Great Scene: “The Fabulous Baker Boys”

Here’s a great scene involving music: Susie (Michelle Pfeiffer) vamping it up atop a Steinway piano in a slinky red dress, crooning “Makin’ Whoopee.”

INT. “KING’S MANOR” DINING ROOM — NIGHT

A banner stretched between two chandeliers, proclaims
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” As the CAMERA DESCENDS, Jack can be
heard picking out a familiar TUNE, but showering it in
blue notes, drawing it out, giving it smoke.

Susie’s face drifts up INTO FRAME, her eyes closed, but
the CAMERA CONTINUES to drop, moving like syrup down her
body, over the silk that clings to her hips and thighs,
down her legs to a pair of wicked arch-breaking heels.

She’s standing on Jack’s Steinway.

SUSIE
 (cooing)
 “Another bride, Another June,
 Another sunny honeymoon.
 Another season, Another reason,
 To make whoopie…”

Caught somewhere between Ray Charles and Marilyn Monroe,
Susie’s voice slides silkily from a whisper to a growl,
her fingers running like sand over her body.

SUSIE
 “A lot of shoes, A lot of rice,
 The groom is nervous, He answers twice,
 It’s really killin’, The boy’s so willin’,
 To make whoopie…”

As Jack knocks hell out of the bridge, Susie melts onto
the piano like a kitten, stretching out languorously on
her back. On the dance floor, men in tuxedos sneak guilty
glances while their wives just stare, mouths agape. In
less that a minute, Susie’s managed to turn a dignified
resort hotel into a sizzling roadhouse.

SUSIE
 “Picture a little love nest,
 Down where the roses cling,
 Picture that same sweet love nest,
 See what a year can bring…
 (toying with Jack’s chin)
 I tell you the boy’s washing dishes,
 baby clothes,
 He’s so ambitious,
 Ooooh, I tell you he sews”

Susie runs her fingers through Jack’s hair and slides
oh-so-slowly off the piano, slinking toward the audience,
and suddenly it’s apparent: she’s winning them over.

SUSIE
 It’s really killin’,
 The boy’s so willin’
 To make whoopee…”

For a scene like this, the writer wants to convey the mood and tone of the moment, but don’t spell out every beat — let the actor act. And in this case, that’s precisely what writer-director Steve Kloves does. Check out those descriptors [emphasis added]:

• Jack can be heard picking out a familiar TUNE, but showering it in blue notes, drawing it out, giving it smoke.
• Susie’s face drifts up INTO FRAME, her eyes closed, but the CAMERA CONTINUES to drop, moving like syrup down her body, over the silk that clings to her hips and thighs, down her legs to a pair of wicked arch-breaking heels.
• Caught somewhere between Ray Charles and Marilyn Monroe, Susie’s voice slides silkily from a whisper to a growl, her fingers running like sand over her body.
• As Jack knocks hell out of the bridge, Susie melts onto the piano like a kitten, stretching out languorously on her back.

“Showering… smoke… syrup… silk… clings… wicked… slides… growl… fingers… melts… kitten… languorously.”

Hm. What’s the subtext here? Gee, I dunno. Perhaps it’s — SEX?!

For more Great Scenes, go here.