Devil In My Bed - First Thoughts (Update)

DEVIL IN MY BED - a moving picture by
Jonathan Postal

CAST:
Billy Sunday: About on the cusp of his third decade on this earth. Billy was born in West Memphis Arkansas where is daddy was a mechanic and amateur inventor (he created a machine that brushed your teeth and a device for turning corn around so you could eat it without getting butter all over your hands. You could say the two devices were related).
Billy got a writing scholarship to Oxford U of M however is currently working at the Midtown 66 during the day and writing at night.
He has yet to be published, primarily because he keeps rewriting his novel and won’t show it to anyone.
Billy’s lean and good-natured unless pushed too hard, and he generally does everything in his power not to let push get too near to a shove situation.

Felicity Cher Deliqua: Born in Lafitte La she was named Felicity “as it means a source of happiness and good fortune on account a that was what my folks were hopin’ I’d be, which shows you just how wrong a person can get it. And Cher as my mama just loved Gypsies and Thieves and played it all the time.”
She’s a lithe a very pretty girl with large eyes and dark hair, in her early 20’s. Here wardrobe tends toward the cinematic, lipstick red stockings with garters.
She can be a fallen angel or ten miles of bad road and you never know who’s gonna walk through the door.


William “Spider” Roosevelt Magico: Spider is Billy’s best friend and drinking buddy. They work at the garage together and Spider hopes to be a magician like his Cuban granddaddy. Only he isn’t very good yet. This is due to a lack of dexterity not intelligence. A Latin black man born in Jupiter Florida he came to Memphis because he heard that Memphis was used in more songs than any other city and therefore must be the place to sink roots.

SOUND: Most of the music will be written by me, though I might use some old country and Motown tunes.
It will generally emanate from a concrete source such as a jukebox or radio, but not always.

CONCEPT/STORY: Billy is at the point in a mans life where he can step up to the plate and become a man or step back into a holding pattern. Felicity makes up his mind for him.
She is fighting her own demons (but not fighting them too hard).
This story takes place over a 30 second period after the love has crashed and also burned. Billy is woken by the phone ringing and sees Felicity’s name on the caller ID. Between rings he flashes back to the high points and disintegration of their relationship while deciding if he should answer the phone (which will surly be bad news).

SHORT TREATMENT:
It is about 4: 30 in the morning and Billy’s cell phone rings.
Rising to the sonic occasion he has a look at the name on the caller ID. I t is Felicity Cher bearer of fulfillment and misfortune.
Between rings he recalls her walking into the Lamplighter lounge with her alligator suitcase and bad attitude.
He is talking to Spider and she drops the suitcase by the door and feeds the jukebox. Then she dances.
They drink and talk and fall in love. He tells her though he works a 66 he is a writer though he hasn’t yet gotten anything right enough to show anyone. She tells him she is nothing in particular but has worn many hats both literally and figuratively.
By the morning she is living with Billy and so it starts. Several hat boxes, an overturned suitcase and the bed.
Ring….
She has moved in. The once sparse place now has a woman’s touch and is much warmer if much more cluttered. Clothes and candy wrappers, a scarf over the lamp. There is Billy’s typewriter
And his stories hidden. Though she sees him work he won’t let her read anything.
She gets out of bed and lights a cigarette: it’s early, early afternoon (Billy’s at work). She is wearing a slip and yesterdays makeup. Determinedly she rummages about until she finds the stories and paces around the apartment smoking and reading. “Damn these are good. I don’t know what all the fuss was about.” She says and
finds an old manila envelope and sends them off to the Oxford American.
When Billy gets home he finds out and is as angry as Billy can get, however when it comes to fury he’s no match for Felicity and the apartments much worse for wear.

Still it’s working out as well as these things can work out. She had the stamina, the good heart, a true crazy lust for life and the ability to forgive. However she also had some serious melancholy and a bit a of a drinking problem.
Dorothy Parker is her role model and after a few drinks her accent changes from a good comforting Louisiana rhythm to something that would best be used to trade quips with Scott and Zelda.
Ring….
The adventure gets stranger till activity that once was amusing is frightening and out of control.
They have a fight about Billy not being much fun or use any more. Now that he’s had some stories published it seems he loves that typewriter more than her. That’s all she wrote for the typewriter.
She storms out and goes drinking and flirting and a bit out of control. Shaking off her admirer she starts walking, shoes in one hand a bottle in the other. When she calms down she gives Billy a call on a pay phone and tells him where to pick her up.
When he arrives and she gets in the car they start to bicker and as the car is slowing for a turn she jumps out. Billy has to chase her down pick her up and put her back in the car.
Ring…..
Billy and Spider are at work fixing a car on the rack. They are telling each other their problems. Billy says that he’s at the end of his rope.
Felicity comes into the station suitcase in hand (clothes sticking out the side to tell Billy she’s leaving him. “Again” says Billy. This is a dance they’ve done many times. “I hope you mean it this time an account I’m gonna change the locks.”
They have a sad goodbye and tell each other how they feel.
There are tears but Billy stands firm this time and Felicity walks out of his life he figures for good.
Ring….
Will Billy pick up the phone?