01x03 - The Right Side of Paradise

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Z: The Beginning of Everything". Aired November 2015 - January 2017.*
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"Z: The Beginning of Everything" is focussed on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the "brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 1920s".
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01x03 - The Right Side of Paradise

Post by bunniefuu »

♪♪

Woman: ♪ After you've gone ♪
♪ And left me cryin' ♪
♪ After you've gone ♪
♪ There's no denyin' ♪
♪ You'll feel blue ♪
♪ You'll feel sad ♪
♪ You'll miss the only pal you've ever had ♪
♪ There'll come a time ♪
♪ Now don't forget it ♪

[car horn honks]

[traffic noise]

[clears throat] This is not coming from me.

But some are complaining of a draft.

To think, I could be dead by now.

Well, nevertheless, you stole my last cigarette.

Absolutely not.

Try not to die a liar.

♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

[sighs]

[chatter]

Not to worry, gentlemen.

Everything is under control.

Carry on. A-ha!

Take that, prohibition.

Where would we be if not for private clubs.

Out of work.

[laughter]

Right. Totally unacceptable.

Daylight. Fitzgerald, always jump in the daylight.

Draws a much bigger crowd.

Although, the splat is far more indecorous.

To wit, Martin Baxter's high dive of Holder Hall.

Where's the trade off, then? Hm? Dealer's choice.

Thank you, brethren.

Noted.

♪♪

What say you, Townsend?

They don't have much lift.

Perhaps they have aptitude.

Or just... family.

Dear God. I have neither.

[laughter]

[all exclaiming]

No need to marry, my friend.

[laughter]

There's always champagne.

[laughter]

[cork popping]

[laughing]

I swear. You are the worst sh*t I've ever seen, John Sellers.

That's why we have lots of a*mo, Zelda Sayre.

Allow me.

Oh, you think you're pretty good, do you?

I am deadly accurate in everything I do.

Old Mr. Chads here.

The meanest teacher I ever had.

Oh, he was harmless.

Mm-mm.

Easy for you to say, he liked you.

[cork popping]

[laughing]

That's because he never knew I was the one puttin' gum on his seat.

Oh, that was you?

He'd jump up all wiggly and squirmy, grabbin' at his backside, th... that squeaky little voice of his cooing like a pigeon. Ooh, ooh.

[laughing]

[cork popping]

Ooh!

[laughing]

Social studies.

Why do we even need to know the state capitols?

I'm never going to Kansas.

Topeka.

Show off.

Vermont.

Montpelier.

Wyoming.

Cheyenne.

Deadly accurate.

[cork popping]

[laughing]

[gasping]

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

Shh.

Let me get the door.

We'll crawl in.

It's probably time I was gettin' home.

No, but it's still early.

All right, then.

It's only a block away.

Well, it feels like you're runnin' away.

No.

Just walkin'.

'Night, John Sellers.

Goodnight, Zelda Sayre.

♪♪

It's the damnedest thing, Townsend.

Zelda writes how much she misses me, and then she says that she's going off to Cotillion with Peyton, Patton, Perry...

A girl has to keep her options open.

[scoffs]

What do you write back?

Frankly, I think it's extremely inconsiderate of her to even expect me to.

I mean, she's the one that's insisting that I rewrite my novel before she'll marry me.

Which you've done.

And I'm doing again.

Once I get off to a good start, that is.

Hm.

I just need to show her that I can do it.

[clears throat]

Hell, she knows I can. I know I can.

But until then... why not send her a note?

She's quite aware of how I feel, Townsend.

In my experience...

[chuckles]

Women like to be reminded.

[laughs]

Oh, you're so like a man, Townsend.

[chuckles]

[sighs] Is it possible that you are the worst friend a fellow has ever had?

[chuckles]

And thank you for picking up my tab tonight.

Oh, no, thank Winston.

I signed his name to everything.

[laughing]

[glass breaking]

[car horn honking]

[keys jangling]

[sighs]

So you see, dearest Scott, I worry that I'll never do anything of import, for I'm much too lazy to care whether a thing is done or not.

All I truly want is to be young always, and to feel that my life is my own.

[indistinct chatter]

Tildy says the people of New York all have different kind of accents.

The likes of which she's never heard.

Plenty of different accents around here.

You mean, like, Mississippi and Georgia?

They are different.

Are they not?

I think Tildy's talkin' about non-southern type accents, Daddy.

Yes, Tootsie, I understand.

We about done here?

Zelda, honey.

Could you post this for me?

I suppose so.

The streets are filled to the brim with people and cars and buses and trolleys.

It's all one big swirl.

Nothin' to love about the big city.

I think it sounds exciting.

Yet you passed on your chance.

Which is to our good fortune.

Still havin' you here with us.

So happy to keep you happy, Daddy.

Livy and Ellie are waitin' on me.

We're goin' to the suffragette rally this afternoon.

Do you want to come, Tootsie?

I promised Abigail I'd baby sit little Camden.

What about Annie Laurie's tea dance, Zelda?

Isn't that today?

Those affairs are insufferable.

More so than the "insufferablegette" rally?

I find it gratifying that Zelda has so many activities to choose from.

Well, I'm off to march, wave signs and shout slogans that would curl your hair.

Nothing to love about women voting.

Sorry I'm late.

Your family takes forever to eat lunch.

Livy.

Well, she's right, Ellie, they do.

I thought you changed your mind.

I wouldn't miss this. It's historic, and happening right here in little old Montgomery.

Not to mention it's something to write about in your next letter to Mr. Scott Fitzgerald.

Dearest Scott, the rally was ever so amazing.

Why do you keep writing him, anyway?

Well, just because I told him I wasn't gonna marry him doesn't mean I can't correspond, does it?

Come on, Zelda.

Whatever is the matter now?

I'm comin', I'm comin'.

Woman: Votes for women. Violets for votes.

All: Votes for women. Violets for votes.

[thunder]

[wind blowing]

[mouthing]

[sighs]

[bell ringing]

Layout is ready, illustrations are late.

Where are we on print?

Depends on which magazines.

And how much lead time.

Time, Life, Redbook.

National editions or regional?

What do they have to do with teeth?

He speaks.

Excuse me?

What do Chesterfields have to do with teeth?

Dentists recommend them.

For what, stains?

This is our first major sh*t at the cigarette market.

Do you have any idea how big this is gonna be?

Oh, this big? [sighs]

Mr. Little, people buy cigarettes for their taste, for the quality of the tobacco, not for their teeth.

We've got dentists.

So, we have to get people to buy Chesterfields because dentists recommend them.

Makes your food taste even better.

The brandy's never been smoother.

Helps settle the stomach.

Doesn't sound very "dentisty."

And what does sound "dentisty" to you, Mr. Fitzgerald?

Mr. Fitzgerald?

This is... This is absurd.

This is the...

Can't do this anymore.

Now, look here, Fitzgerald...

No. Mr. Little, allow me, for I believe this is the moment in the meeting wherein I quit.

What?

And lose dentists.

Go with the singular.

"At the end of a long day serving others, this dentist relaxes with a calming Chesterfield cigarette. It's all the service he needs."

Write that down.

Write that down.

Okay.
I've spent today in the graveyard, all washed and covered with weepy, watery blue flowers.

I'll just say, but all the broken columns and clasped hands and doves and angels mean romance to me.

Out of a row of Confederate soldiers, two or three will make you think of dead lovers.

They're exactly like the others, even to the yellowish moss.

Oh, death is so beautiful.

So very beautiful.

We will die together. I know.

Out of a row of Confederated soldiers...

Oh, death is so beautiful.

So very beautiful.

So you see, dearest Scott...

I've spent today in the graveyard.

[words overlapping]

...is to be young always.

We will die together. I know.

I only stopped by to say hey when Roger has to suddenly go out back and check his bait tanks.

So then this Miss Elvina comes in, she must have been 100 years old, and I tell her, I say, "Roger's just a friend of my family's in cotton," but she won't hear of it, she just wants to talk fish.

[voice fades]

♪♪

Zelda.

Zelda?

Oh. Did she get what she wanted?

I hope so.

I b*at it out of there the minute Roger got back.

I'm sorry. Sometimes I...

I get goin' on a story.

Not at all, John.

I like it.

It speaks to your general enthusiasm.

Well, I do have that.

I have something else.

My pin.

You know what this means, right?

I surely do.

Where is everybody, Mama?

I'm here.

I mean Daddy.

Rotary Club.

All right, then.

Well, Zelda, baby, how is everything?

What?

Just, you know, wondering how everything is?

You are so bad at fakin' things, Mama.

You know, don't you? Well, I know you know.

Now, I may have run across Mrs. Sellers at the grocery today.

And she just may have mentioned that John was gonna give me his pin tonight?

Possibly.

I have lots of pins from lots of boys, Mama.

I know, Zelda dear.

I've been followin' along lo these many years, but somehow this one's different, isn't it, baby?

How do you know when it's different, Mama?

I don't know.

What kind of answer is that?

What kind of answer did you want?

Well, he cares about you a great deal.

Anyone can see that and...

You know, he'll certainly be able to care for you.

Those are not unimportant things.

I know that.

You and Daddy never think I do, but I do.

It's what worried everyone so about Scott.

But, Mama... you weren't happy marryin' Daddy.

Oh, come now, Zelda.

I know there were other possibilities.

Were you in love with any of them?

You can find something to love about every man if you put your mind to it.

I don't want to have to put my mind to it.

But you will, baby.

Whether you want to or not.

I'm just gonna run this laundry downstairs.

I can do that, Mama.

Oh, of course. Thank you, dear.

[ticking]

[clears throat] Excuse me, Miss Hunnicutt.

Mr. Perkins did ask me to come by at 2:00.

[ticking]

And so you have.

[door opens, closes]

Mr. Perkins will see you now.

[sighs]

Fitzgerald.

Mr. Perkins.

There you are, my boy.

Have a seat.

[clears throat]

Thank you for, uh... for seeing me.

So, I've given it a read.

It's longer.

And quite different.

Don't forget your hat this time, Mr. Fitzgerald.

Oh, Miss Hunnicutt.

Miss Hunni, Hunni, Hunni, Hunni, Hunni, Hunnicutt.

♪♪

[bell jingles]

Come on, baby, open it up.

Don't rush me.

It's not a baby alligator. It's not gonna bite ya.

I said don't rush me.

Oh, don't rush her, it's comin' on Christmas.

[laughing]

[gasping]

Oh, my Lord, will you look at that?

It's beautiful, Zelda.

I ain't never seen one like it.

Oh.

What about the letter?

It's from Scott.

We know that.

What did he say?

He sold his book.

[screaming]

Oh, that's wonderful, Miss Zelda, just wonderful.

And he proposed?

New York?

Oh, baby. Oh.

Love you, Mama.

Tootsie: Wait until Tildy here's about this.

It's just beautiful.

Oh, Zelda has got some news, dear.

It's almost 6:15. Dinner.

Scott's book is gonna be published.

You don't have to do this, you know.

♪♪

Holy Lord, that's Stuart Ramsey's little brother Ralphie.

Flash the lights, honk the horn.

We see you, Ralphie!

We're gonna tell your mama.

[giggling]

He can't be more than 14.

They get younger every year, don't they, Zelda?

You got anymore cigarettes?

I think we're good for the night.

[laughing]

Zelda, didn't you used to have a crush on Stuart Ramsey?

Maybe when I was eight.

He might be interesting now.

He's done well for himself.

Practically runs the post office.

Then why don't you be interested, Ellie?

Why, I hadn't thought about it.

[gasping]

[giggling]

I hadn't thought about it but I possibly could be.

Zelda's got her hands full with Mr. Sellers.

And Mr. Fitzgerald.

[sighs] Don't you two have anything better to talk about?

No, this is Montgomery.

[laughs]

Oh, look, it's Bucky Turner.

[horn honking]

We see you, Bucky!

We're gonna tell your mama!

His mother's dead.

Sorry, Bucky, about your mama!

[giggling]

Livy: I know this is awful to say, but... sometimes I miss the w*r.

Livy.

You have to agree it was more fun.

More men, more fallin' in love.

Fallin' in love?

Yeah, fallin' in love, pretty near every night.

Not me.

That's because your daddy didn't let you go to the dances, but Zelda and I, we participated in the w*r effort.

Doesn't this take the cake?

Milton Grable.

[laughing]

[horn honking]

We see you, Milton!

We're gonna tell your mama!

[giggling]

I love him.

[indistinct chatter]

[train whistle blows]

[steam hissing]

Zelda! Zelda, wait up!

Hey.

Zelda!

Hi.

So glad you came.

Hi.

Hi.

Oh, Zelda, don't leave me.

I'm here, dummy.

Love you, Zelda honey.

We'll visit you.

Oh, please do, and soon.

We'll paint the town.

[train whistle blows]

All right.

Bye.

Bye.

Bye.

Let's go, Zelda.

They're not comin'. It's dinner time.

Let's go.

Bye.

Bye.

Bye.

Man: All aboard!

All aboard!

[train whistle blows]

♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

[bell ringing]

[train chugging]

♪♪

Zelda: Where shall we sit?

We're actually leaving Montgomery, Zelda.

Can you believe it?

Yes, I can.

♪♪
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