanders around. He looks up to a window in
the school and sees a boy and a girl. They are talking, then she
pushes him, he pushes her. Then we see Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green from
a distance talking with Dan and Bob. Then Ronny's acne covered face
looking up at the window. The boy and girl come together in a long
tender kiss. Ronny watches them. Then Ronny turns and sees Mr. Bucko
and Mr. Green shaking hands with Dan and Bob.
Then from a distance we see Ronny standing alone turning in a small
circle.
Later, at Deborah's apartment. Ronny is sitting at the dinner table
with Deborah, Dan, and Bob, but he is at the other end by himself
while the others talk.
BOB
Yes, and he starts tomorrow night.
There's some contest. we should have
enough money to get all new equipment
and everything.
DEBORAH
Was anything wrong with my money7
DAN
No, no, Deborah.
DEBORAH
What if they find out about you and
Ronny? You must stop and think. I'll
give you more money if this is what you
need. I never knew you needed more money.
DAN
They won't find out. They'll never know
and it's so much money, Deborah. We could
almost build our own hospital or become
famous someday. We could do surgery
everyday. Bob, we could do surgery every
day.
(RONNY ROCKET) -68-
DAN
My God!!
DEBORAH
Maybe this will mean you'll go away from
me.
DAN
No
BOB
No
DEBORAH
Maybe you will be so famous you will
not need me any longer. This can happen.
BOB
No.
DAN
No, Deborah.
DEBORAH
Maybe you will not need my caresses,
someone else's maybe?
DAN
No.
BOB
No, never.
DEBORAH
Maybe you will not need . . .
Deborah breaks down crying. Bob and Dan go to her. They get on their
knees and caress her. Bob kisses her neck and Dan holds her hand and
kisses up her arm passionately. Ronny sits staring at the poodle who
is, as usual, upside down in the living room, whinning.
(RONNY ROCKET) -69-
DAN
We'll never leave you, Deborah.
BOB
Deborah, Deborah, please stop crying,
stop crying.
DEBORAH
(she calms down, Bob and Dan remain close to her)
You see how I care so much for you two?
I'm crying my heart out. (She clutches
her chest) I'm crying for you to be
famous surgeons ... two of the most
gifted doctors ... you should be
famous. I'm crying because this is the
way I believe, that I don't want to have
things change so much. I want things
the way they are forever. I'm so happy
with my Bobby and Dan, and our little
Ronny. I'm so happy.
DAN
Things will still be happy.
DEBORAH
Promise me.
DAN
I promise.
BOB
I promise, too!
DEBORAH
(whispering)
Dan, I want you to take my blouse off.
Bob goes and takes Ronny to the livingroom. Dan removes
Deborah's blouse.
(RONNY ROCKET) -70-
DEBORAH CONT'D
Thank you, Dan, and now my shoes. And
remember how I believe . . . the night
is long . . . the way I believe is go
slowly. It is very dark . . . and time
is so big.
She begins to rub her breasts in front of Bob while Dan removes her
stockings.
Ronny is in the livingroom. He is staring off into the ceiling. He
eyes are following some unseen object around and around and around.
Friday night. Outside the factories blow howling smoke. At the school
dance, the room is crowded. Deborah, Dan and Bob are in the audience,
strange looking teenagers all around. The high school principal is
there and Ronny's teacher, even the stern little lady receptionist.
Behind stage the band is almost ready to go. Mr. Bucko is off stage
chewing a big cigar. Johnny is setting Ronny up by the microphone.
JOHNNY
(to Ronny)
You okay? . . . (no answer) You're
okay. Just stand there and then when
the curtain, up here (he points) when
it opens, I'll plug you in and we'll,
go. Just do what you do.
RONNY
Weeeeel go.
JOHNNY
That's right, kid. We'll really go.
Johnny looks to the other members of the band to see if they're ready,
the nod that they are. Johnny signals Mr. Bucko. Mr. Bucko goes to
the Master of Ceremonies.
(RONNY ROCKET) -71-
MR. BUCKO
(to M.C.)
Okay, they're ready now . . . and remember
introduce them as Ronny Rocket.
M.C.
Alright, fine Mr. Bucko.
>From behind the curtain Ronny hears the M.C.
M. C. CON'T
Ladies and gentlemen . . . the last band
to perform tonight in the contest is
now ready. Ladies and gentlemen . . .
RONNY ROCKET.
The curtains open very slowly. Ronny is locked in front of the
microphone . . . hands gripping it and knees bent . . .ready to
go. There is some applause going as the curtain opens. The
curtain is now opened and the motor has stopped. Johnny plugs
Ronny in. He begins to vibrate like crazy. He screams out
and the music begins. The music is pounding and powerful.
The audience is loving it. Ronny falls to one knee and Dan
and Bob look at each other with worry in their eyes. Suddenly,
sparks come from Ronny's mouth and the music gets wilder.
Ronny shakes violently. Ronny starts to gag and the lights
go way low. He shakes in rhythm with the drummer. When Johnny
sings, Ronny tries to mimick him. His eyes bug out. The kids
are watching Ronny . . . dumbfounded. The ones that started
to dance have stopped and are watching. Ronny gags more sparks
then whines. The guitar starts to whine, the organ whines.
Ronny falls to the floor gagging and jerking. Dan holds Bob
back from helping him because he wants to see if Ronny can
make it through alone. Ronny starts mimicking Johnny's echo
reverbing rock and roll voice then starts to scream out.
This causes some electrical disturbances. Electricity
seems to go through the air between Ronny and the instruments
in lines of sparks and arcing electric blue or yellow lines.
The sounds jump accordingly. Finally sounds are at a fever
pitch and Johnny decides that he should end the song. Ronny
is gagging pretty badly and is on the floor. Johnny pulls
Ronny's plug.
RONNY
(yelling)
Ronny Rocket!
(RONNY ROCKET) -72-
Just after the music stops and the lights come up, the applause is
thunderous and Ronny passes out. The curtain closes. Johnny and Fred
(the bass player) pick Ronny up and carry him backstage. Dan and Bob
and Deborah are very upset.
DAN
(to Bob)
Go get your bag and I'll meet you back-
stage. (to Deborah) Come with me.
BOB
I'll go fast. (to himself) as he goes
through the crowd) I'll go fast . . .
I'll go fast.
Dan and Deborah run backstage where things are in
somewhat of a turmoil. Dan spots Mr. Green.
DAN
(excited)
Where's Ronny?
MR. GREEN
He's in there.
Mr. Green points to a door marked "Private" down a hallway. Dan and
Deborah hurry to the door and both of them begin knocking on it.
No one answers but they hear moans and sounds within. The door is
locked.
DAN
OPEN UP!! OPEN UP!!! (to Deborah)
Go get Mr. Green or Mr. Bucko to open
this door.
DEBORAH
Alright.
She goes hurrying off back down the hall. Bob comes running in the
other way and Deborah points toward Dan. Bob hurries down to join
Dan in front of the locked door. Bob's shoulders are going way up
and down as he breathes heavily.
(RONNY ROCKET) -73-
BOB
(out of breath)
What's wrong?
DAN
The door's locked. Ronny's in there.
Deborah went for . . .
Just then the door opens. It's a nurse answering the knock.
NURSE
Yes?
DAN
I'm Ronny's father. Where is he?
He and Bob go through the door.
NURSE
Wait a minute.
BOB
You wait a minute.
In the next room they see a doctor with Ronny. The doctor is fooling
around with Ronny's appliance and Ronny is jumping and sparking and
the doctos is getting electrical shocks every few seconds and yelling
out. Dan and Bob move the nurse aside and rush toward Ronny. The
doctor looks up and suddenly Bob and Dan freeze just as they were
about to enter the room. They recognize this doctor and he recognizes
them.
DOCTOR
Pink and Platinium . . . what are you
guys doin' here?
NURSE
(hurrying forward)
It's Ronny's father.
The doctor gasps as he realizes why Ronny is the way he is, he looks
aghast at Ronny then up to Bob and Dan. Then his astonishment turns
to anger.
(RONNY ROCKET) -74-
DOCTOR
Ronny's father, my big butt!! Wait
'till Mr. Bucko hears about this!
Bob and Dan look at each other.
DAN
You take the nurse . . .
Bob begins chasing the nurse and Dan leaps on the doctor hitting
him hard.
Meanwhile, Deborah has found Mr. Bucko talking with the M.C.
DEBORAH
Please, Mr. Bucko, they won't open the
door. We have to see our Ronny.
MR. BUCKO
He's with my doctor.. don't worry.
(turns away again)
DEBORAH
Please!!! . . . we must be with him now.
MR. BUCKO
Alright. (to M.C.) I'll be right
back . . . if anything breaks in the
meantime I'll be in the office . . . let
me know.
M.C.
Right, Mr. Bucko.
Together Deborah and Mr. Bucko go off to the room.
(RONNY ROCKET) -75-
When they open the door and enter, Deborah screams. The nurse is
taped up to a filing cabinet just inside the door. Her eyes are
wild; her mouth is taped shut. Bob is administering drugs, etc.
to Ronny on the cot in the next room. Dan has the doctor held
in his lap with his belt running through the doctor's mouth
causing the doctor's head to bend back at a very uncomfortable
angle. The doctor begins to make gurgling sounds when he sees
Mr. Bucko. The doctor's eyes are also wild. Deborah covers her
mouth with both her hands.
MR. BUCKO
What the hell is this?
DAN
(still pulling the belt)
Mr. Bucko, I know we signed the papers
and all that, but we're afraid that this
is just too hard on Ronny and we're
going to have to back out of our agreement.
MR. BUCKO
What was that?
DAN
I'm afraid we're going to have to . . .
Just then the door opens and Mr. Green is coming in with the M.C. and
the band . . . all are smiling.
M.C.
You won!!! Congratulations!
Everyone is yelling then they see this situation then everyone is
quiet.
MR. BUCKO
Thanks, Gary, look . . . could you leave
us alone for a while to discuss this
thing . . . yeah, thanks Gary.
(RONNY ROCKET) -76-
M.C. (GARY)
Yeah, sure, Mr. Bucko, sure.
MR. BUCKO
Green, you stay. Everyone else OUT!
Everyone but Mr. Green leaves and the door is shut. The nurse and
doctor are moaning crazily.
MR. BUCKO
See, Ronny just won us the recording
deal. You can't pull out now . . . this
will mean thousands and thousands of
dollars for you.
BOB
We don't want to discuss it.
DAN
He said it right, no more discussions.
MR. BUCKO
Mr. Green . . .
Mr. Green pulls out a large pistol and points it in Bob and Dan's direction.
MR. BUCKO CONT
Let the doctor loose. Green, undo the
nurse.
DAN
We keep the doctor!!!
BOB
(standing and yelling)
We'll keep the doctor!!!
MR. BUCKO
What's this? Green . . . damn it you
guys . . .
(RONNY ROCKET) -77-
Mr. Green walks over and places his pistol right at Dan's head.
Suddenly Dan releases the doctor.
DAN
(screams)
All right then!
DOCTOR
(screams)
Mr. Bucko. Mr. Bucko.
BOB
Stop it!!!
MR. BUCKO
Shut-up everybody!! (to the doctor)
Now what is it?
DOCTOR
I know these two from the institute . . .
they were thrown out (gagging some)
experimenting . . . with terminal cases,
they're perverts . . . they've probably
stolen this Ronny and built him like
this. They're clumsy butchers and wanted
by the authorities.
DEBORAH
No! No!
MR. BUCKO
(smiling)
So, the deal is off, is it? We're hurting
your poor little son. Now you guys listen
to me for a while. If you want to stay
out of trouble, and I'm sure you do,
you'll continue alone just the way we
discussed. If you're good you'll get
the money we talked about. You will
look after Ronny and keep him in perfect
health. If there is any trouble, we'll
blow the big whistle. Do you understand?
(RONNY ROCKET) -78-
DAN AND BOB
We understand.
They both give the doctor a dirty look.
MR. BUCKO
Good . . . then all is well again. I
have a very good feeling things will
be going our way from now on . . . Do
you feel it, too?
Dan and Bob realize they're caught.
M.R. BUCKO CON'T
GREEN! Bring everyone in.
Mr. Green opens the door and the band and the M.C. come in. Bob helps
Ronny into a sitting position. Ronny's eyes are glazed over.
MR. BUCKO CON'T
We start rehearsals tomorrow at the record
company. Hall number seven. we're going
to make it . . . we were just discussing
. . . we all have a good feeling about
the whole thing.
Fred, the bass player, realizes that the nurse is still tied up, he
removes the tape from her mouth. A cooing, moaning sigh escapes
through her sore, but full and beautiful lips. The doctor sees
Fred do this. All eyes go to the doctor as he yells:
DOCTOR
Don't you touch her!
And, he rushes to his nurse.
REHEARSAL HALL. Dan and Bob and Deborah look at each other worried
because Ronny has been talking to himself in the microphone . . .
saying frantic little half sentences, word fragments. Johnny is
trying to work on a song and find out new sounds Ronny can make
or cause the band to make.
(RONNY ROCKET) -79-
RONNY
(into microphone)
night / bang in a cod / NO/
go on the eyes/hit/hit/
OW/ouch, ouch/A,B,C,D,E,F...
JOHNNY
You guys try different things this time,
we're getting somewhere. I want to use
this guy, use him to our best advantage
. . . right, Mr. Bucko?
MR. BUCKO
Get to work, Johnny.
RONNY
(now whining very high)
Bang/jump/Ronny Rocket/OW . . .
JOHNNY
Alright . . . let's go.
RONNY
Go.
Johnny, plugs Ronny in. Ronny's eyes bug out and he starts to shimmy
across the stage. The drummer, AL, is going with Ronny. Fred and
Johnny start experimenting. They move levers and walk closer to
Ronny, stand at different angles to him, etc. Their sounds start
going up and down or louder or softer. Sometimes, speakers begin
to screech and Ronny, himself, is twirling, crawling, jumping,
gagging, mimicking Johnny's voice or lying out flat on the floor,
twitching. Electricity is flying all around.
After the rehearsal, Dan and Bob attend to Ronny. A close up of Ronny
reveals bad eyes and a dopey look. Also, a small amount of blood in
the ears. They are very concerned for his health. Bob is checking out
Ronny's electrical device because he is now waking wide-eyed, then
nodding off to sleep in the next moment.
DAN
Ronny? Ronny?
(RONNY ROCKET) -80-
Ronny nods off. Bob gives him a shot, and they plug him in. Mr. Bucko
comes in the room.
MR. BUCKO
How is he?
DAN
Not good . . . we're hurting him bad.
MR. BUCKO
Fix him. I don't want to keep hearing
discouraging news. If you need any medicine,
or . . . materials or whatever,
I'll get 'em. But keep that kid working.
BOB
If he's hurting any more than this, it's
over!!
MR. BUCKO
Take care, my friends . . . quit threatening
me. I've been very cordial and nice. . .
don't let's get nasty. You'll never win that
game with me. Just get set to enjoy your
fortune your little rocket is going to bring in.
BOB
(stands up, knees bent some)
You know, Bucko, I don't like you.
(Yells) How would you like a great big
fat bloody nose?!
Mr. Bucko snaps his fingers and Mr. Green comes in. Mr. Bucko points
to Bob. Mr. Green starts toward Bob.
BOB
Oh yeah?
(RONNY ROCKET) -81-
Bob hauls off and slugs out toward Mr. Green. Mr. Green catches his
hand and crunches it. The bones breaking make a sickening sound. Bob
falls down moaning, holding his hand. Dan flies toward Mr. Green and
shoots a punch into his stomach. It doesn't do much. Mr. Green then
decks Dan. Dan bleeds from the mouth. Ronny, Dan and Bob are all
hurting and moaning.
MR. BUCKO
Doya want to stop getting money? Do
you want to go to prison? Watch out
. . . next time, Mr. Green won't go
so easy, but there better not be a next
time. See you at the recording studio
at nine tonight.
Green and Bucko leave.
Bob's hand is pretty bad and Dan is not feeling too good either. They
stay on the floor. Ronny is watching them.
BOB
(whispering)
Things aren't working out too well.
At the recording studio - Bob's hand is wrapped in gauze and Dan is
black and blue on the upper cheek. Ronny is in front of the
microphone going up and down on his tip toes speaking small bits of
nonsense in a nervous way.
RONNY
(quickly)
It hurts too much/it hurts too much/
No/No/you go/all of it/pop lick/
pop lick / A,B,C,D,E,F,G/ No/ Magic Hank . . .
The Camera moves in when Ronny says
Magic Hank/No/OWWW...
The band is ready to go and is waiting, pacing around. Ronny continues
to babble. Up in the control booth an engineer is looking at Ronny. He
pushes a button and his voice booms out.
(RONNY ROCKET) -82-
ENGINEER
Is this what the kid does?
MR. BUCKO
No, No.
ENGINEER
Then shut the kid up for a while, will
you?
MR. BUCKO
(to Dan and Bob)
Hey, shut him up for a while.
Bob and Can go cut and stand with Ronny by the microphone.
MR. BUCKO CON'T
Just keep him quiet for a while.
Dan and Bob hold Ronny and check over his device and look into his
eyes. Ronny is shaking.
DAN
It's okay, Ronny, it's okay.
He and Bob are each holding a hand.
ENGINEER
Alright, when your're ready . . .
MR. BUCKO
Let's go, Johnny.
JOHNNY
Okay.
Everyone moves into position and Dan, Bob and Mr. Bucko go and
stand off to the side to watch. The Engineer starts rolling
tape. Johnny plugs in Ronny and he screams a short scream
. . . shoots some lightening and falls to the ground.
A LOUD DRUM BEAT.
(RONNY ROCKET) -83-
Ronny jerks and says "No."
Another beat.
Then the bass and guitar begin to play and Ronny begins to vibrate
on the floor. He gags out some sparks and then whines from real
low to real high and gets up only to drop again. Quiet, a heavy beat.
Ronny howls a weird electrical sound and his eyes strain, in the
control booth, two engineers scramble for a smoking box which is
shooting sparks. The bass begins again, Ronny jitters to his feet
gets a shock from the microphone. Makes some series of noises into
the microphone and the organ, guitar and bass and drums start to
really go. Johnny's echo begins to sing and Ronny begins to mimick.
He's really moving to the beat. They've got him in a great little
black suit and it looks good with his pompadore red hair wig.
After a long whine at the end, Johnny pulls the plug. Ronny
collapses and crawls around on the floor.
Up stairs, the engineers have a fire extinguisher out and they're
spraying a whole smoking area of equipment. The room is cloudy with
smoke, and there is an ominous electrical hum going signalling some
sort of malfunction.
ENGINEER
(upset)
That's great . . . the kid blew out
all my equipment.
The engineer starts coughing because of all the smoke.
ENGINEER CONT
(now over the P.A. system)
I think we got it . . . stand by for
playback . . .
A close up of a huge speaker and horn as the song is played back.
A shiny black spinning record lap dissolves out of the speaker shot
and neon flashes "R0NNY ROCKET". Several rock and roll shots follow
as the song continues, loud.
--tiny factory kids bop in front of an old floor radio.
--a strange greaser dances in an alley.
--several bee-hive stacked girls snapping their fingers to the beat.
(RONNY ROCKET) -84-
--factory people dancing in darkened rooms, neon "RONNY ROCKET"
flashing over.
--view of city factories - smoke billowing -fire shooting from
stacks - "RONNY ROCKET" neon flashing over.
Interspersed with these pictures is a shot of Dan and Bob and Deborah
and Ronny looking off into space. Each repeat of this shot gets closer
in on Ronny, until only his face fills the screen.
The last shot in this whole series is a composite of Ronny's C.U.,
black smoke swirling around and the Neon flashing "RONNY ROCKET".
Back with the Detective. He is with Terry in the dark, brutal area of
the inner city. They are just entering a dark street of row houses.
They are creeping along in the black shadows.
TERRY
We've got to get off the street-
there's people out there that'll kill
us. We should find a place to stay
inside...quick
DETECTIVE
Alright, let's find a house...
let's look inside some...
find one that looks good.
They sneak up to the closet window and peer in. Inside they see a very
dirty fat man in a t-shirt, tying a knot in a big rope. His face has
many warts.
DETECTIVE CON'T
Next house.
TERRY
You don't get it do you?
DETECTIVE CON'T
(quietly)
Get what?
(RONNY ROCKET) -85-
TERRY
Never mind.
DETECTIVE
What the hell are you mumbling about
now? Tell me.
TERRY
Nothin' . . . except that things keep
goin' round and round. You got to remember
that . . . round and round . . . round
and round . . . Get it?
DETECTIVE
What the hell is there to get?
TERRY
That's why I said never mind. Fresh
face . . . Nevermind is nevermind. How
would you like it if I started yelling
"nevermind" here?
DETECTIVE
Just shut up.
They creep to another window. Inside is a fairly nice looking
dark-haired woman with just a few warts on her face. Her house
looks dark, except for back in the kitchen area where she is
pouring herself something to drink.
DETECTIVE CON'T
Let's knock on her door
TERRY
Alright, she looks okay
They knock and they can see her hearing the knocking and waiting then
going slowly to the door. She opens it just a little way.
(RONNY ROCKET) -86-
WOMAN
Who is it?
DETECTIVE
We are new here . . . we want to get
off the streets . . . could we come
in just for a little while.
WOMAN
(looking at them)
No, get away . . . no . . . leave.
A gang of men in dark overcoats come walking quickly down
the street. The Detective and Terry look with fear as the gang
approaches
DETECTIVE
Look . . . we're coming in . . . (he pushes
the door open and they go in. He
covers her mouth with his hand).
We mean no harm. Please let us stay
here . . . for just a while, until we
learn where to go from here . . . alright?
The Woman is still for a while then she nods yes . . . The Detective
releases his hold.
WOMAN
Get away from the windows. Come
back with me.
They go into the kitchen. Terry looking around while she turns off
the overhead light and closes the door. They are alone. She sits
down at the kitchen table.
WOMAN CON'T
Sit down.
They sit at the table with her.
DETECTIVE
What is that music?
(RONNY ROCKET) -87-
He is referring to some strange roller rink type organ music
coming from the basement.
WOMAN
My daughter is having a party
in the basement.
DETECTIVE
That's nice . . . that's very nice.
WOMAN
Don't go down there.
TERRY
(quickly)
We won't go . . . don't worry.
The Woman reaches up and scratches one of her warts. It was irritated.
Now that she is scratching it, it is turning red. The Detective and Terry
watch her do this.
TERRY
Look...ah...I've been here before, see
so's I know the idea of this place
(as he hits his sore) I almost got
killed here one time here...people beat me
and cut my gut open...had to run
through these streets holding my gut
closed. I run for two hours that way.
The woman is still scratching at her wart and finally she scratches
it off her face. She takes the wart between her thumb and forefinger
and squeezes it. Out comes a little beetle type bug crawling across
the table. The Woman mashes the bug with a hit of her knuckles
TERRY CON'T
I...yeah...I can't remember though how I got
back. But when got back, Bill had me up to
his place in an old cot for three weeks. I
had runned a fever of a hundred and six
degrees and then all of a sudden it wen and
you would have
(RONNY ROCKET) -88-
TERRY CON'T
thought I was sleepin' in water...
my bed was so wet. I couldn't
turn 'cause the covers and all were
stuck to me. (Digs into sore)
WOMAN
I'm tired. I need sleep.
TERRY
I know the idea of this place.
DETECTIVE
Can we stay for a while longer?
WOMAN
Stay . . . I just have to sleep for a
while. I got bad sick yesterday and
now I feel weak, I need sleep.
Just be quiet so I can sleep now. (She
puts her head on the table and soon
falls asleep.)
TERRY
(whispering)
See . . . she's got the warts . . .
a lot of 'em have warts. I told
you that. They're having'
a party in the basement . . . that's
what that music is . . . she said
don't go down there . . . believe me,
I won't! We're lucky this one's
nice. Letting us stay here. I'm
going to catch some sleep, too.
I'm going to catch some sleep here, too.
DETECTIVE
(also Whispering)
Alright
Terry leans on the table and trys to sleep.
(RONNY ROCKET) -89-
TERRY
I hope those people don't
come up here.
DETECTIVE
Quit talking about them... get your sleep
TERRY
Hank Bartells got this city closed in
so bad . . . God, I can feel it.
Terry starts to cry.
DETECTIVE
Come on.
WOMAN
(awake)
What is it?
DETECTIVE
Oh, he's crying about things.
Come on . . .
TERRY
Okay, but . . . okay but . . . okay,
but . . . that music is makin' me feel
funny. I got to get comfortable . . .
my leg is hurtin'. (he hits his leg
several times and digs into it some)
DETECTIVE
Get your sleep, Terry?
TERRY
This is what I'm tryin' to do.
I'm tryin'.
He puts his head down on the table. In a short while the woman and
Terry are asleep. The woman burps in her sleep. The Detective looks
around the kitchen. He looks for awhile at the door to the basement
...where the music is coming from. He looks back to the sleeping
woman. He sees the bug again, crawling on the woman's arm. The skin
(RONNY ROCKET) -9 0-
has some yellow splotches on it. The bug crawls to the center of one
of these yellow areas and begins to suck blood, swelling up as it does
this. In her sleep the woman feels this and the Detective sees one of
her hands clumsily swing and then hit the bug ... tearing it open.
Blood goes out of the bug onto the woman's yellow splotched arm.
The Detective gets curious about the party downstairs and slowly
sneaks over to the door. He opens the door quietly but the organ
music gets louder. The woman continues to sleep. Where the Detective
looks down the stairs he sees only darkness and very faintly he sees
something (someone) on the floor below. He slowly goes down one step
carefully and then another. As he nears the bottom, he sees that what
he saw is a dead person on the floor with blood and broken glass all
around. Over on a couch is another dead person and the music is quite
loud. In the corner a couple is slow dancing. The Detective decides
to go back upstairs. He goes back as inconspicuously as possible so
that the slow dancers don't see him.
He comes back to the kitchen, but now the woman has Terry by the
counter and is cutting his neck open. Her mouth is drooling fluid
and she has a vacant wild expression on her face. Terry is moaning
in a half conscious state. She sees the Detective and spits at him
with hate in her eyes...she then pulls Terry's face up to hers.
The Detective bolts down the stairs into the dark basement room.
He's crossing the room to enter another room when the girl who has
been slow dancing turns. She has a face covered with warts and blood
is al1 around her mouth. She is screaming...wild-eyed at the Detective
and charging him with her hands outstretched. The Detective runs
desperately into a back room where some others are dancing slowly.
He runs from there into a small dark room and slams the door behind
him. He locks it frantically and looks around. He sees a window up
at the street level and a small table below it. He is about to step
up on the table when he feels a knife at this throat and a hand under
his chin. A girl named GERSTEIN dressed in a pretty chiffon dress is
holding the knife.
GERSTEIN
Stop ... where are you going so fast?
(RONNY ROCKET) -91-
DETECTIVE
I'm trying to leave here. Please let
me go.
GERSTEIN.
Turn around . . . slow.
The Detective turns around. He sees Gerstein. She would be
very pretty except her face is covered with warts. He can barely
see it is so dark.
GERSTEIN
Dance with me.
DETECTIVE
Please let me leave . . . I have to leave.
GERSTEIN
Dance with me or I'll stab you
and kill you.
The Detective begins to dance with her. She holds him very close
and puts the blade of the knife right on the skin of his neck.
GERSTEIN
This is nice.
They dance for awhile...the Detective can feel the blade on his neck.
GERSTEIN CON'T
Play with my hair.
The Detective does as she says. He puts his fingers in her hair and
gently rubs her hair and neck.
GERSTEIN CON'T
Now kiss me.
(RONNY ROCKET) -92-
The Detective feels her slide her wart covered faced over his cheek
until their lips meet in quite a passionate kiss. The girl reaches
up and pulls her shoulder straps down and pulls her dress and bra
away from her breasts.
GERSTEIN
Feel me.
There is a knocking at the door. The music is still loud.
GERSTEIN CON'T
(angry)
WHAT?
STEVE
Gerstein? . . . it's Steve . . . get
out here, we're going.
GERSTEIN
In a minute (now to the
Detective).Feel me quick . . . do it . . .
The Detective feels her breasts and her head goes back in ectasy.
GERSTEIN CON'T
(coming forward)
Get out the window.
STEVE
Hey, come on, get out here.
(he tries the door) Come out here!!
The Detective scrambles up and is almost out the window when at the
last moment Gerstein decides to stab him in the back of the leg. The
Detective winces in pain. He stumbles down the street. Gerstein calmly
opens the door to Steve who is very mad.
The Detective goes into a deserted alley and grabs his leg in pain. He
pulls up his pant leg and looks at a bad slash wound dripping blood.
He takes out his handkerchief.
(RONNY ROCKET) -93-
and wraps it around his cut and ties it. He follows the alley down to
a deserted oil tank area filled with old pipes and pools of oil. He
goes between two tanks. There is a hollow rushing of air and distorted
clangs. The Detective slowly goes into total darkness. The sounds
continue to build. He turns a small corner and walks out onto a street.
He's about to move on when he looks up and notices that he's directly
under the window over Pop's diner. He walks quickly toward a back
entrance and as he goes he turns around and this is where we see that
it is now Mr. Fry again and not the Detective. Mr. Fry runs in the back
entrance and upstairs to his apartment. He hurries around the room
looking for something, also, he begins to go through the Detective's
pockets. Pop, who is downstairs, hears him coughing terribly hacking
coughs.
POP
(yelling happily)
Andy! Andy, is that you?
He rushes to the stairs - behind him we see the Doughnut man (Mr. Magic)
listening carefully.
ANDY (Mr.Fry)
Yeah, Pop, (then he screams)
Hank, take me back!!!
POP
(still downstairs)
Andy!!!
Pop hurries upstairs. The Doughnut man's eyes bulge out and he smiles
a strange smile. Just as Pop is coming up Andy finds the piece of
paper with the symbols on it. He studies them then screams.
ANDY
HANK!!
The Doughnut man still sits on his stool at the counter. Suddenly Mr.
Fry starts walking funny, as Pop enters the apartment. His head takes
on a strange expression and his head tilts way over. Pop is worried
immediately as he enters.
(RONNY ROCKET) -9 4-
POP
Andy? Andy?
Then Andy is gone and the Detective is back, but he can't hold
and then Andy is back, the body keeps walking in a long circle
changing heads, Andy's wearing a horrible smile. Some strange
unsettling music goes over the dance of the changing heads
POP
(as he sees the Detective)
YOU!! GET OUT.!! Andy,
where are you?...GET OUT!!!
Strange unsettling music plays loud. Finally, the Detective gains
control and strains to eep imself. He tears the piece of paper in
tiny pieces and pulls out his pistol. He rushes by Pop.
DETECTIVE
Sorry Pop.
POP
(screaming crazily)
GET OUT.!! GET OUT!!!
With the pistol out and in front the Detective runs downstairs and
fires a very loud shot directly at Mr. Magic. Suddenly, everything
goes slow. The bullet travels ever so slowly over to Mr. Magic and
on the way over, it turns into a doughnut, which Mr. Magic gently
plucks out of the air and bites into. His eyes bug way out and he
takes a strange serious expression. The whole place goes dark and
all that can be seen is Mr. Magic and the Detective. Mr. Magic takes
a drink of milk then flips the remainder of the doughnut at the
Detective in the forehead. On impact, a strange sound begins. The
forehead bleeds profusely. The Detective begins to float up and
from where he sits, Mr. Magic puckers his lips and blows the Detective
way off into darkness. We see him getting further away then we follow
him acing through blackness down into a closet like room. He can
see through the walls, though, and immediately he recognizes
the place. He sees the kitchen of the wart woman's house. Through the
blood dripping down his face, he sees Terry, lying dead on the kitchen
floor, his
(RONNY ROCKET) -95-
swatter by his side. The woman is gone somewhere. The Detective blinks.
Now, the kitchen is empty completely. Terry is gone, including his
blood all over the floor. He hears something and turns. He now sees
himself back in time. He and Terry are coming into the kitchen just
as it was. She asks them to Sit, it's hard to hear her. He sees
himself and Terry talking to her as they did. He blinks and holds his
forehead. Now he sees a different scene.
A slow dancer girl walks through the kitchen... disappears.
He blinks again.
Now he sees a horrible sight. Mr. Fry and the woman are killing him on
the floor near Terry's dead body. Mr. Fry is coughing horribly and she
and he are knifing him. Mr. Fry then goes to the sink and coughing
away, he washes all the blood off his hands as the Detective lays
dying on the floor. She starts to pull the Detective by the foot
across to the basement door.
He blinks - Out the kitchen window he sees the smiling woman, then she
disappears. Now, he sees - the wart woman asleep and Terry asleep and
he sees himself about to go down to the basement. He knows this is a
safe time but how to enter this picture of time, now? His forehead is
still bleeding, he gathers his strength and pushes through the shadow
wall. The two Detectives merge in a strange scream. The new Detective
just clears the kitchen when the woman wakes up with a hideous smile
... laughing ... then she goes for Terry.
The Detective is now out on the street running for his life. The
forehead is still bleeding. The Detective runs around a corner and
sees a group of men in a field. They are laughing. They are catching
dogs and throwing the dogs up about 100 feet through the air to the
top of a building.
The dogs land and yelp and bark and down below the men laugh and laugh.
Then run around and catch another dog and throw it up.
The Detective moves on...he runs down several dark streets untill he
comes to an intersection which has a large still pool of blood in it,
illuminated by a small street lamp. The Detective remembers Terry's
words, 'When you find the blood, go up the street to the old couple ...
you'll know the place. . ."
(RONNY ROCKET) -96-
He starts up the street looking carefully at each house. His forehead
has now stopped bleeding. He touches at it and it feels better. He
finally comes to a house with a bright light on the front porch. He
goes up the walk. Moths fly all around the light. The light emits tone
and the moths cause bell voice sounds as they fly... making tiny
beautiful music.
Suddenly, a little old lady is at the door.
LITTLE OLD LADY
Oh, hello...won't you come in?
Then a little old man comes to the door, too.
LITTLE OLD MAN
Come in, come in.
The Detective goes in. The little old man and lady are
smiling happily. He smiles hello.
LITTLE OLD LADY
Now, sit down... come sit
right here ... right here...that's
right.
She sits him down on an old blue satin couch.
LITTLE OLD MAN
Offer him some candies, Mom.
LITTLE OLD LADY
I will, I will .. would you like
some delicious candies?
She opens a beautiful candy dish. When the lid is raised a
musical tune plays
LITTLE OLD LADY CON'T
Help yourself.
(RONNY ROCKET) -97-
DETECTIVE
-(smiles)
Thank you.
LITTLE OLD MAN
Shall we, Mom?
LITTLE OLD LADY
Yes!!!
The little old man steps behind the little old lady and
holds onto her trips. Together they start a choo-choo
train shuffle dance around the coffee table to the beat
of the candy music. They begin to sing.
LITTLE OLD MAN AND LADY
We like you
We like you,
We like you so much
We want you to stay in our home.
We want you,
We want you,
We want you so much
To stay here and not out alone
We've got a surprise!
Now...close your eyes...
A surprise for your very own
When they say 'now close your- eyes" the Detective covers
his eyes and after the song he opens his eyes and the little old
man and lady are disappearing way up the stairs.
LITTLE OLD LADY
(sweetly)
Good night.
The Detective eats a few of the candies which he finds very
delicious. It's when he leans back that he notices the
beautiful woman staring at him from somewhere outside.
The pool of blood down the street begins to get small
ripples on its surface as sounds begin to swell.
The Detective stares back at the beautiful woman, transfixed by
her smile. They stare, her head becomes bigger and
(RONNY ROCKET) -98-
bigger and is now superimposing over the walls of room which he
sits. The sounds and the lighting changes. Her smiling face
continues to hover. The Detective continues to stare. Her head
begins to pulsate with light and, although her lips don't move,
her beautiful voice says:
BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
Hello again.
The house itself begins to vibrate. Outside we see that the house
is moving as lights zoom past the window... going faster and faster.
Inside the house, the Detective begins to distort and float. He
elongates until he stretches to almost the length of the room. The
sounds are very intense now. The lights in the room buzz off and
on and a roar wind comes up and then all is dark. Suddenly, an
explosion takes place in the center of the Detective's elongated
body and Mr. Fry is blown out.
Mr. Magic in his diner, senses something.
In a flash of light, the beautiful woman is gone and the Detective
is chasing Mr. Fry down a street into an old machinery warehouse with
a black oil stained dirt floor. The Detective overtakes Mr. Fry in
this building and draws his pistol.
MR. FRY
No, No... Stop it. Don't you
kill me...it's all Hank Bartells
stupid... stop it... (he has a
coughing fit)
DETECTIVE
You never had any information for
me ... you work for Mr. Magic. (points
the pistol at Fry) Sit down.
MR. FRY
(sits in an oil spill)
Yes, I did have information, you
want to know what it was?...
It was that you're stupid... you're
so stupid you might as well be
dead...l hate you.
(RONNY ROCKET) -99-
DETECTIVE
I'm going to shoot you in the legs
MR.FRY
(screams)
I'm part of you ...you stupid!!!
DETECTIVE
(also screaming)
You're killing me!!!
The Detective shoots Mr. Fry in both of his thighs. Mr. Fry flips
back on the ground fast and vomits out some fluid then screams and
lunges at the Detective. The Detective jumps back , Mr. Fry keeps
coming - laughing weirdly.
DETECTIVE
STOP!
Mr. Fry doesn't stop so the Detective has to shoot him in the head.
Mr. Fry goes down. Out of his mouth rolls a one foot long slug. Mr.
Fry gurgles and sucks air, but soon dies. The Detective stamps on
the slug which squeals in pain then the lug is a crawling bug
hurrying across the dirt. The Detective stamps on it. It changes
to a tiny screaming spinning bug. The Detective stamps and stamps.
The suddenly, up pops Mr. Magic. The Detective runs back in fear.
Mr. Magic stares at him.
We're back with Ronny, moving backstage to a room where Ronny is
sitting with the rest of the band. Fred gets a big black electrical
box out from under a table and takes it over with the rest of the
guys and Ronny.
JOHNNY
You better not let Dan and Bob see that.
FRED
I won't. Hey, Ronny, look at this.
(Ronny looks) This is going to give
you more electricity . . . get a BIG
SHOCK.
(RONNY ROCKET) -100-
RONNY
No.
FRED
We're gonna give you a big shock tonight!
RONNY
No, no!
AL
You little zit . . . you're going to
be all over that stage tonight.
They laugh.
AL CON'T
He's gonna need those doctors tonight.
They laugh some more. Ronny starts to cry, but he doesn't cry very
well, just little sobs.
JOHNNY
Hey, we're just havin' fun.
RONNY
Bob . . . Dan
JOHNNY
They'll be here in a minute, don't worry.
Shit . . . what a little worrier.
FRED
We'll give him something to really worry
about tonight. (laughs)
JOHNNY
Shut up, Fred.
(RONNY ROCKET) -101-
Mr. Bucko is backstage looking for Dan and Bob. Dan, Bob and Deborah
are talking together in the back. Mr. Bucko approaches them.
MR. BUCKO
Where have you been? Ronny was
calling for you . . . you better get
in there and get him ready. Here's
your check for this month. It's
smaller than usual ... we had heavy
expenses. You understand that don't
you? I'm sure you do. (Bucko starts
the walk away). By the way, we're doing
the first two numbers with Electra
tonight, I want Ronny in good shape.
Come on . . . go . . .go!
Dan and Bob and Deborah head for Ronny's room.
BOB
We're going to go, don't worry, Bucko.
DAN
Then it's tonight? All agreed?
They all shake hands together.
DEBORAH
My darlings.
A stage curtain, bright lights, audience cheers and applause as the
M.C. comes out to introduce the nights show.
M.C.
Tonight!!! RONNY ROCKET!!! ELECTRA
CUTE!! THE BIG SAX BAND. Ladies and
gentlemen, RONNY ROCKET AND ELECTRA
CUTE!!
(RONNY ROCKET) -101-
The curtain opens. Ronny is onstage with the band. There is a long
drum roll, then Johnny plugs Ronny in. He starts vibrating and
sparking. Electra Cute comes tap dancing in from the side. She
tap dances up to Ronny and touches him and suddenly she's all aglow.
She starts shrieking out a high pitched song. Her act is that she
sings and moves as if she's being electracuted by high voltage. She
sings two songs. After the first song, she dances over to Ronny to
get a new charge from him. She really gets going. Ronny gets going,
too, but pretty much ends up banging his head against the floor over
and over again and occasionally shoots out some sparks. Electra Cute
gets lots of applause when she finishes . . . then she leaves. Johnny
helps Ronny back up to the microphone. He mumbles a few things and the
audience applauds thunderously. Then Ronny falls over. Johnny signals
to Fred and he pushes one of the levers on the new black box. There
is a loud humming sound and the lights dim. Ronny starts flipping.
Johnny helps him up again. This time the band starts right in. Fred
gives another jab to the lever. Ronny mimicks out one of Johnny's
songs. The crowd is loving every minute of it. Just at the one song
ends the music seques into another tune, the lighting changes and a
back curtain opens. Out come twenty heavy-duty saxophone players,
rocking together with Ronny Rocket. Ronny is flipping and jumping,
sparking and smoking and finally moaning bug-eyed on the floor after
his wig blows off sometime during the number. His bald head with some
fat brown hairs, is sweating and when Johnny Pulls the plug, Ronny
collapses and writhes in a bad fit on the stage floor. They close the
curtains. The audience stamps and yells for more Ronny Rocket. Dan and
Bob rush out and carry Ronny to his room. They give him a shot. Ronny
is in real bad shape. Deborah sits at his side holding his little hand.
Upon checking the electrical chest device, Bob notices that the rubber
bag is filled with green fluid.
BOB
Look at this.
DEBORAH
What is it?
DETECTIVE
Poisons . . . from too much electricity.
Bob lets some of the fluid out and puts it in a small jar and
holds it to the light. The fluid smokes a bit.
(RONNY ROCKET) -103-
BOB
It's cloudy, too.
Mr. Bucko comes in.
MR. BUCKO
Fix him quick . . . we've got
another show coming up.
DAN
No more tonight, he's out cold.
MR. BUCKO
(yelling)
Don't you give me he's out
cold, again. Don't you give me he's
out cold. He better be out on
that stage tonight, and soon!!
BOB
Look at him.
Mr. Bucko looks down momentarily then up at Dan and Bob.
MR. BUCKO
FIX HIM!!!
Dan reaches into his bag and begins pouring out a bottle of clear
liquid onto a large cotton pad. Bob catches on just as Dan jumps
on Mr. Bucko. Bob leaps up also and together they administer the
knock out drug to Mr. Bucko. He falls on the floor.
In front of the backstage area a crowd of girls is being held back.
They are screaming for Ronny. Bob and Dan carry Ronny out back to
the car with Deborah. They lock the door on Mr. Bucko before
leaving. The four of them drive through the night. They carry Ronny
up to the laboratory and put him in the special chair after double
locking the door. They hook Ronny up with - all the wires again and
set to work on him. Deborah is helping by giving moral support.
(RONNY ROCKET) -104-
Meanwhile, downstairs out on the street, a car pulls up to a
screeching halt. Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green are in the back seat.
MR. BUCKO
(very mad)
I want all of them down here.
MR. GREEN
Be right back.
Mr. Green starts up the stairs. He goes around a corner and up more
flights of stairs. The hallways are hard and barren and Mr. Green's
footsteps reverberate through the building.
Inside the laboratory, they all hear the steps at about the same time,
they freeze. Mr. Green knocks on the laboratory door...he knocks again.
He rattles the door and tries to open it. He waits and listens. inside they
remain frozen. Mr. Green goes back downstairs, but not before noticing
that the lights are on. He goes out to the car and sits down next to Mr. Bucko.
MR. GREEN
They're locked in there . . . the lights
are on . . . they're not answering our call.
MR. BUCKO
(turns to Green)
Those bastards just killed themselves
. . . Let's go.
Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green start up the stairs. Inside the laboratory,
they hear footsteps again. More of them.
DAN
Deborah, get in the closet.
DEBORAH
No, I stay with you, where I belong.
(RONNY ROCKET) -105-
DAN AND BOB
No.
DAN
Get into the closet . . . There
might be trouble . . . please!!
Deborah goes into the closet . . . Dan pushes a bolt on the door so
she can't come out and get hurt. Just then, Green blows the door open
with a big hand gun. Mr. Bucko and Mr. Green step into the laboratory
and face Dan and Bob. Ronny is still sitting in his chair and he is
asleep.
MR. BUCKO
(quite loud)
Terminate their lives!
Mr. Green raises his gun.
DAN
RUN!!!
Bob and Dan start running around the laboratory, trying to get to a
safe place behind the big machinery. Mr. Green fires a shot. It
strikes machinery and some sparks fly. The needles on some dials move
and a humming sound is heard. Ronny starts coming to.
Mr. Green moves and sees Bob. He fires, but misses again. Ronny
starts to moan.
BOB
(fear in his voice)
Get out of here Bucko, and
leave us alone.
MR. BUCKO
(calmly)
You'll be alone in a minute.
(RONNY ROCKET) -106-
Mr. Green fires again. He hits a bunch of dials and controls. Needles
jump and Ronny's head goes back. He sits up some and starts moaning
louder. The humming sound continues and other electrical sounds begin.
DAN
(from his hiding place)
You okay Bob?
BOB
(yells backs)
Yeah!! Okay.
Dan picks up an old wrench and throws it at Mr. Green. It misses.
DAN
Out BUCKO!!
Mr. Green moves slowly up between the machinery. He spots Bob. He
fires just as Bob sees him. Bob is dead . . . a bullet in the chest.
DAN
Bob? You okay . . . Bob?
Mr. Green turns to pursue Dan.
DAN CON'T
Bob!!
Ronny is screaming now, very loud and the machinery is whinning and
humming.
DAN CON'T
I'm going to get you, Green . . .
Bob!!! BOB!!
Dan comes rushing out suddenly from behind the machines. He rushes
toward Mr. Green. Green fires at him and blows Dan back but somehow
the bullet doesn't kill him. Mr. Green fires again but his gun is
empty. As he reloads,
(RONNY ROCKET) -107-
DAN
(trying to get up)
Bucko . . . you've wrecked us!! You
wrecked us!! You wrecked us!! BOB!!
BOB!! BOB!!
Ronny's still screaming and the machines are loud. As Dan pulls
himself up he comes face to face with the screaming Ronny.
Mr. Green has reloaded his gun. Mr. Bucko smiles. Dan turns and
Mr. Green shoots him in the head.
Mr. Green then goes around pulling out all the plugs. The machinery
begins to whine down and finally the machines and Ronny are quiet.
But . . . there is still a scream and a pounding on the closet door.
Mr. Green fires a shot through the door, the scream stops and there
is a thud.
Deborah is gone, also.
MR. BUCKO
Get the kid and let's get
out of here.
MR. GREEN
You want any of this stuff?
MR. BUCKO
Not I'll get my doctor to look after
him from now on, he doesn't need
this junk.
Mr. Green undoes Ronny from the wires and picks him up. Ronny is
moaning.
RONNY
(moans)
You wrecked us.
Mr. Green carries Ronny out of the laboratory. Mr. Bucko turns the
lights off and follows him. The door slams shut. One small light
remains on. It illuminates Dan's arm and head and Ronny's special
chair.
(RONNY ROCKET) -108-
Mr. Bucko's smiling face ... big cigar as he watches the tail end
of a performance of Ronny Rocket. The music is pounding away.
MR. BUCKO
(to Mr. Green)
See, the kid's doing fine.
They continue to watch Ronny. Ronny gets weaker and weaker.
MR. BUCKO CON'T
(yelling to the band)
Give him more juice!!!
He hand signals "more juice" and Fred pushes gingerly on the lever.
When Ronny doesn't show much improvement, Fred inches the lever
forward more and more. Ronny starts sparking and smoking and
vibrating on the floor, but luckily, for him, the song is over.
When Johnny unplugs him, Ronny just falls asleep.
Backstage, the doctor and the band are laying Ronny on the cot.
Ronny is having a strange fit. His eyes are rolled back and his
back is arched and he's biting his tongue. Mr. Bucko is there
watching Ronny although he's the only one who really isn't aware
of Ronny's deteriorating condition.
MR. BUCKO
Whatdya mean? Whatdya mean?-
DOCTOR
I told you I didn't know how Pink and
Platinum did this. He's dying
I'm telling you!! I can't figure
out what they did.
MR. BUCKO
I told you to watch them . . . see
what they did!!!
(RONNY ROCKET) -109-
DOCTOR
I'll try to do something for
him, but I don't know how.
Ronny is convulsing pretty bad.
DOCTOR CON'T
You guys better clear out.
As the band leaves, the Doctor begins to check various areas of Ronny.
Mr. Bucko watches him.
MR. BUCKO
Whatdya think?
DOCTOR
I don't know how he works!!!
Maybe just let him rest.
MR. BUCKO
Alright, he can rest for a while, maybe
a few days.
DOCTOR
Maybe a few weeks.
MR. BUCKO
A few days.
Ronny is writhing around now and the bag on the chest device is
dripping out green smoking fluid. Ronny is gasping for more air
and he's sweating.
At night, Ronny is resting in his cot. He has pillows stacked up
behind him and he's in a sitting position. He's dozing and then
waking, then dozing. The band members are getting dressed up to
go out. They are wearing fancy black suits and fancy shoes. The
room is all smokey from their cigarettes. When Ronny wakes, he
calls out for Dan and Bob.
RONNY
Bob? . . . Dan?
(RONNY ROCKET) -110-
The rest of the band pays no attention. They continue to dress.
When they're finished, they begin gathering at the door by Ronny's
bed. Fred gets an idea and goes to his bass which is leaning against
the wall, plugs ut in, then plugs Ronny in. Ronny is dozing again.
Suddenly, Fred turns the controls on his bass up full and hits it
against the wall. Ronny bolts forward and lets out a horrified
painfilled scream. Everyone laughs. Ronny starts swallowing in a
funny way.
JOHNNY
Hey, let's get outta here anyway.
I can't breathe in here.
AL
I can't breathe in here either. Let's
go.
They all file out. They don't say goodbye or anything to
Ronny. Ronny is left alone and he has been hurt by Fred's
trick. He's trying to keep from vomiting and he's scared looking
. . . he keeps swallowing and holding his throat. Soon, though,
he vomits up a little blood. His eyes tear up and he cries.
RONNY
(crying softly)
Bob? . . . Dan?
He tries to wipe off the blood from his bed. He leans back continuing
to cry softly alone in the room.
Mr. Bucko's face close up. He's speaking on the telephone.
His cigar is going up and down in his mouth. Behind his sweaty heavy
face are venetian blinds.
MR. BUCKO
We've had a little trouble, but
he'll be there . . . don't worry. We're
going to go all out. That little
bastard's going to do the show of his
life even if it kills him. Everyone
thinks he's slacked off? Well, just
wait. He'll be there with bells on.
Ronny Rocket will be there. You tell 'em.
The little bastard will be there with
bells on.
(RONNY ROCKET) -111-
The doctor is in with Ronny. Ronny is asleep. The doctor lifts an
eyelid and peers into the eye with a little light. The doctor then
gives Ronny a shot and then leaves the room. He gets his plug and
spotting the nearest outlet begins to crawl over to it. He is just
barely there when four groupie firls sneak into his room. Ronny turns.
They begin ooohing and ahhing as they circle him. Ronny lies helpless
by the wall. The girls come in closer. They begin to touch him. They
keep saying his name ... "RONNY ROCKET" over and over again. One of
them gets bold enough to kiss him, then the others yell and giggle
out "let me, let me" ... Pretty soon they are all pressed in on him
kissing him and feeling him, and feeling him.
Just then the CLEANING LADY comes in to sweep and mop. She spots the
girls all over Ronny.
CLEANING LADY
Get away from him . . . get on out
of here . . . OUT!! OUT!!
She swings her mop at them and the girls go running out screaming.
The screams die off. Ronny again tries to plug himself in but the
cleaning lady is on him.
CLEANING LADY
. . . now you get back in bed. You
shouldn't ought to be out on the floor,
that's where I'm going to mop.
I'll just set you right back where
you belong in that bed of yours.
My little girl . . .she talks about
you ... yes, she does... she thinks you're
somethin' special. You're just a
little red headed animal, I say . . . she'd
like a tuft of your hair, I'll bet.
I'm just going to get her a tuft
of your hair. I'm just going to
When she pulls at his hair, the wig comes off.
. . . oh my God . . . he's bald. Well,
I'll Just tell my little girl about this
and bring her one of your real hairs.
(RONNY ROCKET) -112-
She plucks out one of the long fat brown hairs. It makes - Ronny
whine when she pulls it out. She puts the hair in her pocket.
CLEANING LADY CON'T
I'll just tell her about you . . .
you're Just a mess. My God, I'm
going to get another one of your
hairs for my little girl's friend.
She goes and starts plucking out another.
NIGHT - A marquee above the concert hall saying:
"RONNY ROCKET
ELECTRA-CUTE
BIG SAX BAND
and BILL X"
Inside, the audience is loud and gets louder when the M.C. comes out
on stage.
Backstage, Mr. Bucko grabs Fred before he gets into position with his
bass.
MR. BUCKO
I want him hot tonight,
don't be afraid to goose him
real good. I mean it, I want him
HOT!!
FRED
Alright, Mr. Bucko I will.
He joins the band on stage. The M.C. is just saying "and now ...
Ronny Rocket." The curtain opens. The audience screams when they
see Ronny. Johnny plugs him in. Fred has the lever set at five.
Johnny hits his guitar and Ronny shoots a scream spark forty feet
into the audience. The band begins to go. Ronny twitches to the
beat and makes his sounds. When he begins to falter his eyes-roll
back and his head bounces up and down and he falls down. Fred
knows to up the lever to a higher number. It now goes up to six.
Ronny's face shows pain. We get closer and closer to his pain-filled
face until we're full close-up.
(RONNY ROCKET) -113-
Dissolve to the Detective facing Mr. Magic in the big warehouse
building. The Detective turns and there is a big fifteen foot round
face of the smiling woman also in the warehouse. She is vibrating with
light. The smiling woman speaks to him ina beautiful musical bell tone
way.
SMILING WOMAN
Be with me ..... easy
The Detective looks at her in a longing way. Mr. Magic
stares at the Detective in an evil way. He starts moving
closer to the Detective creeping up on him, The Detective
notices this and becomes frightened.
SMILING WOMAN
.....easy....
The Detective looks back at the smiling woman. He begins to
float up. He begins to travel toward the beautiful smiling woman ,
and away from Mr. Magic. The Detective is now up in the air, stretched
parallel to the oil stained warehouse floor, heading toward the
beautiful smiling woman. Suddenly Mr. Magic grabs the Detective's
ankles and holds on, however, the rest of the Detective continues
to float toward the smiling woman. He stretches or elongates. Now
it seems that the smiling woman is pulling the Detective through a
tunnel of dark and light, dark and light, faster and faster, always
her beautiful smiling face pulling him.
Meanwhile Mr. Magic is pulling the Detective's legs, ankles and feet,
(with black shoes) into the door of his diner. The legs have been
stretched and they stretch further until he places each foot on his
magic table. He gets the purple lady and the man with the greasy hair
to each old onto one of the Detective's feet. The stretched legs are
all the way across the room, out the door, and go on and on into
blackness to wherever the rest of the Detective is. The Detective
is still following the woman, now she is huge and enormous filling a
huge part of the sky over the horizon. The Detective is floating
toward her way above the city down below. The Detective is now also
very large. Hecontinues toward the woman and as he goes he passes
over Mr. Magic's diner. Mr. Magic runs out jumping over the Detective's
legs only to see the main body of the Detective 200 feet up in the air,
his body is huge and stretching across
(RONNY ROCKET) -114-
the sky toward the gigantic smiling woman, now like a second earth
looming on the horizon. Mr. Magic fires lightening bolts up at the
Detective. They don't stop him. Mr Magic fires more shots up into
the sky at the enormous Detective.
On the stage. Electra-Cute is tap dancing and singing while she
glows. Her glow begins to diminish so she tap dances over to Ronny,
who is holding the microphone and screaming, and gets another jolt of
electricity from him. She lights up very bright and the power of the
jolt causes her to scream also and tap dance very fast. Ronny's box,
which Fred has, is now up to seven.
Mr. Magic runs into the diner while the Detective floats unharmed
overhead. Mr. Magic looks into the magic table. He again runs outside
shoots more bolts of lightening then comes in. He is very mad. The
purple lady and greasy man still have the Detective's feet. Mr Magic
then reaches down into the magic table and thrusts hard at something
there. As he does this
-----The whole city seems to yell in pain.
-----Ronny 's face screams in pain
-----The Detective in the sky screams with pain
All seem to be connected.
Mr Magic rushes out but he sees he did no damage.
Back inside , he repeats the thrusting. As he does this
-----The city yells out again, many yellow lighted square
windows go dark. The city gasps.
-----Ronny, on the floor on stage, bleeding and screaming.
-----The Detective screaming in the night sky
On the stage now, Fred is putting the needle up to eight because
there is some movement at eight. Mr. Bucko can't stand watching
anymore and comes out on stage. behind the equipment, catches
Fred's attention and Fred gives him the box. Mr. Bucko immediately
shoves the levers to the highest at ten. Ronny starts vibrating and
bleeding and screaming then gets up, but just holds on to the
microphone screaming.
(RONNY ROCKET) -115-
Mr. Bucko runs the lever down a bit then back up. Still screaming.
The music is intense. Ronny falls over as Mr. Bucko brings the lever
down then he goes up when the lever goes up. Electra-Cute is running
a little low now and she dances over to get another shock from Ronny.
Fred looks at the lever at ten, then at Electra-Cute, but yells at her
too late. She touches Ronny and the power blows her across the stage
and she turns into a black burnt cinder in a dress. The music seems
to get louder then, and the crowd roars.
Inside the diner, Mr. Magic stands on his toes then goes back down.
He turns into the Doughnut man. He bugs out his eyes and smiles. The
purple lady and the greasy man laugh. Some dirty men at the counter
laugh. The Doughnut man bugs his eyes out again and smiles. This time
his smile changes and he roars and puts his hands into the magic table.
The Detective in the sky winces and screams.
-----The "City Diner" sign goes off in the city
-----Ronny falls on the floor
The doughnut man scream roars in the diner so loud that it
vaporizes three men's heads at the counter into a blood shower
-----Bill sits in his livingroom clutching his chair...his
lights vibrate and go off.
-----The Big Sax Band plays heavy music. Ronny's head bangs
up and down on the floor, bleeding.
-----Pop is holding on to the counter in front of him. The windows in
his place are rattling.
-----The Detective is traveling faster now, stars race past him as he
goes into space towards the smiling woman.
Inside the diner the Doughnut man's eyes bug way out and he smiles.
The purple lady and the greasy man hold tight to the Detectives feet.
They look up and Mr Magic (as Hank) is back, He rushes outside. The
Detective is now filling the sky along with the smiling woman. Mr
Magic sends a few more
(RONNY ROCKET) -116-
shots of lightning but to no avail. Just then the smiling woman begins
to turn into vapor clouds, starting at the top of her head down to her
chin, she changes into cloud symbols shaped just like the ones Ronny
drew for the detective. After they are formed, the Detective floats
into the circle symbol.
Inside the diner, the purple lady and the greasy man suddenly release
the feet because they now glow white hot. The feet fly out the door
across the space and follow into the circle symbol.
ALL BECOMES SILENT
Mr. Magic looks into the table. There inside he sees the detective
floating towards the Gold Ronny. He floats inside of it.
MR MAGIC
He did it
Mr Magic begins to scream silently. All is quiet.
Now we see the Detective floating in golden light. He floats to a
small golden temple building in the golden light. He breaks the seal
on the double doors and pulls them open as he floats. White golden
light fills the screen
-----Bill's living room goes to light
-----The wart lady's place goes to light.
-----Mr Magic gets smaller and smaller and turns into a black tar man
then to a tar ball, getting smaller
-----Ronny starts to float up on stage, ten feet in the air.
-----The city turns to gold.
-----The black tar ball dissappears
-----Ronny glows golden light.
-----The Band and Mr Bucko disappear in gold light.
Ronny floats gold in a blue-black space sky.
(RONNY ROCKET) -117-
The Detective merges with Ronny
The smiling woman merges with Ronny.
The golden city is golden inside Ronny
Ronny moves his hands and Bob and Dan and Deborah
as little angels, float around him.
Ronny sings a beautiful cosmic love song and all goes to
gold
T H E E N D