Mumford

EXT. BOARDING HOUSE - DAY

Old three story gothic house in ill-repair beyond a peeling

picket fence and a scruffy yard. The sign says -- ROOMS TO

RENT. The Newcomer goes in the gate.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

...Oh yeah, one other thing I need --

an angle.

He squints through the dirty screen door but sees nothing,

then knocks and turns away to survey the neighborhood.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

I was thinking -- if it weren't for

bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck

at all...

LANDLADY (O.S.)

Can I help you?

The Newcomer turns toward the door. Standing there, holding

the screen open, is the LANDLADY. She's a knockout in a cheap,

small-town way:
a cotton dress that buttons down the front

and clings with sweat to her generous curves.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

Either my luck had just changed, or

Fate just bought me another round of

trouble.

INT. BOARDING HOUSE - DAY

The Newcomer's POV of the Landlady as she leads him up the

narrow, gloomy stairs from the second floor to the third

story / attic. She has a Monroe-like sway to her walk. We

can barely HEAR her DISTANT, ECHOEY DIALOGUE:

LANDLADY:

...not very fancy... house needs

repairs... We haven't had a man around

here for so long...

FOLLETT (V.O.)

She kept yammerin' the whole time,

but her hips were doing all the

talking...

The Landlady reaches the tiny landing at the top of the stairs

and opens a door to a squalid room with a bed, bureau and

tiny window. The Newcomer has to squeeze by her voluptuous

body to get inside and look around. It doesn't take long.

His gaze returns to the Landlady who is leaning against the

door, chest thrust forward. He focusses on her fingers, toying

with the button at her sweat-shiny cleavage.

FOLLETT (V.O.)

It couldn't 'a been any clearer what

the set-up was. The next move was up

to me...

The Newcomer takes a step in the Landlady's direction --

MUMFORD (V.O.)

Don't tell me!

INT. MUMFORD'S OFFICE - (PRESENT) DAY

CLOSE-UP of MUMFORD wincing.

MUMFORD:

(softer)

-- That's all the time we have.

Sorry...

(indicates his watch)

...next time.

We see Mumford's office: the office of a Psychologist, a

therapist with a doctorate. It's modest, comfortable, neat,

with a calm, relaxed ambience. [The movie is now in COLOR.]

His patient, HENRY FOLLETT, looks nothing like The Newcomer

in the soft-core fantasy he's been narrating. Instead, he's

a mild-looking pharmacist with glasses and a receding

hairline. Only the voice is the same; it's as studly as his

fantasy alter-ego. Follett has been lying on a couch, but

now has twisted with some irritation to look at Mumford.

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