Screenplays
Ted Davis has written or co-written several screenplays:
Undiscovered Country
Conquistador
Someday I'll Find You
Mojo Hand
Current Lives
Sample -- opening scene from Someday I'll Find You by Douglas Hand and Ted Davis:
FADE IN
1 EXT. A PANORAMIC SHOT OF NEW YORK CITY-NIGHT 1
High above mid-town Manhattan. Lights blaze. Sounds of traffic. The first notes of music. A piano and an alto saxophone are improvising the Noel Coward song, "Someday I'll Find You." THE MAIN TITLE AND CREDITS APPEAR over the shot, as the music continues to play.
2 TIMES SQUARE STREET LEVEL-STYLIZED SHOTS-NIGHT 2
The spot news on the Times building reads MERCURY AT 93 TODAY; RUTH HITS NO. 41--YANKS WIN - NEWS - 6 AUGUST 1930.
On a street corner a man in a clean white shirt stands with a table full of apples and a hand lettered sign, LOST IT ALL. PLEASE HELP. APPLES 5¢ - one man dressed in a PEARL-GRAY SUIT stops, buys an apple and walks off down 46th Street.
The message board reads, ROOSEVELT TO HAVE 'DRIPPING WET' PLANK; a crowd is gathered outside of the BELASCO THEATRE on 46th Street and the man who bought the apple enters the theatre; patrons are entering the BILLY HAAS CHOPHOUSE. The music builds. A crowd is laughing.
M.C.(V.O.)
Okay, have you heard this one?
3 INT - BILLY HAAS CHOPHOUSE - NIGHT 3
It's a large supper club. A small spot shines on the stage, where an M.C. is standing, dressed in a tuxedo. He is backed by two musicians - a white piano player and a black saxophone player - playing the title tune.
M.C.
OK, so a man is walking down the streeet and he sees all these people standing in line, right? He stops and taps the shoulder of the last guy in line and says is this the new Chaplin movie...or did another bank fail?
The M.C. laughs loudly at his own joke, but only a scattering of people in the audience laugh.
M.C.
Hey, did you hear me in the back?
He smiles and rolls his eyes at the musicians.
M.C.
I think I got an audience of striped bass out there (laughs and pauses) Okay. Maybe June can cheer you up.
He exits the spotlight and an attractive young woman steps shyly to the microphone.
JUNE
Hi.
The musicians shift smoothly to the intro of "Someday I'll Find You."
JUNE
This is for a friend of mine.
She sings:
WHEN ONE IS LONELY THE DAYS ARE LONG. YOU SEEM SO NEAR, BUT NEVER APPEAR. EACH NIGHT I SING YOU A LOVER'S SONG. PLEASE TRY TO HEAR, MY DEAR, MY DEAR.
SOMEDAY I'LL FIND YOU, MOONLIGHT BEHIND YOU. TRUE TO THE DREAM I AM DREAMING.
A tall man in a suit, high collar and spats gets up from a table in the front, picks up his hat - a natty Panama - says goodbye to his companions, a gray haired man and a blonde haired woman, and begins to walk toward the exit. He stops briefly to nod and wave to the singer, who smiles back at him, continuing to sing:
AS I DRAW NEAR YOU, YOU'LL SMILE A LITTLE SMILE. FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WE SHALL BE HAND IN HAND.
He exits the supper club.
4 EXT - SUPPER CLUB - NIGHT 4
The tall man steps to the curb, nods to the doorman and gives him a five dollar tip. Doorman hails a cab.
JUNE(V.O.)
I'LL LEAVE YOU NEVER, LOVE YOU FOREVER. ALL OUR PAST SORROWS REDEEMING.
He gets into a cab and places his hat on the rear shelf. His profile is visible in the rear window as the cab pulls away from the supper club.
MAKE IT ALL COME TRUE, MAKE ME LOVE YOU TOO. SOMEDAY I'LL FIND YOU AGAIN.
And the cab disappears into traffic.
5 INT - OFFICE OF PRIVATE DETECTIVE ABBOTT JOSEPH (A.J.) STONE - EARLY MORNING.
A.J. Stone, mid-forties, is sitting at his desk. Despite the heat, he's wearing his regular suit. The office and desk are extremely neat. A stack of newspapers is on the desk. A.J. is cutting out an article from the New York World with a small pocket knife. His secretary, RACHEL, a young woman, enters.
RACHEL
A.J., a Mr. Ricciutti is on the phone.
STONE
(looking up)
Wonderful.
RACHEL
Should I...
STONE
Wait. (reading a clipping)) " It is almost impossible, for men to sin deliberately, but it is the incessant pull of the machine age that brings about sin." Bishop O'Connell. Methodist. The World. Page 22. Beat that.
They look at each other. RACHEL leaves for the front office. A.J. picks up the telephone.
STONE
Mr. Ricciutti, you get an early start, don't you...Yes, it is cutthroat these days...my dad was in retail clothing...no, I don't kid...well, the world of gabardine was just not for me...right...so, I told you I would call when I had something and so far Marie is just about the most faithful wife I've ever spied on...okay, looked after....not a thing...well, I could, but photographs cost, ...okay...don't get upset, Mr. Ricciutti...I don't know why...I really don't, I'm not a marriage counselor...maybe it's just the incessant pull of the machine age...no, I'm sorry, it doesn't mean anything...really, nothing...why don't you call me Thursday and I'll see if I can't have some photographs for you. Right.
...................(continued)..........................................................................................
