Александр Кваченюк-Борецкий: Condemned Gold. Script in English according novel «Russian scenario for Hollywood»

© Александр Кваченюк-Борецкий, 2018

ISBN 978-5-4490-3385-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

EXT. WILLKIE FARMER’S HOUSE – UNITED STATES – DAY (1960)

Big old house somewhere in the Midwest. Willkie Farmer a man in his early twenties exits home. His mother – CHARLOTTE – runs after him.

CHARLOTTE

Where are you going, son?

WILLKIE

Ma, I’m not a small boy anymore,

don’t ask me where to? It’s time

for me to do a real man’s job!

CHARLOTTE

Well, you can look after cattle

here, it’s a man’s job

WILLKIE

(after a pause)

I’ll drop you a line, ma. Don’t

worry about me.

WILLKIE turns and walks away down the dusty road.

INT. BAR OWL – UNITED STATES – NIGHT (1960)

WILLKIE sits in a bar next to a middle-aged COWBOY, who sips his beer slowly. The man has a big SCAR on his left cheek. After a glass of beer COWBOY turns his swarthy face to WILLKIE and looks at him with his piercing gray hawk-like eyes. COWBOY wipes his mouth with a sleeve.

COWBOY

Whiskey?

WILLKIE

(readily)

I wouldn’t mind.

COWBOY nods to the bartender. He pours the men two glasses of spirits.

COWBOY

Where are you going, son… if it’s

not a secret?

WILLKIE

Looking for job!

COWBOY

What kind of job?

WILLKIE

One that pays money

At this moment a doorway in the bar opens wide and THREE GENTLEMEN in suits enter.

COWBOY slowly puts his right hand under the table.

The GENTLEMEN say something to one of the men in the bar and leave.

COWBOY follows them with his eyes, then turns to WILLKIE.

COWBOY

I might have a job for you, son.

WILLKIE

What do I do?

COWBOY

What I tell you to.

WILLKIE

Nope! That will not do. Tell me

what’s the job or I won’t go for it.

COWBOY

As you wish! (long beat) But I pay

with pure gold!

COWBOY takes out a little leather bag from his pocket and throws it on the table in front of WILLKIE. A handful of golden sand dusted on the top.

Looking at the bag, WILLKIE mutters something unintelligible. Seeing what a strong impression the gold has made on his new companion COWBOY grunts with satisfaction.

At this moment THREE MEN in suits enter the bar again. While WILLKIE weights the little bag in his hand, they approach him and the cowboy.

FIRST MAN IN SUIT

Texas Police! Nick Gordon, follow us.

The MAN in SUIT grabs the leather bag from Willkie’s hands.

FIRST MAN IN SUIT (CONT’D)

Heavy.

COWBOY takes out his colt

COWBOY

It’s not yours

THE FIRST MAN throws the bag on the table and steps backwards.

FIRST MAN IN SUIT

(quietly)

You’re dead!

COWBOY

Can I see you warrant, officers?

FIRST MAN IN SUIT

Here it is.

He hits COWBOY’S hand with the gun. The fight starts.

EXT. BAR – CONTINUOUS

COWBOY and WILLKIE run fast away from the bar.

BANG.

One of the bullets swishes over WILLKIE’s head. The second one reaches COWBOY.

He screams with pain.

WILLKIE catches up and drags him to the car.

The three men chase them.

WILLKIE jumps in the car and darts off.

INT. COWBOY’S CAR – NIGHT (SEVERAL HOURS LATER)

COWBOY breaths with difficulty

WILLKIE

Who were those guys? They were not

from the police, right?

COWBOY shakes his head

WILLKIE (CONT’D)

We need to treat your wound.

He tries to lift COWBOY, but he wheezes and moans. WILLKIE puts him back down.

COWBOY

In my right pocket.

COWBOY glances at his jacket

COWBOY

Take it… there, in the right pocket.

WILLKIE unbuttons the pocket and takes out a folded white envelope.

COWBOY (CONT’D)

It does not have a name on it, the

name of the owner of the land and

the gold mine. Write you name,

son… Go to Los Angeles, you need

to go to Gold Star, find Richard

Taylor and show him this paper.

COWBOY coughs

COWBOY (CONT’D)

But there is more, son. There is

more. There is a place in Russia

where there are sand dunes of

gold…

COWBOY chocks and falls silent.

For some time WILLKIE keeps looking at the dead man. Then he folds the envelope and puts it in his shirt pocket.

INT. ARTEMIEV’S OFFICE – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY

INSERT SHOT – OLD YELLOW PAGES OF THE NOTEBOOK

Diary of a Convict:

V.O. LIUBOV ARTEMIEVA

March 1966. I just now realized how stupid it was! I do not even know his name. He said that he was an American journalist and writes essays on the Russian nature. I called him a Yankee as a joke. It seemed he wasn’t offended. So I called him Jan – for short. My boy – he has his eyes.

ARTEMIEVA’S HAND TURNS PAGE AFTER PAGE

September 1966. I nearly went mad with grief when my son was taken away from me.

November 1967. My son is one year and two months! How is he there? How does he look now?

August 1968. It’s him! Damn, Jan! I recognized him immediately. What the hell is he doing here in the prison? How did he get here? And this woman with him – very well dressed. No, I’m not jealous!

August 1968. I was allowed a meeting with Jan! But what to tell him? That our son was taken away from me.

August 1968. I’m afraid. It is possible that the risk would cost me even longer, if not eternal separation from my dear son!

August. In 1968. I ran away from camp with Jan!

BACK TO SCENE

ARTEMIEV closes the diary.

INT. CLASS ROOM – GEOLOGY INSTITUTE – MODERN RUSSIA – DAY

NICHOLAY YURSKY a twenty-five year old lecturer stands in front of his students.

YURSKY

I have good news for you guys, the

expedition was approved.

Students get excited

YURSKY

So have you decided who is going?

KOVALEV – a well-built guy with small black eyes, stands up.

KOVALEV

Yes. I’ll go, Misha Samokhvalov and

Nastya Barsukova!

STUDENT 1

Nicholay Nickolaevich, is it true

that the place where you are going

…well, it does not exist?

STUDENT 2

And there is no gold there.

KOVALEV

There are mountains of gold there.

STUDENT 2

How do you know?

STUDENT 1

So when do you sail away to Kolyma?

YURSKY

First of all, it’s not Kolyma, second

of all it’s not all about gold.

NASTYA

Who else is going?

The CLASS turns to her. NASTYA – a beautiful young girl with big brown eyes – looks at YURSKY – smiling.

YURSKY

Artemiev – the head of the expedition

and I.

Students begin to shout GOLD. GOLD. GOLD

KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

It is ARTEMIEV

ARTEMIEV

Do you have a minute?

YURSKY

All right, the class is over for today.

You can go.

Students leave.

ARTEMIEV

I’ve been told you want to see me.

YURSKY

Severkov moused out something.

ARTEMIEV

OK, we will show them the smallest

deposit. Especially since the mines

are located so close to each other.

Only you and I know about the Rapid