‘Hot Time In The Old Town’ continued...

Written by Carla Kettner; Directed by Gary Nelson; (as "fanscribed" by Janet)

RETURN TO PART 1

(1871. Gary's Bedroom. Morris opens the door and enters. Bright sunlight behind him. Crosses to dresser to get clothes

Morris: Oh, good morning.

Gary: Uh, your, uh... [Whistles and points toward Morris’s backside]

Morris: Oh, I left the barn door open, yes. (Reaches behind him to fasten long johns.) Barn... Mrs. O'Leary was up all night with the baby, so I am going to do the early milking for her.

Gary: Morris, I need to talk to you.

Morris: All right, but first I must go to barn, so...

Gary: That's a good idea, Morris. I'll meet you in the barn.

[Cow Moos]

Gary: Morris? Boy, this place is a, (Looks around at all the flammable materials such as straw and lumber. Morris is milking the cow.) uh, it's a real fire hazard here. Did you ever consider that? It's an accident waiting for something to happen, huh? Hello, Daisy. (Pats cow on her flank.)

Morris: How do you know her name?

Gary: That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Morris. You see, Morris... I'm from the future.

Morris: The future? You mean –

Gary: I mean I'm from the future, 1998, 127 years from now, and I'm in a bit of a jam.

Morris: Mm-hmm. (Looks over at Gary and nods. Continues milking. Gary unfolds the paper and starts to read.

[Daisy moos]

Gary: You see, I get tomorrow's newspaper today. Usually I get 1998's paper, but this is tomorrow's. It's October 9, 1871. Let me read it to you. Right here. It says, "at 9:20 PM. -- " That's tonight, Morris -- "a small cow barn on the corner "of DeKoven and Jefferson Streets "emitted a bright light followed by a blaze, and in moments, the building was hopelessly on fire." That's this barn, Morris. This barn is going to burn. (Morris gets up from milking stool.)

Morris: You get away.

Gary: I'm not going to hurt you. The city is going to burn.

Morris: Nyet.

Gary: Da. It's going to be the worst fire the country's seen. From where I come from, every kid knows that Mrs. O'Leary's cow Daisy started the Chicago fire. You don't want that to happen, do you?

Morris: Get out.

Gary: Hundreds of people are going to die. I've got to get back to the future. The only way I can is knowing that someone's going to put this fire out, and that is you.

Morris: Would you leave me alone?

Gary: Huh?

Morris: You leave Mrs. O'Leary alone! [Speaking Russian grabs a piece of lumber and threatens Gary with it. Gary flees the barn.] Get out of this barn! Get out of this home!

Scene: Sullivan’s saloon. Two of his goons approach him as he leans on the bar.

Sullivan: Go find Commissioner Hayes. Tell him we got her.

Goon: Yes, sir. (Two goons leave the saloon.)

Scene: Dark streets. Gary wanders the streets. Lamplighter performs his nightly task. As he stands staring at his paper a woman and child that are ringers for the pair he saw in 1998 pass by. The boy looks back at Gary. Cat meows to get his attention.

Gary: I don't know what to do. No one listens to me. I've been to every fire station from here to the north side. (Cat runs into an alley. Gary follows. Finds Jesse sitting on a box holding the cat in his arms.) You -- hey! Jesse. What happened? Where's your sister?

Jesse: Sullivan's men grabbed her at the station, so I ran. They've got her prisoner.

Gary: Jesse, I-I wish I could do something. I've got things I've got to do.

Jesse: Yeah, Ellie said no one would help her. I guess she was right.

Gary: No, Jesse, it's not that.

Jesse: Don't trouble yourself, mister. You've got no reason to help us.

Gary: Where is she?

Scene Alley behind Sullivan’s saloon. Officer looks in window to room where Eleanor is locked up.

Gary: There she is. See, officer, that's her right there.

Scene: Interior of Sullivan’s saloon.

Gary: Jesse, go get her.

(Jesse goes and unlocks door.)

Sullivan: You'll pay for this boy.

Gary: Sullivan here kidnapped Eleanor so he could bribe a politician. I hope there's something you can do about this.

Police Officer: Indeed, I can.

Gary: Thank you.

Officer hits Gary on back of head with nightstick knocking him out. Gary falls face down on table.

Sullivan: Thank you, sergeant. Refreshments are on the house, as usual.

Scene: Interior of jail cell. Gary and several other men are locked out. Gary is unconscious but comes around and looks at his watch and the paper.

Gary: It starts at 9:20.

[Bell chiming]

[Bell chiming]

Gary: Half an hour. Half an hour. (Runs to door of cell.) Hey! Hey! Anybody here? Listen to me! The city's going to burn! You hear me? Do you hear me? Chicago's going to burn!

Scene: Sullivan’s saloon. Commissioner Hayes walks in. Hands hat to bar employee. Walks over to Sullivan.

Commissioner Hayes: She's here?

Sullivan: I'm sure you'll want to see her, just as soon as we close our deal. (Hands Commissioner Hayes a pen to sign a document on the bar in front of him.)

Scene switches briefly to jail as Gary paces trying to get someone to listen and let him out.

Gary: Anybody? Anybody?

Scene switches back to Sullivan’s saloon. He opens the door to the room that Eleanor is locked up in.

Sullivan: You have a visitor, Eleanor. (Eleanor looks hopefully at her brother.) No, I was referring to Commissioner Hayes. He's right out there. He's here to accept your apology.

Eleanor: No.

Sullivan: What?

Eleanor: I've never done anything I'm ashamed of. I'm not about to now.

Sullivan: You'll do as I say.

Eleanor: No.

Sullivan: (Shakes his head.) I think you'll be wanting to reconsider your position. (Holds knife up near Jesse’s head.)

[Cuckooing]

Scene: Mrs. O’Leary’s dining room. 9PM. Morris is playing checkers with Mrs. O’Leary’s daughter.

Morris: Oh, Mary, you've skunked me again. You are a huckleberry above my persimmon.

(Mrs. O’Leary enters from the other room carrying a lantern and a can of kerosene.)

Mrs. O’Leary: Mr. Best, would you do me a small favor?

Morris: Of course, Mrs. O'Leary. The lantern is a wee bit low. (Hands to Morris.)

Mrs. O’Leary: All right, it's off to bed with you, little missy.

Morris: I'm going to get you next time, Mary! Don't you worry! (Starts filling the lantern.) Oh, they're eating up the fuel in this house. (Lights lantern.) There we go.

Mrs. O’Leary: (Pokes head back in the room.) Thank you, Mr. Best.

Morris: Oh, my pleasure, Mrs. O'Leary.

Scene: Sullivan’s saloon. Sullivan opens the door to the room Eleanor is locked up in. Allows Commissioner Hayes to enter.)

Sullivan: Take your time, commissioner. Oh, and, Eleanor, no need to worry about your brother. He'll be right out here with me and the boys. (Pulls Jesse back with him.)

Eleanor: Jesse... (Looks stricken.)

Sullivan: Lock him in the cellar. (Pushes Jesse toward goon.)

Goon: Yes, sir. Come on, you. (Jesse shoves tray of drinks onto goon.) Oh! Hey, stop that kid! Grab him! Oh! Argh! (Jesse escapes out the door as goon tries to pick himself up off the floor.)

Scene: Jail cell. Gary is pacing back and forth. Someone coughs. Jesse appears at window to cell.

Jesse: Psst. Psst!

Gary: Jesse.

Jesse: You have to come. You have to help Ellie.

Gary: I -- well, I'm a little locked up right now.

Jesse: Listen, if I get you out of here, will you promise to help her?

Gary: How are you –

Jesse: Just promise.

Prisoners: Do it. Do it.

Gary: Yeah, yeah, sure, I promise.

Jesse: Stick this in the lock. It's wax. I can make a key. (Jesse hands wax to Gary. Gary inserts into lock and hands back to Jesse.) All right, give it here. All right. (Jesse hops down from the box he’s standing on and goes to work making a key.)

Prisoner: How much longer?

Gary: Hey. All right, here you go. How did you -- forget it. (Gary inserts Jesse’s key and unlocks the door. The other prisoners shove him aside and leave the jail) Hey, you're welcome, you –

Scene: Back room at Sullivan’s saloon where Eleanor is held prisoner. Commissioner Hayes is getting rougher in his attempts to make Eleanor do what he wants her to do.

Eleanor: No! No! Aah!

(Hayes throws her onto the bed and throws himself on top of her intent on forcing her to have sex with him. Gary bursts through the window and punches Hayes in the jaw, stunning him.)

Hayes: Oh!

Gary: Come on, let's get you out of here. (Helps Eleanor up and out the window. Hayes sits up as they leave.)

Scene: Mrs. O’Leary’s dining room. Mrs. O’Leary approaches Morris carrying her baby.

Mrs. O’Leary: It's time for the last milking, Mr. Best. Watch little Jimmy for just a moment, will you?

Morris: Oh, no problem. Yes. Hello, little Jimmy. (Takes baby from Mrs. O’Leary.)Come to Uncle Morrie. Yes, come to Uncle Morrie. You hungry, Jimmy? You're wanting cookie, yes? You like that, don't you?

Scene: Mrs. O’Leary’s barn. She’s milking daisy. The lantern sits nearby.

Mrs. O’Leary: (singing as she milks) Let grasses grow and water flow in a free and easy way and give me enough of that fine old stuff that's made near Galway Bay. L-

[Baby crying] Mrs. O’Leary hears the baby and stops milking to go back into the house.

[Cow moos]

Scene: Mrs. O’Leary’s dining room. Morris is holding the baby who is urinating on the table through his diaper.

Morris: Baby, you're splishing everywhere. You have to stop. Please. (Mrs. O’Leary enters the room.) Uh, he, uh, he wet himself, Mrs. O'Leary.

Mrs. O’Leary: Oh, for heaven's sake, it's a perfectly natural body function. (Takes Jimmy from Morris.) That's all. Get me a rag, and I'll clean your shirt.

Morris: (Leaves room for rag.) Oh, mama.

Mrs. O’Leary: That's all right. That’s all right.

[Daisy moos and knocks lantern over.]

Scene: Deserted street. Gary, Eleanor & Jesse are running toward Mrs. O’Leary’s.

Eleanor: Where are we going, Mr. Hobson?

Gary: It's a long story. Jesse, what time is it?

Jesse: (Checks his watch.) It's 21 minutes after 9:00.

Gary: Oh, no.

Eleanor: Oh, my god, do you smell that? It smells like -- smoke?

Scene: Mrs. O’Leary’s dining room. She’s wiping at Morris’s shirt with a rag.

Mrs. O’Leary: Whatever happened to your Mr. Hobson?

Morris: Oh, well, he was nice fellow but a couple of straws short of bale, do you know?

Mrs. O’Leary: Oh, dear.

(Gary enters burning barn.)

Gary: Fire! Help!

Morris: Oh, no.

Gary: Fire! (Fighting fire with blanket and buckets of water.)

Morris: No. You wait here. You just wait with children. I'll see what's burning. (Grabs his coat and runs for the barn.)

Scene: Interior of burning barn. Gary is still fighting the flames with a blanket. Also throws water from trough with buckets. Morris runs in. Gary sees him and calls him over.)

[Daisy moos]

Gary: Morris, give me a hand. Grab the blanket!

Morris: You... You did know! You are from future! Oh! (Grabs blanket and starts beating at the flames. Gary coughs.)

Gary: Give me a hand with the trough! Come on.

Gary: On three. 1, 2, 3.

Morris: Aah! That one. Come on. Out. Unh! (Gary & Morris grab the ends of the trough. Trough tips over and puts out most of the flames. Gary & Morris beat the rest of them out with blankets.) You did it. You saved Chicago. (Morris looks admiringly at Gary and then reaches over to hug him.)

Gary: We -- we did it. We saved -- we saved Chicago. (Stands there looking stunned & happy that they have beaten the fire. Lifts and lowers his cap with his left hand.)

Morris: Good job, my friend. (Reaches over and hugs Gary.)

Gary: Yeah. Very good job.

(Sullivan enters the barn and pulls a knife. Sets his lantern down.)

Sullivan: You've interfered for the last time.

Morris: Who is this? Oh, hey, what is problem, huh? Ah!

(Sullivan throws Morris against a barn wall, stunning him. Goes after Gary with the knife. During the struggle the lantern Sullivan brought with him falls, breaks and starts another fire. Sullivan wrestles Gary to the ground and attempts to stab him.)

Eleanor: Ooh, no, no, no, no. The lantern! Fire! Jesse!

(Jesse picks up a piece of lumber and hits Sullivan on the back of the head to save Gary.)

Sullivan: Aah! (Gets up and goes after Jesse who runs out the door.)

Eleanor: Run, Jesse! Run, Jesse!

Sullivan: Come back here, you little –

(Gary gets to his feet, somewhat stunned and at a loss as to what to do with the barn on fire and Jesse in mortal danger.)

Eleanor: He's going to kill him, Mr. Hobson. He told me he would. Please, Mr. Hobson!

(Gary crosses the room to where Morris sits stunned against the barn wall. Helps him to his feet.)

Gary: Morris, wake up. Come on. Come on, Morris. You got to put the fire out.

Morris: Fire? I thought we already did.

Gary: There's another one! Here. Here.

(Scene: dark alley. Jesse trips and falls, dropping his watch. Sullivan catches up to him.)

Sullivan: Dropped your timepiece. What a shame. (Grinds watch under his foot.) Come here, you little – (pulls Jesse up by the collar) see you in hell, Jesse Mayfie— (At that moment Gary has arrived and throws a rock that hits Sullivan in the head.)

Gary: (Runs over to Jesse.) Jesse, you all right?

Jesse: He was going to kill me.

Gary: Yeah.

Jesse: And my watch... (Picks up his broken watch.)

Gary: Come on. Let's go back to the barn.

Scene: Interior of burning barn. Morris & Eleanor are fighting the flames as best they can with blankets.

Morris: Mrs. O'Leary! Mrs. O'Leary, the barn's afire! The barn's afire! Get out! Get out! It's no use! Get out! Get out! Fire, Daisy! Fire! Daisy, don't burn! (Eleanor leaves the barn. Morris goes over and unties Daisy, leading her out of the barn.)

Scene: Exterior of burning barn. Mrs. O’Leary arrives to find her barn in flames.

Mrs. O'Leary: What in the name of God –

Morris: I'll raise the alarm, okay? Get out! Take her out! (Hands Daisy’s lead rope to Mrs. O’Leary.

Scene: Street corner by alarm bell. Morris runs up to men standing next to it.

Morris: Throw the alarm! Throw the alarm! Fire! What happened? This colored woman and her brother were running away from saloonkeeper when this man from the future, he tried to -- no, this man from future, he -- oh, (Realizes men don’t believe him so he changes story.) It was Mrs. O'Leary's cow. Mrs. O'Leary's cow started the fire! Throw the alarm! Fire! It's a fire! It's a fire! Mrs. O'Leary's cow started a fire!

(Dinging as one of the men starts sounding the alarm.

Scene: Wagon driving down the street. Gary stops the driver. Climbs up on the side of the wagon as the driver looks down at him.

Gary: Hold up there. Listen, can you get these people out of here for me? The fire's going to spread. Come on.

Eleanor: Where are we going?

Gary: We’re going to get you out of here. The city's going to burn tonight.

(Gary helps Jesse & Eleanor up on the wagon.)

Eleanor: The city's going to burn? Everything's going to be all right.

Jesse: We can find you if we get in trouble again?

Gary: Jesse, I'm just passing through. I –

Jesse: Sure.

Gary: Listen, I wish I could make everything right, but I can't do that. Listen, here. Jesse, look, you take this. Go ahead. I want you to have that. (Gary hands him his own pocket watch.)

Jesse: You sure, mister? (Rubs thumb over the watch.)

Gary: Yeah, I'm sure. And don't give up. Do you understand what I'm saying? 'Cause if you do, I'm going to know. Don't give up.

Jesse: Yeah. All right.

Eleanor: (leans down to hug Gary) God bless you, Mr. Hobson.

Gary: Take care. All right. Go! Jesse, you don't give up! Jesse, you don't give up! You understand?

(Wagon starts to drive off.)

[Cat meows]

Gary: (to Cat) Come on let's go! (Runs back toward Mrs. O’Leary’s.)

Scene: Exterior of Mrs. O’Leary’s burning barn. Door is open showing the interior in flames. Morris is throwing water on the doors

Morris: It's no use!

Gary: (Looking at his paper) I got to try. I got to try. (Looks down at Cat. Then runs into the burning barn trying to fight the flames.)

Morris: Next time -- hey, no! Gary, no! Gary, get out! Gary! (Burning beam falls on Gary as Morris watches.)

Scene: Construction site. Gary’s eyes open and he looks up dazed as two of the hard hats help him to his feet.

Hard Hat: You okay?

Gary: Yeah. (Looks around dazed. Seems unsteady on his feet. Sees Trotter about to give the signal.)

Trotter: Ready? And...

Gary: Trotter!

(Car horn honks)

(Gary looks at his paper. Headline now reads Hospital Expansion Approved.)

(Red sports car pulls onto site. Chuck and a well-dressed young black man get out of the car. Man walks over to Trotter.)

Man: Trotter, shut it down. Now.

Trotter: Sir?

(Man approaches Trotter and points at him as he speaks.)

Man: My office, Trotter, tomorrow, 9:00 AM.

(Man & Chuck walk toward Gary who is slowly approaching them.)

Chuck: Gar, oh, what a day I have had.

Man: I want to thank you, Mr. Fishman, and you, too. Be assured that there is no way my company would ever do anything to compromise the safety of the people in Chicago.

Gary: No, we were just concerned.

Man: Oops, gotta go I have an appointment.

Gary: Excuse me.

[Chiming]

Gary: (Looks at man’s watch that just chimed. Watch says 12:47.) Where did you get that watch?

Man: You like it, huh? The story goes back to the great Chicago fire.

Gary: Chicago fire?

Chuck: Yeah, you know, the cow... Mrs. O'Leary...Flames?

Man: My great-grandfather almost died in that fire. The stranger that saved his life gave him this watch. Since then, it's been passed down from generation to generation.

Gary: Stranger?

Man: That's the story. Excuse me, I have to get out of here.

Gary: Can I ask you -- ha ha ha ha. I didn't (Shakes his head.) get your name.

Man: I'm sorry. I'm Mayfield. Jesse Mayfield IV. (Shakes Gary’s hand.) Well, again, thanks to you both, okay?

(Gary watches him leave. Looks back at Chuck with dazed expression on his face.)

Chuck: Thank you, Mr. Mayfield. Okay. (Notices Gary staring at him.) What are you looking at me like that for? What? I got something in my teeth? (Runs tongue over teeth with mouth closed.)

Gary: (Looks dazed & confused.) That was Jess-- I think I need to sit down.

Scene: McGinty’s office. Gary sits in his chair looking down at the floor. Chuck stands nearby. Looks at Gary with a concerned expression on his face.

Chuck: Look, those guys said you were only knocked out for two minutes, but -- and don't take this the wrong way -- you look kind of chawed up.

Gary: What did you just say?

Chuck: You look kind of messed up.

(Marissa enters the room. Leans against cabinet.)

Gary: Marissa.

Marissa: Yeah?

Gary: You're all right?

Marissa: Well, yeah, I'm not the one that got knocked on the head. You want some tea?

Gary: N-- yeah. What I mean is, you're okay? (Voice drops to a whisper on last word.)

Marissa: Right. I'll get some tea. (Marissa leaves the room.)

Chuck: Is there something you're not sharing here, buddy?

(Gary gets up from the office chair and approaches Chuck.)

[Note: Original ending scene follows immediately. Alternate ending is below that.]

Gary: Chuck, do you remember physics 201, the space-time continuum? Time, it's not a line. It's, uh, time is a--

Chuck: It's a magazine. What are you talking about?

Gary: What I'm talking about is time. Time - -

[In the office chair behind them is Rod Serling, inserted into the episode as part of CBS's 50th anniversary week.]

Rod Serling. Men talking about an improbable thing like going back in time.

Chuck: What is he talking about?

Gary: I have no idea.

Rod Serling: A friendly debate revolving around a simple issue. Could a human being change what has happened before?

Chuck: Do you know him?

Gary: Never saw him before in my life.

Rod Serling: Interesting and theoretical, because whoever heard of a man going back in time? Before tonight that is. Because this is.... the Twilight Zone.

[scene swipes to a Twilight Zone-ish field of stars while the Twilight Zone theme plays.]

[Cat Meows]

* * * * *

ALTERNATE ENDING -- USED WITH SYNDICATED EPISODES:

Gary: Chuck, do you remember physics 201, the space-time continuum? Time, it's not a line. It's, uh, time is a--

Chuck: It's a magazine. What are you talking about?

Gary: (Mumbling) I don't know what I'm talking about. It's good to see you. It's good to... See you. (Walks out of the office in a daze.)

[Meows]

Cat jumps up on table underneath the circus poster and looks up at it.

THE END

Many thanks to Janet for sharing her fanscription of "Hot Time In The Old Town" – Thank you!

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