Jumeenski
10-16-2005, 03:12 PM
A friend of mine in L.A. just sent me a script for an episode of HAPPY DAYS, written by D.H. Brennekar, which was filmed but never aired.
Apparently ABC boss Fred Silverman felt that it was "too dark" and pulled it from the lineup with no fanfare. It's sort of a shame though because it provided a lot of answers to some of the mysteries surrounding the Cunningham family and their friends.
I won't post all of it, just a few selected scenes. Without going in detail, I'll just say that as the show opens a tearful Joanie is at the police station telling the cops that her oldest brother Chuck "did things to her." What follows in the script is even more shocking.
INT. CUNNINGHAM LIVING ROOM - NIGHT- CONTINUOUS
HOWARD and MARION sit on the floor. Marion is CRYING.
MARION
I can't believe this is happening, Howard.
HOWARD
I know, dear.
MARION
He was my baby. My precious little Chucky. I brought him home wrapped in a blanket and gave him all the love he could ever want. How could he turn into such a monster?
HOWARD
I don't know, Marion. But I can promise you one thing right now. We will NOT let this destroy our family. As far as I'm concerned, Chuck is no longer our son. He will never be mentioned again. Not by you...or me...
MARION CRIES even harder.
HOWARD (CONTD)
...or Richie or Joanie. No one will ever mention his name. Or that he even existed. We will bury his memory down deep and never discuss the pain he's caused. That's the only way we can deal with it.
MARION
I know. You're right. It's just...there are so many things here that remind me of him. Like the front door for instance. I look at it, and remember that it's the door we came through when we first brought him home from the hospital. That it's the door he came running through when he made the basketball team. And every time it opens, I'm gonna expect to see my little Chuck walk through it.
Howard gets up, walks to a closet, and removes an axe.
MARION (CONTD)
Howard, what are you doing?
HOWARD
Cleaning out the closet, Marion.
Howard begins attacking the front door with the axe. Marion SCREAMS. Howard destroys the door, the entire frame, and part of the wall.
HOWARD (CONTD)
I'll call the construction men tomorrow, dear. They'll put up a new wall here and make another door on the other side of the room. That way it'll be a door we can look at and think happy thoughts. A door that our only two children, Richie and Joanie, can use without feeling afraid or ashamed.
Marion curls into a fetal position and SOBS like a baby.
Then there's this scene, which just floored me:
EXT. SECRET LODGE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
A secret council meeting is taking place. At the table are men in hooded robes, including ARNOLD, AL (Note: the same Al who would resurface years later as a regular--Richard), a man described only as PICCOLO (Note:Jenny's father maybe?--Richard), and several others.
ARNOLD
We have endowed you with super powers so that you may protect the family which guards the Chosen One.
The camera pulls back and we see another individual, also in a hooded robe, kneeling before the council.
ARNOLD (CONTD)
You shall have free reign at an establishment I have set up as a cover for our mission. You will be given "an office," but not one which will reveal the true nature of your work. You will infiltrate the inner-sanctum and serve as the watcher and guardian for the Chosen One.
Close shot of the kneeling individual. His head is down, revealing only his chin.
ARNOLD (CONTD)
Above all else, you must be willing to lay down your life for him, and for his family and friends if necessary...for they are essential for his growth...growth which must occur in order for him to fulfill his duties as the Chosen One.
The kneeling individual SPEAKS but his voice is electronically altered via Harmonizer.
KNEELING INDIVIDUAL
Who is this Chosen One you speak of?
ARNOLD
He is someone you already know. He is the one they call Cunningham...Richie Cunningham.
The kneeling individual removes his hood and raises his head, revealing that he is in fact FONZIE. His eyes are a glowing bright yellow.
FONZIE
Red.
And of course the climax, which may be the most disturbing thing I've ever read:
EXT. ARNOLD'S PARKING LOT - NIGHT- CONTINUOUS
RALPH and POTSIE are beating CHUCK bloody with baseball bats.
RALPH
You sonofabitch! You wanna hurt little girls?! You think that makes you a man?!
POTSIE
Get up you piece of...
Potsie WHACKS Chuck again with his bat. Suddenly, we hear the offscreen voice of Fonzie.
FONZIE
Hey! Get outta here you nerds.
RALPH
Not this time, Fonz. We came to do a job so you can just 'Sit on it.'
Fonzie SNAPS his fingers. Ralph and Potsie run like little girls. Fonz then walks over and grabs Chuck by the hair and stoops over his bloodied and battered body. Chuck's eye is swollen shut and he is GASPING for air.
FONZIE
See, Chuck, it ain't goin' down like that. As uncool as you are, I ain't lettin' those nerds go to jail dealing with a lowlife jerk like you.
CHUCK
Let me go, Fonz. You kill me and what do you think'll happen? I come from a respected family. My father is the most beloved hardware store owner in the greater Milwaukee area. You? You're just a low class street thug who's family doesn't love him.
Fonzie punches Chuck.
CHUCK
See. You're a barbarian. I got a future, Fonzarelli. I got a basketball scholarship and all the poon on campus I could ask for. When I graduate, the world is my oyster. You on the other hand will be lucky if you don't see the electric chair, Scum Boy.
Fonzie roughly pulls Chuck by the hair so that Chuck's ear is closer to Fonzie's mouth.
FONZIE
Scum Boy? Is that what you think I am? Well, what about you, Chucky? What kind of Scum lays his hands on Shortcake like that. What kind of Scum breaks his mother's heart. Do you know what this did to Mrs. C? Do you? She started popping pills again because of you.
CHUCK
My parents love me!!
FONZIE
Your parents have erased you from their minds. You no longer exist, Chuck. And as far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't.
Fonzie pulls out a gun and sticks it to the back of Chuck's head.
CHUCK
Noooooo! Please don't.
RICHIE (OFFSCREEN)
Don't do it, Fonz.
RICHIE is sitting on Fonzie's bike.
FONZIE
Get outta here, Red. I got this under control.
RICHIE
I can't let you do it, Fonz. I can't let you kill him.
FONZIE
He hurt Shortcake, Red, and now he has to pay!
RICHIE
But he's my brother, Fonz.
Fonzie pauses, stares at Richie, then Chuck. He pulls the gun away from Chuck's head, shoves Chuck face first to the pavement, then puts the gun inside his jacket, and gets up.
As he starts to walk away...
CHUCK
Thank you, Richie. Thank you. I love you.
Fonz's bike starts up. Fonzie turns suddenly and watches as Richie speeds toward Chuck with the bike.
FONZIE
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!
SPLAT.
CUT TO BLACK
Apparently ABC boss Fred Silverman felt that it was "too dark" and pulled it from the lineup with no fanfare. It's sort of a shame though because it provided a lot of answers to some of the mysteries surrounding the Cunningham family and their friends.
I won't post all of it, just a few selected scenes. Without going in detail, I'll just say that as the show opens a tearful Joanie is at the police station telling the cops that her oldest brother Chuck "did things to her." What follows in the script is even more shocking.
INT. CUNNINGHAM LIVING ROOM - NIGHT- CONTINUOUS
HOWARD and MARION sit on the floor. Marion is CRYING.
MARION
I can't believe this is happening, Howard.
HOWARD
I know, dear.
MARION
He was my baby. My precious little Chucky. I brought him home wrapped in a blanket and gave him all the love he could ever want. How could he turn into such a monster?
HOWARD
I don't know, Marion. But I can promise you one thing right now. We will NOT let this destroy our family. As far as I'm concerned, Chuck is no longer our son. He will never be mentioned again. Not by you...or me...
MARION CRIES even harder.
HOWARD (CONTD)
...or Richie or Joanie. No one will ever mention his name. Or that he even existed. We will bury his memory down deep and never discuss the pain he's caused. That's the only way we can deal with it.
MARION
I know. You're right. It's just...there are so many things here that remind me of him. Like the front door for instance. I look at it, and remember that it's the door we came through when we first brought him home from the hospital. That it's the door he came running through when he made the basketball team. And every time it opens, I'm gonna expect to see my little Chuck walk through it.
Howard gets up, walks to a closet, and removes an axe.
MARION (CONTD)
Howard, what are you doing?
HOWARD
Cleaning out the closet, Marion.
Howard begins attacking the front door with the axe. Marion SCREAMS. Howard destroys the door, the entire frame, and part of the wall.
HOWARD (CONTD)
I'll call the construction men tomorrow, dear. They'll put up a new wall here and make another door on the other side of the room. That way it'll be a door we can look at and think happy thoughts. A door that our only two children, Richie and Joanie, can use without feeling afraid or ashamed.
Marion curls into a fetal position and SOBS like a baby.
Then there's this scene, which just floored me:
EXT. SECRET LODGE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
A secret council meeting is taking place. At the table are men in hooded robes, including ARNOLD, AL (Note: the same Al who would resurface years later as a regular--Richard), a man described only as PICCOLO (Note:Jenny's father maybe?--Richard), and several others.
ARNOLD
We have endowed you with super powers so that you may protect the family which guards the Chosen One.
The camera pulls back and we see another individual, also in a hooded robe, kneeling before the council.
ARNOLD (CONTD)
You shall have free reign at an establishment I have set up as a cover for our mission. You will be given "an office," but not one which will reveal the true nature of your work. You will infiltrate the inner-sanctum and serve as the watcher and guardian for the Chosen One.
Close shot of the kneeling individual. His head is down, revealing only his chin.
ARNOLD (CONTD)
Above all else, you must be willing to lay down your life for him, and for his family and friends if necessary...for they are essential for his growth...growth which must occur in order for him to fulfill his duties as the Chosen One.
The kneeling individual SPEAKS but his voice is electronically altered via Harmonizer.
KNEELING INDIVIDUAL
Who is this Chosen One you speak of?
ARNOLD
He is someone you already know. He is the one they call Cunningham...Richie Cunningham.
The kneeling individual removes his hood and raises his head, revealing that he is in fact FONZIE. His eyes are a glowing bright yellow.
FONZIE
Red.
And of course the climax, which may be the most disturbing thing I've ever read:
EXT. ARNOLD'S PARKING LOT - NIGHT- CONTINUOUS
RALPH and POTSIE are beating CHUCK bloody with baseball bats.
RALPH
You sonofabitch! You wanna hurt little girls?! You think that makes you a man?!
POTSIE
Get up you piece of...
Potsie WHACKS Chuck again with his bat. Suddenly, we hear the offscreen voice of Fonzie.
FONZIE
Hey! Get outta here you nerds.
RALPH
Not this time, Fonz. We came to do a job so you can just 'Sit on it.'
Fonzie SNAPS his fingers. Ralph and Potsie run like little girls. Fonz then walks over and grabs Chuck by the hair and stoops over his bloodied and battered body. Chuck's eye is swollen shut and he is GASPING for air.
FONZIE
See, Chuck, it ain't goin' down like that. As uncool as you are, I ain't lettin' those nerds go to jail dealing with a lowlife jerk like you.
CHUCK
Let me go, Fonz. You kill me and what do you think'll happen? I come from a respected family. My father is the most beloved hardware store owner in the greater Milwaukee area. You? You're just a low class street thug who's family doesn't love him.
Fonzie punches Chuck.
CHUCK
See. You're a barbarian. I got a future, Fonzarelli. I got a basketball scholarship and all the poon on campus I could ask for. When I graduate, the world is my oyster. You on the other hand will be lucky if you don't see the electric chair, Scum Boy.
Fonzie roughly pulls Chuck by the hair so that Chuck's ear is closer to Fonzie's mouth.
FONZIE
Scum Boy? Is that what you think I am? Well, what about you, Chucky? What kind of Scum lays his hands on Shortcake like that. What kind of Scum breaks his mother's heart. Do you know what this did to Mrs. C? Do you? She started popping pills again because of you.
CHUCK
My parents love me!!
FONZIE
Your parents have erased you from their minds. You no longer exist, Chuck. And as far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't.
Fonzie pulls out a gun and sticks it to the back of Chuck's head.
CHUCK
Noooooo! Please don't.
RICHIE (OFFSCREEN)
Don't do it, Fonz.
RICHIE is sitting on Fonzie's bike.
FONZIE
Get outta here, Red. I got this under control.
RICHIE
I can't let you do it, Fonz. I can't let you kill him.
FONZIE
He hurt Shortcake, Red, and now he has to pay!
RICHIE
But he's my brother, Fonz.
Fonzie pauses, stares at Richie, then Chuck. He pulls the gun away from Chuck's head, shoves Chuck face first to the pavement, then puts the gun inside his jacket, and gets up.
As he starts to walk away...
CHUCK
Thank you, Richie. Thank you. I love you.
Fonz's bike starts up. Fonzie turns suddenly and watches as Richie speeds toward Chuck with the bike.
FONZIE
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!
SPLAT.
CUT TO BLACK