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- Herausgeber: epubli
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Mysterious murders are taking place in the Lake District in the northwest of England. Mysterious, since there seems to be no connection between them and no motive can be determined for any of them. It affects men and women equally. Are they regrettable individual cases or is there a serial killer behind them? The police are overwhelmed and call in the well-known master detective – Lady Jane Selpram – for help. Since she is in a wheelchair, her platonic friend and helper, Colonel Marcus McRae, is at her side. Can Lady Jane solve the cases? Is her life in danger? Who is responsible for the murders – and what is the motive?
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Seitenzahl: 79
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Maureen O’Kelly
DRAFT FILM-SCRIPT
LADY JANE
INVESTIGATES
THE YORKSHIRE MURDERS
Loosely based on the detective story of the same title by Maureen O'Kelly
Whoever might be interested in producing or sponsoring this scenario as
a Movie or TV-film, please contact me:
© Maureen O’Kelly 2024
CHARACTERS:
Lady Jane Selpram – master detective and master thief – in a wheelchair! – between 35-55 years old, red-haired, light brown/greenish eyes
Colonel Marcus McRae – her platonic friend and helper – about 30-55 years old, slim, tall, dark-haired, brown eyes
The dead:
Timothy Webber, Shepherd (Corpse only!) - 44
Christopher Watson, Farmworker (Corpse only!) - 33 Belinda Witchwood, Post employee (Corpse only!) - 33 Penny Morgan, Pub owner - 55
Olivia Mary Bonnet, Shop owner - 44
Theresa Lukanska, Spy - 66
Finlay Arbins, Police Sergeant - 33
Other people:
Raymond Raffles Robertson – Triple-R – Wing-Commander, friend of McRae – about 35 Sophie Shorter, Postal worker, friend of Witchwood – 31 Harold Wallerson, Ex-Lawyer, (Murderer) – 55
Dick Snide, Postman – about 40
Dr. Hellman, Forensic Physician – elderly
Matt Hanshew, Farmer, finds murdered Webber – age doesn't matter John Cool, Police Sergeant in the Webber case – about 30 Jim Cullough, Farmworker – age doesn't matter, but a little older than the other 3 Ed, Farmworker – age doesn't matter
Bill, Farmworker – age doesn't matter
Mack Ingram, Farmworker – age doesn't matter
Dr. Middlestick, Doctor – age doesn't matter
Mik, Lumberjack – age doesn't matter
Ernie Drifter, Lumberjack – age doesn't matter
Murray, Acting Sergeant – about 25
Sir Humphrey, loser at Moresby Hall – young man Nora Stiller, almost deaf housekeeper of Wallerson – about 70 Sir Caspar Hawker, owner of Moresby Hall, head of gambling den – about 60
Furthermore - extras:
MUSIK UNDERSCORE if ever, then only during scenes without dialog (see script).
LEADER with MUSIC:
Background: neutral
Title
Credits
Disclaimer: All similarities of the characters to living or deceased persons, as well
as similarities in terms of plots or locations, are purely coincidental.
The action takes place at the end of the 1950s in the county of Cumbria
and the Lake District in the northwest of England
1.SCENE – Finding Webber
SHOT 1/1MUSIC. Slow tracking shot over barren pastureland, here and there a hut, in the
distance a (sheep) farm.
SHOT Panning, zooming in. You can see a road with a dilapidated sign "Sheep's Rest – 1/2
2/1mile, home-made cheese", on the side of the road is a deep ditch, you can see a
wooden stalk standing out of this ditch a little further away.
SHOT Panning to the road, zooming wide. In the distance, a middle-aged man in work
3/1clothes comes walking with an empty bag in his hand.
SHOT Half-long shot with counter-panning. The man sees the wooden handle, wonders.
4/1Starts to walk faster.
SHOT Close-up with counter-panning. The man stands in front of the stalk, looks into the
5/1ditch, is startled because he sees a dead man with a pitchfork stuck in his back.
SHOT Hanshewhe carefully climbs into the ditch, carefully lifts the dead man's 6/1head, which lies face down. MUSIC STOPS
Timothy Webber, the shepherd!
2.SCENE – Police questioning on Webber's death
SHOT MUSIC. Tracking shot through a village, to a cottage with the inscription "Police". 1/2
SHOT Camera (moves) into the guard room of the village policeman. Sergeant John Cool,
2/2about 30 years old, inconspicuous appearance, sits behind his desk, in front of him
a sheet of paper on which he takes notes. Farmer Matt Hanshew, the finder of the body, stands in front of him.
SHOT Counter-pans or half-long shots during questioning.3/2The sergeant eagerly writes the answers.
MUSIC STOPS
Sgt. CoolSo you, farmer Matt Hanshew, claim to have found the body of
shepherd Timothy Webber in a ditch on the road to his farm, about half a mile from it.
Hanshew Yes!
Sgt. Cool You also claim that he was murdered.
Hanshew Yes.
Sgt. Cool How do you come to this claim?
Hanshew A pitchfork was stuck in his back, Sergeant!
Sgt. Cool Couldn't it have been an accident?
Hanshew What would he have to do with a pitchfork on the ditch?
Sgt. Cool Have an idea?
Hanshew No!
Sgt. Cool Why were you on the road?
Hanshew I looked for cheese.
Sgt. Cool On the road?
Hanshew No. On the farm.
Sgt. Cool Explain that in more detail!
HanshewI go to Sheep's Rest once a week to buy sheep's cheese from
Timothy Webber.
Sgt. Cool Aha! How did you find the shepherd??
Hanshew Stone-dead!
Sgt. Cool Sure. But I said, how did you become aware of him?
Hanshewchanges its previous monosyllables into a torrent of words.
Sergeant desperately tries to keep up with his notes.
Well, you know, Sergeant, it was like this: when my neighbor, Mrs. Mary, moved into Wildings about three years ago—the farm is only two miles away from mine—to the east—she introduced herself to me as a new neighbor. And I have to say, a still dashing and hard-working woman, that's Mary. And she is also a widow. And it was arranged in such a way that we have been meeting every Sunday at noon since then. Either with her on Wildings or with me at my farm. And some time ago she put sheep's cheese in front of me – so you have certainly never eaten such a sheep's cheese, Sergeant! And then I asked her if she would…
The sergeant has listened to the torrent of words with ever-increasing impatience, almost despair. Now he interrupts him.
Sgt. Cool Would become your wife?
Hanshewtotally indignant
But not at all!
I asked her if she would answer my question about where the sheep's cheese comes from!
Sgt. Coolresigning himself to his fate
And she replied that the cheese comes from Sheep's Rest, isn't it?
Hanshewback in monosyllables
Yes.
Sgt. CoolThen just tell me how it came about that you saw the handle of the
pitchfork.
HanshewYou couldn't miss it! The one there protruded lonely from the
ditch!
Sgt. Cool But you could have ignored it!
Hanshew Igno…what?
Sgt. Cool Left it to the left…
Hanshew The ditch is on the right as you walk towards Sheep's Rest!
Sgt. CoolI know. But you could have not noticed the handle of the pitchfork
– eh?
HanshewYou don't let something so unusual go unnoticed! I myself would
have had use for this handle - with or without a pitchfork.
Sgt. CoolOK. Let's leave it at that. I will write my report in the clear, and in
about an hour you will come back and sign your statement. Now you can go. However, I must ask you to stay in the area, at least until the judicial post-mortem examination is over.
HanshewWhat does "stay in the area" mean, Sergeant? You know very well
that my farm is three miles away from here!
Sgt. CoolOf course. You can stay on your farm or go to the next village, but
you must be available at all times until the whole case is completed.
Hanshew I got it, Sergeant. Good-bye!
Sgt. Cool Good-bye!
Hanshew walks out of the door. The sergeant sighs in relief. Puts the pen away, folds the paper
SHOT Then the Sergeant goes to the phone on the wall and calls a number.4/2
Sgt. Cool Hello! Is this the police station in Whitehaven?
This is Police Sergeant John Cool from Granger. We have a murder case to report... the first in fifteen years!
A shepherd, Timothy Webber....
In a ditch with a pitchfork in the back...
Who are you sending? Ah! Finlay Arbins, Police Sergeant 356. Many thanks! Good-bye!
hangs up, goes back to the table, starts with the fair copy
3.SCENE – Lady Jane and Colonel McRae in a convertible
SHOT MUSIC. Slowly zooming in. On a lonely country road. A convertible with 2 people 1/3is approaching.
SHOT Close-up front. Lady Jane and Colonel McRae sit in it, she drives. MUSIC STOPS2/3
Lady J My dear Colonel! Once again, you were too impatient!
McRaeMy dearest! You call it impatient when you retire early from a
boring house party?
Lady JGranted, the Earl of Brunchbury is not an excellent host and his
guests are a mixture of arrogance, stupidity and indifference, but the jewels that his female guests wore were magnifique!
McRaeYes, for you, my dearest, as a female being, this was probably a
compensation for everything else. But consider what it meant to me to want to get something out of those empty brains! The gentlemen and ladies present seemed to be constantly absent-minded! They couldn't talk about anything but the wine and food list, bridge, billiards, and who was with whom…
Lady JBut even that does not seem to me to have been a sufficient reason
for our premature departure!
McRaedeliberately
No. You're right, as always! The reason lies elsewhere.
looks at her
Lady Ja quick look at him
For example, with me, dear friend?
McRaehesitates
Well, yes. I don't want to deny it.
Lady Jsmiles meaningfully
My dear Colonel! You don't mean to say that you have anything to complain about my behavior towards our host!
McRaeNo, but – honestly and frankly – because of your behaviour
towards the Duchess of Willowwood!
Lady Jquiet, head turned away
That bitch!
loudly to the Colonel
