Vanilla Beans: An Original Screenplay

By George R. Lipponer

An Australian drug official, bogged down in bureaucracy, broods over
a recent divorce and transfer. So wary of romance, Kyle requests a
vacation and finds himself arriving at the island paradise of Tahiti. But
nothing has prepared him for the trouble he encounters. First, he is a
witness to a murder, then he is entrapped by a native beauty and an
overzealous private investigator on a suspicious drug charge. Kyle is
arrested and jailed. He breaks out of prison and enlists the aid of a
vacationing American woman. But she too, in her attempt to prove his
innocence, becomes a suspect.
They struggle to clear their names, go into and out of hiding to avoid
the local police before nighttime chase through the city streets exposes
the plotters and schemers. It is the last day of their vacation when they
are cleared of charges and find time for romance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483654454

George R. Lipponer

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Book preview

VANILLA BEANS

An Original Screenplay

George R. Lipponer

Copyright © 2013 by George R. Lipponer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 07/29/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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An Australian drug official, bogged down in bureaucracy, broods over a recent divorce and transfer. So wary of romance, Kyle requests a vacation and finds himself arriving at the island paradise of Tahiti. But nothing has prepared him for the trouble he encounters. First, he is a witness to a murder, then he is entrapped by a native beauty and an overzealous private investigator on a suspicious drug charge. Kyle is arrested and jailed. He breaks out of prison and enlists the aid of a vacationing American woman. But she too, in her attempt to prove his innocence, becomes a suspect.

They struggle to clear their names, go into and out of hiding to avoid the local police before nighttime chase through the city streets exposes the plotters and schemers. It is the last day of their vacation when they are cleared of charges and find time for romance.

George Lipponer

49 Midland Blvd.,

Lake Ronkonkoma NY 11779

THE VANILLA BEAN

Vanilla Planifolia is one of the world’s most expensive spices. A member of the orchid family, the only used for food, it resembles a heavy coarse vine with roots hanging from its main stem. Its flowers, which only last for a day or two, have no detectable fragrance. But it is during this time that the plant must be pollinated by hand.

The long green bean it produces also has neither flavor nor fragrance, but after picking, the beans are sweated, dried and fermented to release the aromatic vanillin. Inside each of the shriveled, crinkled brown pods are the much sought tiny black dots of vanilla.

Outside its natural habitat in South America, it has been known but for 400 years. There, the Spanish observed the Aztecs flavoring their beverages with the ground vanilla pods or tlilxochitl as it was known to them. When their discovery was introduce in Europe, it became prized as an aphrodisiac. Since that time it has also been found in Tahiti where the ideal climate produces a much squatter bean with a superior flavor.

FADE IN:

EXT. CARNIVAL, EVENING

EXTREME CLOSE UP of Merry Go Round horses rising and

dropping, circling. CAMERA REVEALS YOUNG GIRL tightly

gripping her GRANDFATHER’S hand. He looks down into

her uncertain eyes and hears her say over the calliope

music.

YOUNG GIRL

Will I be safe riding the horses

Grandpa?

GRANDFATHER

Indeed you will. It’s life, there

are many ups and downs.

YOUNG GIRL

Who’ll help me get off when the ride

stops?

GRANDFATHER

Somebody’s always around to help.

CLOSE UP of KYLE listening, then walking on.

EXT. BRISBANE, CITY STREET SCENE, MORNING

Taxis and limousines rush to and from curbsides dis-

charging executives with their briefcases.

INT. OFFICE BUILDING

Kyle, resting an arm on the water cooler, tosses his empty

cup aside and glances far out to the harbor. He watches

a sailboat pushed along by morning bay breezes. He

glance to the office clock and heads for his desk with

a look of stress.

A SECRETARY approaches his tidy desk with a wire

basket brimming with paperwork. Phones ringing all

around.

SECRETARY

MR. MUGGLETON needs these right

away for the monthly report.

Kyle pounds his hand on the desk, scattering paper

clips and tipping his name plate. A cringing

secretary backs away. He draws a long sigh, and

runs a hand through his reddish-brown hair.

KYLE

Muggleton this and Muggleton

that. I’m sick and damned tired

of…

It is hot in the office since the air conditioning

system is being repaired. He strides for Muggleton’s

office, entering without knocking.

A proper gentleman, Muggleton, in a 3 piece suit,

is startled upon seeing a stressed Kyle.

KYLE

You’re going to have to…

This paperwork is draining me

of… of everything. What the

hell does it prove? That we

have 2% arrest record?

Muggleton forces a smile.

MUG GLETON

Look now, I explained this job

to you when you applied.

KYLE

(fuming)

You never said anything about

a lifetime of paperwork though!

There’s no excitement here!

Trying to appear calm, Muggleton draws himself a

cup of water and gulps several pills.

MUGGLETON

I just can’t pull a transfer out

of my hat. But if an opening

develops, I can keep you in mind.

Kyle steps back, showing nerves frayed from his

outburst, the first since he was hired. He

turns to leave.

MUGGLETON

(Looking at his schedule)

I see you have to testify on

Thursday.

KYLE

That doesn’t exactly thrill me.

It’s only because of my presence

when the arresting officer

brought in a suspect that they want

me to testify. I know nothing

about the case.

MUGGLETON

(matter of factly)

Well that guy is probably guilty.

And there’s a perfect chance for

you to do something about that

2% conviction rate.

Kyle smoothes his mustache and turns up his sleeves.

He squares his paisley tie and faces Muggleton

again.

KYLE

(demanding)

And see what you can do about

my vacation request.

Muggleton places a hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

MUGGLETON

You are awfully tense. Try and

relax. Some things in life you

can’t escape. Like yourself,

you are all you’ve got.

INT. BRISBANE COURTROOM, MORNING

Kyle glances at the suspect. He is sworn and shown

to the witness chair. The ACCUSED glares at him.

Another man, a COURTROOM SPECTATOR, peers intently

at him. Kyle answers several questions from both

sides attorneys and steps from the witness chair.

CAMERA goes to glaring spectator then to PROSECUTING

TEAM ATTORNEY flashing thumbs up sign to Kyle.

INT. COURT BUILDING HALLWAY

Kyle meets with the prosecuting team and they shake

hands all around.

PROSECUTER

Great job Kyle. That guy’ll

be sent away for at least 7

years.

Kyle starts to leave and notices the sinister look

of the Courtroom Spectator once more before he

pushes his way through the wide doors. Kyle picks

up the pace to follow.

ANGLE ON HALL WINDOW

Kyle watches the man disappear into maze of

autos in parking area.

EXT. APARTMENT, LATE AFTERNOON

Kyle looks at the purple, moisture-laden sky which

releases its first drops. He rushes up his steps,

kicks aside an advertisement at his feet, and

reaches for his mail.

INT. APARTMENT

Kyle yanks loose his tie. He studies the envelope’s

address and rips open the letter.

CAMERA ON THE LETTER,

Letter reads in part:

Since the severing of this

marriage is uncontested by both

parties, we expect to complete

the final papers within 30 days… .

Kyle flings the letter to the sofa. He goes to

the near empty refrigerator, takes a bottle of ale

and pops its top, letting the cap roll to the floor

He reaches for the letter and reads it again.

CAMERA TO PARENTS’ PICTURE

Kyle gaze at his parents and finishes his bottle

of ale. He mumbles.

KYLE

31 years of marriage for you,

and mine couldn’t last a year.

Camera