Birds in a Gilded Cage
Picture courtesy of Glass Magnolia Flowers
An original script, inspired by Land of the Giants and written by Cindy
The sun is shining down on the tiny camp as Betty and Valerie, standing at the ship's hatch, observe the men gathering up the various pieces of equipment. Steve, throwing the rope over his shoulder, approaches them, his crew-mate handing him the radio.
STEVE: Barry and Fitzhugh are at the outpost so stay close to the radio. The debris the rain washed down the brook isn't far, but depending on what we find, we shouldn't be gone long.
VALERIE: Aye, aye, Skipper.
Watching as they disappear down the trail, Valerie lets out a bored sigh, looking about the meager camp.
VALERIE: I don't know about you, but I need a change in clothes. Let's go play dress-up.
Wondering what she means, Betty eagerly follows her into the ship. Within minutes, all of Val's luggage cases and clothes are scattered throughout the passenger cabin. The vivacious redhead holds up a pretty snow skiing outfit before a full length, portable mirror.
VALERIE: Too bad this isn't the Swiss Alps. This would have knocked them dead.
Next to her, Betty is going through a suitcase of disarrayed evening gowns. Folding them as she goes, she glances at her friend.
BETTY: I wonder if that mirror had been of real silver if Mark could have charged the solar batteries.
VALERIE: Hey! I don't want to hear about repairs and what if's. I want to talk about frilly clothes and expensive jewelry!
Betty pulls another tousled dress from the suitcase.
BETTY: (holding up dress) Some of your dresses look like they've never been worn.
VALERIE: (smiles proudly) They haven't. Hot off the dress designer's platform in New York. I always buy a new wardrobe before going overseas.
Picking up a white, sequined, strapless gown, Betty's face lights up as she examines it.
BETTY: Oh, Val!
VALERIE: Try it on.
BETTY: Oh, I couldn't. It must be very expensive.
Holding the beautiful dress in front of her, she moves before the mirror, longing to try it on, but not daring to.
VALERIE: Bet you'd look beautiful in it. It's certainly your color. Go ahead, be daring.
BETTY: But Steve and the others…
VALERIE: The men folk won't be back for hours. Go on, have some fun. You deserve it after everything we've been through.
The undecided woman looks at the dress in her hand, and smiles.
BETTY: Better shut the door first.
She starts to undo the zipper as Valerie closes the compartment door. Quickly getting into the gown, Betty is once again standing in front of the mirror, stunned at not only how beautiful the gown looks, but how it makes her feel.
VALERIE: Hey, if we're gonna do it, let's do it right.
Digging into a small case, she pulls out black stockings, long white gloves, white heels, and a large, matching fan. With the ensemble now complete, Betty twirls around, almost falling over from her prolonged disuse of heels.
BETTY: (laughing) How do I look?
VALERIE: I have to admit, it looks better on you than it did on me. You have the height for it.
Snapping open the fan, Betty poses seductively before the mirror.
BETTY: I feel like I should be singing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend".
VALERIE: On this planet, it's more like "Two Little Girls from Little Rock".
Feeling happy and carefree for the first time in a long time, Betty starts singing her own rendition of "Diamonds" as Val cheers her on.
A little while later, on the edge of camp, the men come back, slowing down when…
MARK: I hear singing.
STEVE: So do I.
They stop and listen to a faded version of "Girls from Little Rock".
STEVE: But where's it coming from?
DAN: Hey, the view ports are closed.
Entering the ship, they pause in the corridor when they hear the singing coming from the cabin. Steve smiles, putting a finger to his lips. He pushes the cabin control, and the door silently opens. Amused, the men watch quietly, enjoying the show that Betty is unknowingly putting on.
BETTY: (singing) … find a gentleman who's shy or bold or short…"
In the corridor, Chipper weaves his way through the men's legs, going to the entertainer. Seeing him, Betty picks him up, ruffling his fur.
BETTY: (continuing) …or tall or young or old-as long as the guy's a millionaire!
In true showmanship, she props her stocking-clad leg on a chair, revealing her long, shapely legs-until it dawns on Valerie….
VALERIE: Chipper, how did you get in here?
Realizing, both women look in surprise to see the men standing appreciatively in the doorway. Mark and Dan start to clap, the latter adding a wolf whistle.
DAN: More! More!
Embarrassed, Betty quickly takes her leg off the chair as the men join them in the cabin.
BETTY: Excuse me while I go find a hole to crawl into.
VALERIE: You, sirs, should be horsewhipped!
MARK: I think you should dress up more often. (to Betty) Where'd you get the dress?
BETTY: Val.
STEVE: Not very practical.
VALERIE: With that kind of charm, Steve, I can see why you're still a bachelor.
DAN: Well, Miss Hamilton, let me be the first to tell you how beautiful you look.
Bowing, he takes her hand, kissing it.
BETTY: Thank you, Sir Erickson.
VALERIE: (smiling) Too bad we're not in London. I'd love to see the kind of fish she'd catch with this bait.
Suddenly, they hear Barry yell from outside the ship:
BARRY: Giants! (comes running in) A giant's coming!
Steve takes the out-of-breath boy by the shoulders, calming him down.
STEVE: How many?
BARRY: Just one, but he's coming right for us!
STEVE: All right, everyone, head for the shelter!
Mark runs out first, the rest following. On his way out, he runs into Fitzhugh, who's running in.
FITZHUGH: Giants!
MARK: We know!
The engineer spins him in the opposite direction then continues into the woods as the others exit the Spindrift. Barry, his pet in his arms, comes out and takes the confused man by the hand, leading him away.
BARRY: Come on, Mr. Fitzhugh! We have to hide.
Halfway to the door, he lets her go, but she dodges back for her boots. Seeing her, Steve once again grabs her hand, pulling her out the door.
STEVE: Come on!
They exit the hatch, Steve hitting the steps on the run. However, Betty has to lift the skirt to see the stairs and steps down carefully because of the heels. Still holding up the skirt, she follows Steve into the forest as best she can. With the captain only a few yards ahead, she sees him catapult over a downed tree in the pathway. Reaching the branch, she sits down, swinging her legs over the barrier. In setting her feet on the ground, she goes to run, but can't. The skirt hem is caught on a splinter on the opposite side. She leans over, desperately trying to free herself, but the amount of material and the placement of the catch make it hard to find.
In their newly built "shelter", a hollowed out ground under a huge boulder that's not far from the camp, the others watch as a giant, a funny little man in a wide breasted suit, roams the area, smoking a cigar. Taking a puff, he looks leisurely up at the trees. Hidden in the "shelter", the others watch the giant roam the area.
MARK: VALERIE: Good thing we put fresh leaves on it yesterday. Maybe he won't see it.
When Steve comes running into the shelter, Dan looks for the last fugitive, but she never arrives.
DAN: Where's Betty?
STEVE: She was right behind me!
Meanwhile, Betty swings back over the limb. She continues struggling, but still can't find the anchor. Seeing the giant, she forcibly tugs at the skirt, but it won't come away. The giant, finished with his cigar, drops it on the ground and goes to stamp it out when he sees a flash and movement in the corner of his eye. Attracted by the white reflection, he goes to see what it is. Seeing him approach, the frightened woman ducks down as low as she can while still trying to pull the skirt lose; but the white of the dress only serves as a beacon, bringing the giant right to her.
Steve and Dan come running back along the trail just in time to see the giant reaching for the former stewardess.
MILLO: Well, what do we have here?
MILLO: I don't believe it! Ya…ya look exactly like Nightingale.
Smiling, he puts her in his pocket and hurries away. The Spindrift crew desperately try to follow him, running all the way to the edge of the park, but when they arrive, it's too late. They reach the curb just in time to see the giant speed away in his car.
DAN: I didn't get a chance to see his license plate!
STEVE: It didn't have one, it was a new car.
Exhausted and defeated, they head slowly back to camp. Mark is examining the giant cigar as the others mull about anxiously. When the men return, by the look on their faces, everyone knows what's happened.
MARK: She's been caught.
The two men sit wearily on a rock.
STEVE: Yeah.
MARK: I'll get the equipment.
In not hearing a confirmation, he becomes suspicious.
MARK: What's wrong?
DAN: The giant took off in a car. It didn't have a license plate.
The travelers exchange stunned glances, Barry picking up Chipper and holding him tightly.
BARRY: But without the license plate…
VALERIE: …you can't find her!
MARK: We can't just sit here!
STEVE: If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them.
FITZHUGH: You must have some idea! There must be something you can do!
STEVE: Well, this time I don't! Without a registration number there's no way we can find her!
VALERIE: Everyone watches as she sits down on the ship steps, their own misery reflected on her distressed face. Seeing her pain, Mark goes over, putting his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her as she starts to cry.
FITZHUGH: With his arm around the boy, Fitzhugh leads him solemnly out of camp.
Meanwhile, inside the giant's pocket, Betty is holding on as best she can. After a few moments of jostling, she can feel the car come to a stop.
Having parked in front of a fancy nightclub, the giant, Millo, passes under the canopied entrance as the doorman opens the door for him, tipping his hat. Millo returns the friendly gesture, entering the building.
Going into the large dining/entertainment hall, he barely notices the silk napkins and gold lined china table setting as he heads for the door to the side of the stage, entering the Rehearsal Room off it's corridor.
Inside, musical instruments are stored everywhere. In the middle of the room, the piano is being played while next to it, Nightingale rehearses her sultry song. Except for longer hair, she is an exact double for Betty.
Millo signals her he'll meet her in her dressing room. Not skipping a beat, she nods, acknowledging the signal. Smiling confidently, the manager pulls out a cigar, continuing to the room just a little further down the hall.
The dressing room is a large as to comfortably accommodate any "star" the nightclub should book, including expensively furnished living quarters off the make-up/dressing area.
Millo, chewing on his unlit cigar, enters looking around for something to put his captive in. Spotting a shoe box under the dressing table, he sets it on the table then carefully and gently puts Betty into it.
MILLO: What's ya name, beautiful?
BETTY: Betty Hamilton.
MILLO: Hamilton (giggles) What a strange name. But Betty has potential. Let's see…Betty… Butterfly. Butterfly and the Nightingale. Nightingale and Butterfly. I'll have ta work on it, but let me reassure ya that these are just temporary accommodations. We'll get ya something a little more befitting a star as soon as…
The door opens and Gale comes in.
GALE: Millo, you know I don't like to be disturbed during rehearsal.
MILLO: This was important! I've got something that'll knock you right off your feet!
GALE: What?
MILLO: This.
He points to the box. Warily the woman peeks in, her mouth dropping open.
GALE: A little people! I don't believe it!
MILLO: I still don't, but this is it! This is what's going to put us right over the top!
GALE: Millo, we're at the top, we can't go any higher.
MILLO: Sure we can. And she's what's gonna do it for us!
GALE: How?
MILLO: Don't ya get it? You and ya "little" sister! A duet! Ya'll capture the section of audience we've never been able to ta touch before.
GALE: What if she can't sing?
MILLO: We'll fake it!
GALE: Except you're forgetting one thing-it's illegal to own little people!
MILLO: Only without a license! Not to worry! My brother-in-law is on the Supreme Council!
He grabs her by the shoulders.
MILLO: This is it, baby! The last hurdle! Nothing can stop us now!
GALE: But…
MILLO: I've got to go make some arrangements (gives her quick kiss on the cheek) Take care of that voice of yours!
With that, he bounces out the door. His client shakes her head in befuddlement.
GALE: But… nothing's stopped us before!
Suddenly tired, she looks wearily down at Betty.
GALE: My name's Gale.
