Episode 13 - The Littlest Hoboken
- January 27th 1920 -
Photos by Janna Hove
Synopsis by Jim Cej
* * *
Our Cast of Characters
- January 27th 1920 -
Photos by Janna Hove
Synopsis by Jim Cej
* * *
Our Cast of Characters
Jason Hardwick - Keaton Abbott
-impresario, theatre owner-
Shannon Blanchet - Plootie Scampzingus
- his child(?), gopher-
Stephanie Wolfe - Juniper Jones
- now solo member of a sister act-
Tom Edwards - Riff Van Winkel
- song and dance man-
Mark Meer - Lou Tellegen
- famous actor -
Belinda Cornish - Geraldine Farrar
-his equally famous actress and opera singing wife-
Jesse Gervais - Lou Costello
- accountant and guesser-
Matt Alden - Jack Potts
- radio show host-
Vincent Forcier - Barnaby Toughbottom
- strongman-
Kory Mathewson - Harry Houdini
-infamous escape artist-
* * *
Barnaby Toughbottom awakens from a fever dream
to find Lou Tellegen standing at his feet.
He is shocked, as he thought that he had killed him.
* * *
Keaton and Lou Costello are going over the books.
Keaton is still angry that Lou fired Daisy Darling.
He asks where she is now.
She’s working at another theatre in New Jersey and
Keaton promised that he would pay the ladies 70% of what the men make.
He’s in town doing a show at the Limelight Cabaret.
He would die to do a show at the Ferguson.
They can’t promise him much.
He’d have to do his own work setting up.
Harry would be happy to just be there.
Lou says that they would be happy to have Harry
pay them $200 to perform at the Ferguson.
* * *
Juniper and Geraldine have just returned to their dressing room
after another sold out show at their theatre in Jersey.
They are so happy there.
They are happy with how things are going.
They should all have promotions!
Juniper isn’t sure that she wants to go back to the Ferguson.
She is done with having to please other people.
If Keaton wants them back, he’s going to have to come to their theatre.
70% is not enough.
* * *
Lou Tellegen has a proposal for Riff Van Winkel.
He has had great success with the story of Bacon and Chives,
the Baked Potato bandits on the silver screen.
He thinks that Riff has a story that deserves to be told,
his story of his time during the war.
Riff is just a stage name.
His real name is Johann Bach,
but it was already being used.
Riff tells him of growing up on the wheat fields of Connecticut.
His mother died when he was young.
Riff realized that he had to make a future for himself.
His father told him to reach for the skies.
Lou says that he will do more that make Riff a star,
he’ll make him a legend.
Plootie Scampzingus is in negotiations with Keaton and Lou Costello.
They tell him about the fundraiser they will throw featuring Harry Houdini.
Well, there’d volunteer their time for the fundraiser,
but he will give them a one percent raise over the 70% every year.
Geraldine said that they wouldn’t take 72.5%.
Isn’t 71% less than that?
He goes back to the Ferguson.
of what the men make for the fundraiser.
And a contract with 8 shows a week.
They can’t give her 99.9% for the fundraiser because it is a fundraiser.
They will give Juniper a larger dressing room and a mirror that works.
Biff arrives to have them sign their contract with the theatre in Jersey.
It’s a blank piece of paper.
Fill in what you want and sign it.
Geraldine believes in Plootie and Juniper believes in him.
He can anything that he wants to do.
Don’t disappoint her.
At the golf course, Houdini, Jack Potts and Barnaby Toughbottom
put together an act for the fundraiser with the three of them.
It will present the past, present, and future.
Harry will represent the past with a disappearing act.
They take a swing at pitching the idea.
Lou Costello feels guilty about firing Daisy.
He goes to Jersey to apologize to her,
but he mistakes Juniper Jones for her.
but he mistakes Juniper Jones for her.
She must be so angry at him.
He’s angry at her, too.
But they could never be together.
There’s a rule about fraternizing with other people on staff.
Juniper asks if he is breaking up with her.
He wanted to get rid of her, so he fired her.
“Daisy" says that he should talk to Juniper about getting a job at her theatre.
Lou doesn’t know if he wants to.
He wants to go somewhere where he would be appreciated and noticed.
No one even acknowledged him in the past three weeks at the theatre.
“Daisy” tells Lou that he’d have a place in Hoboken.
“Daisy” tells Lou that he’d have a place in Hoboken.
Lou says that he can’t talk about it any more.
He misses Daisy.
Geraldine and Keaton meet.
He is surprised that she lowered herself to come back to the Ferguson.
She’s slumming it.
The negotiations are not going well.
The ladies are playing hardball.
Keaton supposes that this isn’t a business meeting.
Geraldine says it is, but it’s different business.
Geraldine doesn’t want to nag,
but he said that he was going to do something.
Keaton is baffled and confused about what she is talking about.
Why is Lou still alive?
Keaton is an efficient and dedicated man.
Keaton tells her that he has to keep Lou around for the fundraiser.
He helps with the money.
Geraldine says that Lou is terrible with money.
Geraldine is laughing, but inside she is a filled with rage.
Keaton flies into a rage himself.
Keaton says that it would be easier if the ladies hadn’t left him high and dry.
He could get some work done and he’d have the time to kill someone.
Will they come back?
Geraldine tell Keaton that she loves him.
Keaton makes a short speech and introduces Harry Houdini.
Harry introduces his act.
He questions audience members and does some mind reading.
What is more in the present than improvisation?
Just kidding.
He will do his strong man act.
He will lift…their spirits!
He lifts Houdini and Jack Potts.
He tells them about the future in 100 years.
He tells them that cars will plug into walls..
Someone asks how they will talk to his wife in the future.
You will feel something vibrating in your pocket.
Houdini makes Jack Potts disappear.
Plootie has returned to New Jersey.
Geraldine asks if he has something for her.
Plootie asks her if she loves Keaton Abbott.
Geraldine says that that is an interesting combination of words that she used.
Where did she get that idea?
Plootie says that each night, he returns to the Ferguson theatre to sleep.
He heard Geraldine at the theatre and the L word was tossed around.
Geraldine asks Plootie if he ever loved anyone.
Plootie says that he is unloved, but he knows what love is.
She asks Plootie if he loves her.
She is his friend.
She will be his best friend forever and ever.
Plootie will make the best deal for her.
Geraldine says that there is one other thing that friends do.
They keep secrets.
Looking over the script,
Riff says that he doesn’t remember landing in a field of clowns.
The studio said his story needed some humor.
You have to bend to their will.
They have a couple suggestions.
How would he feel about moving his childhood
to somewhere more exotic, say Hungary?
Riff is proud of the wheat fields of Connecticut.
But he’ll say he’s from Hungary.
The studio has a suggestion for a different title.
How about The Harry Houdini Story?
Juniper Jones goes to Lou Costello at the Ferguson.
She tells him that they need him in Hoboken.
They don’t have anyone like him.
They are selling out all over the place.
There is so much money coming in, they can’t count it all.
She will give him anything that he wants to go work her.
Everything in their theatre is new, fresh and exciting.
She is doing a non-sister sister act with Daisy.
And they have their opera star to bring them class.
She wants him to leave the Ferguson
Lou asks if she wants him to leave everything that he has been part of.
Don’t ask, don’t tell.
He’ll come with her.
They’ll leave tonight.
Plootie goes back to Keaton Abbott.
He has had a moderately successful fundraiser.
Plootie enjoyed the past, present and future act.
He has some ideas.
He has contract stuff from the ladies.
Keaton ask what they want.
Plootie passes him a piece of paper.
Plootie tells Keaton that he is already gone.
He passes Keaton another piece of paper.
Geraldine is not coming back.
Another piece of paper.
This one is from Plootie.
He reads it.
Keaton thinks that it is only fair that he tell Keaton
who he is before he adopts him.
Everybody seems to be moving on but him.
Plootie’s tired of being moved on on.
Keaton tells Plootie that he is the only person that stayed
and came back and is not afraid of him.
Do you think that you could adopt me too?
Keaton says that he’s not good at family.
He’s not good at a lot of things.
He’s not good at running a theatre.
He’s sorry that Plootie’s being adopted
by an idiot who runs things into the ground.
And away we go!
Jack and Barnaby go to see Harry.
Barnaby has been speaking with someone from higher up.
There was a promise made about $200.
Harry asks if Jack has ever made a promise.
Harry says that the promise isn’t really broken until you follow through.
Barnaby says that he will punch him in the stomach.
Houdini says that he has abs of steel.
He’ll break Barnaby’s hand.
If he breaks Barnaby’s hand, Barnaby will pay the $200.
Barnaby punches him...
Lou Tellegen goes to see him about making a movie about his life.
He puts a pen into Houdini’s hand and has him sign a contract.
The story of a dead person is more popular that one of a living one.
Lou will help Houdini live eternally.
He will live forever in his movie.
Lou breathes in Houdini’s final breath.
He has breathed in the last of the life of a legend.
The studio will want to make a few changes.
Everyone gathers to remember Harry Houdini.
Riff asks Lou how Harry will star in his movie.
He says that Riff will play him in the Harry Houdini story.
Lou Costello thanks him for showing him how to escape.
Jack Potts says that he was a great golfer,
but dying in front of him is the best trick that he’s ever seen.
There was a horse running named Harry Houdini.
He took the money from the fundraiser and placed it on Harry Houdini.
We’ll see how it plays out.
He hopes that wherever it’s going to better than here.
Looking at Plootie,
Keaton says that he showed up out of nowhere when he needed him most.
He’s thankful for him showing up out of the blue.
He didn’t know he needed him.
Houdini revives and runs out.
Barnaby says that he will owe Keaton $200 since he didn’t die.
* Lighting by Brad Fischer *
