“right here the other night something

by EE Cummings
+
Adaptation

POEM:

“right here the other night something
odd occurred” charlie confessed
(halting)”a tall strong young
finelooking fellow,dressed

well but not over,stopped
me by ‘could you spare three cents please’
–why guesswho nearly leaped
out of muchtheworseforwear shoes

‘fair friend’ we enlightened this stranger
‘some people have all the luck;
since our hero is quite without change,you’re
going to get one whole buck’

not a word this stranger replied–
but as one whole buck became his
(believe it or don’t)by god
down this stranger went on both knees”

green turns red(the roar
of traffic collapses:through
westninth slowly cars pour
into sixth avenue)

“then” my voice marvels “what happened”
as everywhere red goes green
–groping blank sky with a blind
stare,he whispers “i ran”

ADAPTATION:

EST. Present Moment, NonFlashback.

EST. MS. CORNER OF 6TH & 9TH

CHARLIE & WE walk the sidewalk.

CHARLIE: “right here the other night something odd occurred”

CHARLIE puts his hand out — (halting) WE at the chest.

FLASHBACK. LS. SAME.

STRANGER, well-dressed, approaches CHARLIE.

VO CHARLIE: “a tall strong young fine-looking fellow,dressed well but not over, stopped me by”

STRANGER: ‘could you spare three cents please’

EST. MCU. SAME.

CHARLIE talking to WE again.

CHARLIE: “–why guesswho nearly leaped out of muchtheworseforwear shoes”

FLASHBACK. MCU.

CHARLIE consoles STRANGER.

CHARLIE: ‘fair friend’

VO CHARLIE: “we enlightened this stranger”

CHARLIE: ‘some people have all the luck; since our hero is quite without change,you’re going to get one whole buck’

FLASHBACK. CU. STRANGER

STRANGER stares in gratitude, eyes admiring CHARLIE.

VO CHARLIE: “not a word this stranger replied–
but as one whole buck became his
(believe it or don’t)by god
down this stranger went on both knees”

STRANGER drops to his knees, at CHARLIE’s legs.

EXT. TRAFFIC/LIGHT.

“green turns red” in a shot of the stoplight going in reverse.

“(the roar of traffic collapses:”
the sound of the traffic crescendos wildly.

“through westninth slowly cars pour into sixth avenue)”
literal shot of the cars turning from 9th onto 6th & viceversa

BACK TO EST.

WE: “then what happened”

EXT. TRAFFIC/LIGHT.

Another trafficlight + audio-crescendo “as everywhere red goes green”

UP. CU. CHARLIE.

CHARLIE’s head, filmed up-tilt, so as to give all clouds behind him,
“groping blank sky with a blind stare”, thinks on the event he has retold.

EST. CU. WE. FACE UP.

WE stare over 4th wall but not into.
CHARLIE’s head slowly enters frame.
Then whispers into WE’s ear.

CHARLIE: “i ran” 

FLASHBACK. LS.

Back to STRANGER kneeling, at CHARLIE’s legs, holding dollar.
CHARLIE sprints away, down the long distant sidewalk.

CUT TO BLACK.