Madam Pearl DeVere Scenes in Sage Sweetwater's Fourth Lesbian Western Screenplay Madam Blaze Starr: Whiskey and Sagebrush Truth in Eights and Aces. The screenplay is set in Cripple Creek, Colorado through two centuries, 1897 and modern day Cripple Creek 2010 and will be sharing each half of the 110-page screenplay spending time in Madam Pearl DeVere's Old Homestead brothel and Madam Blaze Starr's Tarot Veil Ranch, modern-day brothel. The screenplay is historically accurate with Old West characters Bat Masterson, Wyatt and Virgil Earp, and the original characters of Cripple Creek 1897 Madam Pearl DeVere, her girls, Johnny Nolon and Bobby Womack. The screenplay is a sequel to Dominga Rio of Cuero, Lesbian Western novel by Sage Sweetwater and Blue Sleighty, adapted to screen by Sage Sweetwater. The sequel will be evident in the modern day half of the screenplay and will continue on where the screenplay Dominga Rio of Cuero leaves off.

EXT. CRIPPLE CREEK THOROGHFARE BENNETT AVENUE - DAY

CLOSE ON - - Street sign BENNETT AVENUE.

ANGLE ON - - Hoards (hundreds) of non-working wealthy gold miners who have already struck the Mother Lode are crowding the MILE-LONG DIRT STREET. They are standing in groups up and down the street in front of the brick buildings. The GAMBLING HALLS and SALOONS are bustling with activity.

SCENE NOTE: (BRICK BUILDINGS MUST BE SHOWN, NOT WOOD STRUCTURES. Cripple Creek, Colorado burned twice to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The Old West gold mining town was rebuilt with brick structures including gambling halls, saloons and brothels new in 1897.) 

Women are window shopping. Some have children. They are holding their children’s hands, pulling them along past the plate glass picture window store fronts.

CLOSE ON - - SIGNS ON BRICK BUILDING FRONTS

1. PALACE HOTEL (On the corner)

2. BOBBY WOMACK’S SALOON (across the side street from PALACE HOTEL)

3. JOHNNY NOLON’S SALOON (up the block on the corner)

HORSE-DRAWN BUGGIES and WAGONS are filing up and down the street. Working miners and their BURROS are plodding along.

SCENE NOTE: (Everyone is dressed in 1890’s period clothing; men in WHITE SHIRTS, BLACK TIES, FANCY BLACK EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD VESTS, BLACK PANTS, SOME ARE IN DARK BLUE TWO-PIECE SUITS, HATS, BOOTS; women in LONG DRESSES in light colors HANGING JUST ABOVE THEIR ANKLE LACE-UP BOOTS and wearing FANCY HATS WITH FEATHER PLUMES AND VEILS. Working miners are wearing their typical old clothes.)

CLOSE ON - - JOHNNY NOLON is standing outside his SALOON watching the town life.

CHARACTER NOTE: (JOHNNY NOLON, Saloon owner, 35 years old, reddish-brown hair, beard and handlebar mustache waxed at the ends. He’s dressed in black suit, white shirt, tie, wearing a black derby hat.)

MADAM PEARL DEVERE is dressed in a LONG, RED SILK DRESS and BLACK GLOVES. She is at the reins riding down the dirt street in her bright RED COACH pulled by a team of BLACK HORSES.

Madam slows a little when riding past Johnny Nolon. People are passing in front of her coach staring.

Johnny Nolon tips his hat.

JOHNNY NOLON
Good morning, Madam.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
(smiles)
Good morning, Johnny.

Madam keeps on going. Johnny walks to the street and runs to catch up with her.

CLOSE ON -- Madam pulls back on the reins and stops her carriage in the roadway.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
(to the horses)
Whoa.

Johnny Nolon hops in the passenger seat of the carriage.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Something on your mind, Johnny?

JOHNNY NOLON
Have a drink with me, Madam.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Any reason why, Johnny?

JOHNNY NOLON
Why surely you can spare a few minutes for Johnny.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Okay Johnny. I’m heading back to the Old Homestead. I’ll pour us a whiskey in the parlour.

JOHNNY NOLON
I had something a little more private in mind, Madam.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Johnny, you’re a good friend. Let’s don’t spoil it.

Madam Pearl DeVere drives her and Johnny in the carriage on down the block. She turns left at the PALACE HOTEL.

PAN - - PALACE HOTEL on the corner. BOBBY WOMACK’S SALOON is across the side street. Miners and gamblers are standing in front of the establishments.

AUDIO NOTE: (Lively gold rush piano music coming from the saloon out into the street.)

Johnny Nolon waves at the town people staring at him and Madam in her carriage.

JOHNNY NOLON
Let them talk. You and I donate to the angelic chords of the church organ.

Women are stopping and shielding their children’s eyes as Madam’s carriage passes by.

MAUDE ELIZABETH ST. CLAIRE
Johnny Nolon, I thought you better to be riding with Satan’s whorekeeper! The horses can’t help it, but she doesn’t feed and water you! Soiled Doves, the whole lot of them!
(yelling)

JOHNNY NOLON
(loud so all the town can hear)
Maude Elizabeth now you hush. She’s taking me to water now. Well hell, your husband pays Madam’s utilities. Water doesn’t come cheap. How’s your bedsprings, Maude?

Townsfolk men and women are leaning out second story windows of hotels listening to Johnny put Maude Elizabeth in her place.

Maude Elizabeth storms down the street in anger of Johnny’s vindictive comment.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
(to Johnny)
Rich, jealous wives every one of them. They’re why the sheriff won’t allow my girls on this street during business hours.

Around the corner from the PALACE HOTEL, Madam pulls her carriage up in front of the OLD HOMESTEAD.

Johnny steps out of the red carriage and goes around to help Madam down from her seat.

Madam’s stable employee comes to drive the carriage to its parking place and tend to the team of black horses.

CROSSFADE:

INT. OLD HOMESTEAD PARLOUR - SAME

Madam takes off her black gloves.

CLOSE ON - - Madam picks up the whiskey decanter and pours her and Johnny a drink. She hands Johnny the drink.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Johnny, what’s on your mind? A man of your class doesn't make a social call mid-day when he's got Bat Masterson sitting at his saloon.

JOHNNY NOLON
(takes a drink)
Was it you I saw last night in Poverty Gulch, Pearl?

SCENE NOTE: (Madam Pearl DeVere is at a loss for words. It is a question that stuns her speechless. She needs to make another arrangement in an attempt to honor Johnny’s question.)

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Come upstairs to my room, Johnny. This is a private matter. I prefer not to engage in this conversation in this parlour.

Lola Livingston walks across the parlour. She is wearing a beautiful light blue satin floor-length dress. She is carrying a WHITE PARASOL with GOLD edging. She is LOVELY.

LOLA LIVINGSTON
Hi Johnny. How’s business?

Johnny takes his hat and places it to the left of his chest momentarily in respect.

JOHNNY NOLON
Hello, Lola. You’re looking fine. Business is good. Bat Masterson is a drawing card. Faro tables are holding the gold reins. Hell, I can’t keep ‘em away. Come calling after town’s business hours sometime and I’ll introduce you to Bat.

LOLA LIVINGSTON
That’s good, Johnny. I’ll do that. Madam, enjoy your afternoon. Bye Johnny.

JOHNNY NOLON
Good day, Lola.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Where are you off to, Lola?

LOLA LIVINGSTON
For a stroll, Madam.

MADAM PEARL DEVERE
Good day to try out your new parasol. Remember to stay on Myers Avenue. Sheriff says Bennett Avenue only after town business hours for my girls.

LOLA LIVINGSTON
Yes, Madam.

Copyright 2010 Ms. Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist