[Quick Summary: A timid morgue night employee is talked into using the morgue as an office for prostitutes, but then competing pimps come after him.]
I never knew about Ganz & Mandel until I watched these interviews.
They both started out writing for tv shows, including the popular show Happy Days.* This is their first feature film.
I think one strong hallmark of a Ganz & Mandel script is that is there is a story rather than just a situation.**
Story = The protagonist must face his/her own flaw, often resulting in an arc.
Situation = Series of events. Flaw and arc are not important.
In the scene below:
- Chuck is the protagonist and is engaged to Charlotte.
- Vivian is Chuck's mother. Edward and Rose are Charlotte's parents.
- They were all at dinner when Belinda, Chuck's neighbor and a prostitute, called him to bail her out of jail. They are now returning from court.
- FLAW: Chuck lets everyone push him around.
- Notice the structure of the scene: No one will let Chuck speak in this car (or in his life). He must do it now or else he is doomed. This is Chuck's a-ha! moment.
ex. "INT. KOOGLE'S RENTED CAR - LATER THAT NIGHT
Edward and Rose are in the front. Rose has her head out the window. Chuck is seated in the back between Vivian and Charlotte. Everyone is distraught.
EDWARD: You know what really steams my beans? They just let that strumpet right back out on the streets!
CHARLOTTE (to Chuck): You're moving out of that building.
VIVIAN: Absolutely.
CHUCK (softly): Wait a minute --
VIVIAN: You stay out of it. (to Charlotte) Let me tell you something. When you get married you have to handle him the way I handled his father.
There's a big bump in the road. Everyone flies up.
EDWARD: Potholes! You all right, Rose?
We hear Rose moaning. We PUSH IN TIGHT on Chuck. He's not speaking but clearly he's listening to every word and weighing them carefully.
VIVIAN: If it wasn't for me, his father would've done any old thing he pleased. You know what he wanted to do? Make furniture by hand! Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Koogle, I straightened out Al, and together we'll all straighten out Chuck.
They hit another bump and go flying.
EDWARD (O.S.): You all right, Rose?
She moans."
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I thought the scene above fit perfectly with Chuck's flaw.
The structure and the visuals are all great setups. They all are forcing Chuck to take proactive action in the next scene.
Night Shift (1982)(3rd draft, 7/20/81)
by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
*Happy Days featured actor Ron Howard who was to become the future director of Night Shift. Ganz & Mandel would go on to write several films for Howard.
** The Problem with 99% of Screenplays (aka Fat Tootsie Syndrome) does a nice job of explaining story vs. situation and the need for a character to have a flaw.
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