Laker Jim's 1984 Fletch Script

FLETCH SCRIPT
(section 9)

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Laker Jim's Fletch Won Homepage presents Fletch Fans everywhere the 1984 Fletch Script.

A New Section will be added every FRIDAY

(This is not for reprint or sale. This script is solely for entertainment or educational purposes only...enjoy)

FLETCH SCRIPT PART 10 - Don't call me Irwin (260-A) to The END

Click here to Listen to the Fletch Midi while you read

FLETCH SCRIPT CONTINUED...

234 EXT. BEACH - DAY - WIDER

The usual scene-- a mix of teeny-boppers, junkies and surfers. Into the f.g. step a couple of "surfers." They're wearing wet suits and carrying surfboards, but they're obviously cops. They sit down. Across the beach, a Sufi, dressed in a turban and flowing garments, crosses the sand.

SURFER COP
A Sufi junkie.

The cops laugh derisively and turn their attention else-where.

235 CLOSER ON SUFI

It's Fletch. he's got a beard pasted on, and nervously scans the beach.

236 FLETCH'S POINT OF VIEW - GUMMY

is seated on a towel.

237 MASTER

Fletch sits near, but not next to, Gummy.

FLETCH
Gum?

Gummy looks around.

FLETCH
I'm the Sufi.

GUMMY
Fletch?

FLETCH
Don't call me Fletch. Don't look at me.
Lie back down. We'll talk.

GUMMY
What?

FLETCH
Cops are here. I can smell them.
They're after me. Lie down, Gum.

Gummy lies back down.

GUMMY
Why are they after you?

FLETCH
Because I'm a newspaper reporter and I'm nailing
Chief Cummings as the source for drugs on the
beach. You're in big trouble, Gummy.

Gummy sits up.

FLETCH
Sit back down.

Gummy lies down again.

FLETCH
Fat Sam is turning state's evidence.

GUMMY
What's that?

FLETCH
He wrote me a nice deposition. He says he
just received the drugs. You did the selling.

GUMMY
I didn't sell nothing! I didn't sell nothing!
I just carried the drugs from the Chief to Sam.

FLETCH
Sure you did.

GUMMY
Fletch, I never sold nothing.

FLETCH
Twenty years.

Fletch gets up and adjusts his flowing robes.

FLETCH
Can't do a thing with this robe. One
more question, Gum...don't look at me.

Gummy lies back down.

FLETCH
Where does the Chief get the drugs?

GUMMY
I dunno. Somewhere in South America, I forget.

FLETCH
Rio de Janeiro, maybe?

GUMMY
Maybe, Fletch. Is that Brazil?

FLETCH
That's Brazil.

GUMMY
Yeah. Maybe.

FLETCH
Wait here for me, Gummy.

Gummy looks questioningly at him.

FLETCH
It's the only way you'll be safe. Believe me.

Fletch crosses the sand, heads for "Fat Sam's".

238 "FAT SAM'S"

Sam is reading the National Review. He looks up, sees Fletch approaching, and grins.

FAT SAM
Jesus.

FLETCH
You don't know me.

FAT SAM
(smiling)
My pleasure.

FLETCH
I'm serious, Sam.

FAT SAM
What, the heat here?

FLETCH
Affirmative.

FAT SAM
The two surfer boys?

FLETCH
Affirmative.

FAT SAM
Thought so. What for?

FLETCH
For me. I'm a reporter, Sam. I'm breaking the
drug story and I got the chief red-handed. Gummy
game me a deposition.

FAT SAM
(smiles)
You gonna nail the chief?

FLETCH
I'm gonna nail the chief. And you can help or ---

FAT SAM
Oh, I'll help, Fletch. I'm a slave to that
sonofabitch. He busted me, third offense, gave me
a choice: Work for him or do fifteen long. All I get
out of this is free snort.

FLETCH
You don't have a piece of the action?

FAT SAM
Noooo. Free snort. That's it.

FLETCH
(hands him a card)
Wait five minutes, and go to my office.
You'll get federal protection after that.

FAT SAM
Gonna need it. That boy is dangerous. Fletch?

FLETCH
What?

FAT SAM
You find the source?

FLETCH
Gum thought Brazil.

FAT SAM
Rio. Know how he gets it in the country?
Some big shot airline executive flies it in on
company jets. Very impressive operation, Fletch.
Very impressive.

239
and OMITTED
240

241 INT. NEWSPAPER - CITY ROOM

Fletch parades through the city room, still in his Sufi getup. He takes off the beard and heads for Frank Walker's office. Fat Sam and Gummy, looking like fish out of water, follow him.

242 WALKER'S OFFICE

Fletch marches in with Sam and Gummy. Walker gawks at him.

WALKER
Fletch....

Fletch takes off the turban.

FLETCH
I'm quitting, Frank. As of midnight tonight.

WALKER
What?
(stares at Fat Sam and Gummy)
Who the hell are they?

FLETCH
This is Fat Sam, and this is Gummy.
(hands two sheets of paper to Walker)

WALKER
What....

FLETCH
Their statements, naming Chief Cummings as the numero
uno drug pusher from here to Oxnard. I want them to have
federal protection under the paper's sponsorship.

Walker just stares at the sheets.

WALKER
Jesus H. Christ.
(smiles)
Fletch, this is the greatest.

FAT SAM
He's some reporter, this guy.

FLETCH
I'm out, Frank. You lost faith in me.

WALKER
Fletch, I got nervous. Please....

FLETCH
Forget it.

Fletch takes off his robe and drops it to the floor. Beneath the robes he's wearing cutoffs and a Bob McAdoo t-shirt.

FLETCH
I'm going to write the story. Just hold the last
couple of paragraphs till ten o'clock tonight.

Fletch leaves the office.

FLETCH
(to Fat Sam and Gummy)
Make yourselves comfortable, guys, but
don't leave the office.

243 CORRIDOR

Fletch heads for his office. Walker follows.

WALKER
Fletch!

Fletch doesn't answer.

244 FLETCH'S OFFICE

Fletch enters the office and kicks his door closed. Walker opens it.

WALKER
Fletch, you want an apology?

FLETCH
You were going to can me, right?

WALKER
(fumbles)
Not really.

FLETCH
Not really?

WALKER
I was upset.

FLETCH
I'm sick of this place. I'm going to try
out for the Lakers. They need a power forward.

WALKER
Fletch.

Fletch sits down and turns on his word processor, ignoring Walker.

245 EXT. STANWYK HOUSE - NIGHT

Fletch parks his Olds halfway up on the sidewalk, and gets out. He climbs over the gates of the Stanwyk home, and drops down inside. He lands on the grass, trots around the shrubbery, heads toward the garage, and checks his watch.

246 WATCH

It's five minutes before eight.

247 INT. STANWYK'S GARAGE

The jaguar is parked just where it is supposed to be, and the key is in the ignition. Fletch thinks for a moment and looks around. He sees a pile of torn rags on the ground. He removes the key from the ignition and opens the trunk.

248 INT. TRUNK.

Six large gasoline cans and more rags.

249 FLETCH

Another piece of the puzzle fits in place.

250 EXT. HOUSE

Fletch reaches the rear of the house. He peers inside.

251 FLETCH'S POINT OF VIEW - STANWYK

is in the library, sitting patiently at his desk.

252 FLETCH

approaches the French doors and enters.

253
and OMITTED
254

255 INT. LIBRARY

Alan rises from his desk to greet him. His hair is combed like Fletch's. We can see that beneath his sports jacket he is wearing a Magic Johnson t-shirt and jeans.

MR. STANWYK
Good evening.

FLETCH
I like your outfit. You got the fifty
grand and the plane ticket?

MR. STANWYK
Of course.

Stanwyk nods toward a small briefcase in the corner. Fletch eyes it quickly, and just as quickly looks back at Stanwyk who just stands there by his desk.

MR. STANWYK
Why don't you check it out for yourself, Mr. Nugent?

FLETCH
(smiles)
Because I trust you, Alan. By the way,
the name's Fletcher. I.M. Fletcher. I write
a newspaper column under the name Jane Doe.

MR. STANWYK
What?

Fletch holds out an envelope.

FLETCH
Read this, please.

MR. STANWYK
Wait a second ---

FLETCH
Cut the crap and read it.

Stanwyk unfolds the paper.

FLETCH
(continuing)
Unless my people hear differently, this
letter goes out at midnight.

256 INSERT LETTER

We see that it is addressed to:

JOHN BOYD
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
BOYD AVIATION

257 STANWYK

MR. STANYK
(reading)
'Dear Sir: Alan Stanwyk murdered me
tonight. The charred remains found
by the police in the Jaguar are
mine, not his. Mr. Stanwyk, using
my name and passport, boarded Pan Am
Flight 306 for Rio, where he intends
to establish residence with ---'

He stares at Fletch.

258 FLETCH

He is lifting Stanwyk's two attaché cases.

FLETCH
Pretty hefty. Keep reading.

259 STANWYK

MR. STANWYK
(reading)
'...with his legal wife, the former
Sally Ann Cavanaugh.'

Stanwyk stops. He's stunned, and not about to read anymore of this.

GAIL'S VOICE (O.S.)
Keep reading, Alan.

Stanwyk spins to the doorway.

259-A GAIL STANWYK

standing in the doorway.

MRS. STANWYK
Don't worry, I can take it.

260 MASTER

FLETCH
You shouldn't be here.

MRS. STANWYK
I want to hear this.

Fletch takes the letter from Alan.

FLETCH
He doesn't read my stuff well.
(reads)
'Sally Ann and Alan were married four years ago
and never divorced, making Stanwyk a bigamist
even in Utah. Stanwyk is also traveling with
three million dollars in cash, the result of
Gail Stanwyk's conversion of Boyd Aviation stock.
Mrs. Stanwyk believed the money was to be used to
purchase property in Utah, but it wasn't; a fact
that can be confirmed by realtor James Swarthout
of Provo.'
(aside)
That was stupid, Alan.

MR. STANWYK
I'd have been long gone.

FLETCH
Ahem.
(continues reading)
'Sally Ann can confirm all this when
the police pick her up at the Airport Marriott.'

Mr. Stanwyk blanches. Fletch continues.

FLETCH
'By the way, Alan is a very big drug smuggler,
but you can read all about that in tomorrow's paper.
Sincerely yours, I.M. Fletcher. P.S. Have a nice day.'

Alan mulls over all this for a few seconds, then smiles wistfully.

MR. STANWYK
Bravo, Mr. Fletcher.

FLETCH
The thing that really tipped it off for me
was something your wife said to me while we
were in bed together.

Stanwyk shoots a surprised look at Gail. She returns it with an innocent shrug.

MR. STANWYK
(to Fletch)
And what was that?

FLETCH
How similar in build you and I are.
then I figured it. You bump me off,
throw me in the car, and burn me up.

MRS. STANWYK
My God, Alan, you really are and a**hole, aren't you?

Now it is Alan's turn to shrug innocently.

MR. STANWYK
Sorry, darling.

MRS. STANWYK
You sonofabitch.

MR. STANWYK
Yes, I suppose I am. But I'm not a stupid sonofabitch.

Mr. Stanwyk reaches into his desk and pulls out his gun, and levels it at Fletch.

MR. STANWYK
I was already prepared to commit one murder.
What makes you think I won't commit two?

FLETCH
Whoops.

MRS. STANWYK
(her bravado deflated)
'Whoops?' What do you mean 'whoops?'
Don't say 'whoops.'

MR. STANWYK
I mean, by the time your story gets published, I'll
be on the beach. I understand extradition from Rio is
very complicated. I'll bet for two murders it's even more so.

FLETCH
That is a lighter, isn't it?

Just then, the French doors swing open, and Chief Cummings enters.

CUMMINGS
Greetings, everyone.

FLETCH
(dryly)
Thank God, the police.

To be CONCLUDED in Section 10

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