Short Screenplay: I NEVER KNOCK by John Ervin

I NEVER KNOCK

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Comedy

A has-been movie star contemplates killing herself on-stage during the opening night of a Broadway show in 1955, when she is interrupted by several visitors to her dressing room.

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Hugh Ritchie
REBECCA – Jane Smythe
FANNY – Cass Van Wyck
BRODERICK – Benjamin Camenzuli
OLIVIA – Becky Shrimpton
LEE – Paul Whitaker

Get to know the winning writer:

What is your screenplay about?

A has-been movie star contemplates killing herself on-stage during the opening night of a Broadway show in 1955, when she engages in insults, fisticuffs, bottle-throwing and gun-play with several visitors to her dressing room.

What genres does your screenplay under?

Comedy, Historical

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Movie and theatre stars of the golden age of Hollywood and Broadway should be celebrated and remembered, especially in this age of instant entertainment and online pseudo-stars who don’t put in the work and pay their dues like the classic ones did.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Shockingly funny.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

The Shawshank Redemption (which, among many other things, involves a classic Hollywood movie icon)

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

One year

How many stories have you written?

Twenty-five

What motivated you to write this screenplay?

My love of classic Hollywood films starring Bette Davis, Barbra Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart and other icons of the era, as well as my admiration for the theatre, both on and off Broadway.

What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Having free time to write it, what with personal and work-related obligations distracting from what was a very enjoyable process.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Politics, social causes, traveling, and seeing as many new releases and old favorites in film as I can.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Write every day, no matter how busy life can be or frustrating the process is, because creativity only happens during the actual function of writing.

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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: John Johnson