FINAL DRAFT SCRIPT:
0303 (037)
I'M GOING TO SWEATLAND
FINAL DRAFT
NOVEMBER 3, 1988
MARRIED... WITH CHILDREN
"I'M GOIN' TO SWEATLAND"
Executive Producers
Ron Leavitt
and
Michael G. Moye
Supervising Producer
Richard Gurman
Producers
Marcy Vosburgh
&
Sandy Sprung
Associate Producer
Barbara Cramer
Directed By
Gerry Cohen
Story By
Carl Studebaker
Teleplay By
Pamela Wick
&
Susan Cridland
AN ELP COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTION
SHOW: #0303
TAPE: 11/4/88
AIR: 11/20/88
CAST
----
AL BUNDY .......... ED O'NEILL
PEGGY BUNDY ....... KATEY SAGAL
STEVE RHOADES ..... DAVID GARRISON
MARCY RHOADES ..... AMANDA BEARSE
KELLY BUNDY ....... CHRISTINA APPLEGATE
BUD BUNDY ......... DAVID FAUSTINO
DOTTIE ............ NANCY SKELTON
ALAJANDRO ......... RAWLEY VALVERDE
BUCK (THE DOG) .... MIKE (THE DOG)
MRS. WEBSTOCK ..... TIFNI TWITCHELL
OLLIE ............. KEN MINYARD
LEW ............... BOB ARTHUR
ELVIS #1 .......... PAUL I. CASEY
ELVIS #2 .......... AARON PARIS
ORIENTAL ELVIS .... ROBERT KIM
BLACK ELVIS ....... RAYMOND TURNER
ELVIS ON WHEELS ... ROBERT LENZ
CLYDE ............. BRUCE LIBERTY
ACT ONE
SCENE ONE
FADE IN:
INT. SHOE STORE - AFTERNOON
(AL IS KNEELING IN A SEA OF SHOES. HE IS WAITING ON THREE LARGE LADIES, SITTING NEXT TO EACH
OTHER. HE IS WEARING A NOTICEABLY WRINKLED SHIRT. DOTTIE TAKES OFF A SHOE AND TOSSES IT IN THE
PILE)
DOTTIE They don't fit. Your ad says "We Fit Every Foot".
AL Yes, ma'am. But our problem is we're not dealing with what Webster meant by "feet".
Let's face it, girls. What we got here are rib roasts with nails. So what I would
suggest is surrounding your tootsies with those little brown potatoes, wrap 'em in
foil, and serve with a dry wine.
(THE WOMEN STARE AT HIM HATEFULLY, GET UP AND EXIT. PEGGY ENTERS FOLLOWED BY A GOOD LOOKING
MAN IN HIS TWENTIES, ALAJANDRO, WHO IS LOADED DOWN WITH SHOPPING BAGS)
PEGGY Oh, Al. I'm so glad you're not busy. Boy, am I beat. Shopping here, shopping there.
Thank God I ran out of money. Oh, I need a little tip for Alajandro.
AL Sure. (TO ALAJANDRO) Your lottery numbers are 4, 10, 20...
PEGGY Oh, Al.
(PEGGY PICKS UP A PAIR OF SHOES. SHE GIVES THEM TO ALAJANDRO)
PEGGY Here, dear. For your trouble.
AL Peg, those are hundred dollar pumps.
PEGGY Oh, come on. It's not like you could ever sell them.
ALAJAND Thank you. And thank your father for me.
(HE HEADS OUT)
PEGGY (CALLS OUT AFTER HIM) K-Mart tomorrow, ten-ish?
(ALAJANDRO NODS AND EXITS)
AL Peg, I understand your great need to shop. After all, you have to do something to
break up that nothing you do at home. But, y'know, as I was vacuuming my shirt this
morning, I said to myself, "Hey, I got a wife. I must have. Why else would I not
care about my health?"
PEGGY What's your point, Al?
AL I don't have any clean shirts, Peg.
PEGGY Do what I do. Buy a new one.
AL I would have. But I didn't want to wake you by prying my wallet out of your claws. So
how about this? Pretend the mall closes at three and go home and wash my clothes.
PEGGY What am I being punished for?
(AL STARES AT HER)
PEGGY Okay, I'll do the wash. But can I have more money? I need some quarters for the
machine.
AL You're not going to get me with that one twice. We own that machine.
PEGGY (TEARFULLY) I don't wanna do the wash, Al. There's nothing to buy there. Let's
compromise. Give me some money, and then on the way home, you can pick up some
Chinese food and we can have a nice dinner.
AL I'm serious, Peg. Look at this shirt. It doesn't show up in a mirror. Now go home,
do the wash and until then, you're cut off. No more money. Understand?
PEGGY (HANGING HER HEAD AND POUTING) Yes, Al.
AL Now, if you'll excuse me, the sun is setting, and my shirt wants to party. But first
I've got to put away these shoes.
(PEGGY RUNS HER FINGERS UP HIS ARM)
PEGGY Al?
AL No more money.
PEGGY (MIMICS AL) Yes, dear.
(AL GOES TO THE STOCKROOM TO RETURN SHOES. PEGGY GOES TO SNEAK MONEY FROM THE CASH REGISTER.
TO COVER THE NOISE OF THE DING AS SHE'S OPENING THE REGISTER, SHE SNEEZES LOUDLY AND SLIPS
SOME MONEY OUT)
PEGGY Aacheww!
AL (O.S.) Bless you.
PEGGY Thank you, Al.
(PEGGY COUGHS TO COVER THE SOUND OF THE REGISTER CLOSING)
AL (O.S.) Better take something for that cough.
PEGGY Oh, I already did. Bye Al. I'm going home now to think about doing your laundry.
(AS PEGGY HEADS OUT THE DOOR SHE BUMPS INTO A MAN WHO LOOKS LIKE ELVIS. HE'S THIRTYISH WITH
BLACK HAIR AND SIDEBURNS AND WEARS SUNGLASSES AND A LEATHER JACKET)
ELVIS? Excuse me, ma'am. Where's the pharmacy?
(UNABLE TO SPEAK, PEGGY POINTS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PHARMACY)
ELVIS? Thank you, ma'am.
PEGGY (TO HERSELF) That's Elvis! (RUNNING BACK INTO THE STORE) Al, guess what I just saw?
AL A mother with her children?
PEGGY I saw Elvis!!
AL Elvis who, Peg?
PEGGY Elvis Presley. The King. The Pelvis.
AL (BEAT) Peg, I want to explain three things to you. One, Elvis is dead, two, Elvis
wasn't any good when he was alive, and three, if he was alive, he would tell you to
wash my shirt.
PEGGY You don't believe me?
AL As much as I believed you when you told me cleaning promotes heart disease.
PEGGY That was a mistake. They said smoking, but I didn't want to quit smoking. But I really
did see Elvis.
AL There's only one dead guy in this mall, Peg, and you're looking at him. Now go home
and clean my clothes.
PEGGY Al, I saw Elvis. And if it turns out it really was Elvis, I want you to give me five
hundred dollars.
AL Peg, if it was Elvis, I'll give you everything I have.
PEGGY I'd rather have five hundred dollars.
DISSOLVE TO:
ACT ONE
SCENE TWO
INT. BUNDY KITCHEN/KIVING ROOM - LATER THAT DAY
(PEGGY AND MARCY ARE IN THE KITCHEN SURROUNDED BY LAUNDRY SOAP BOXES, ETC.)
PEGGY So I searched every store in the mall, but he was gone. I know it was him, Marcy. He
looked just like he did when they buried him.
MARCY I loved Elvis. I wish he were alive. He's the one person I'd cheat on Steve with.
Well, him and Boom Boom Mancini.
PEGGY Marcy, I'm telling you, I saw him...
MARCY Look, Peggy. Lots of people think they saw Elvis. He was an idol. A sex symbol, and
with men what they are today, is it any wonder we look to the dead for a little
excitement? Believe me, Peggy, no one wishes he was alive more than I do. I've been
to Graceland. I saw him in Vegas. His buns alive with magic. His voice pulsing
through me, reaching my secret places. His hips undulating, swirling, grinding,
driving his essence into my very soul, again and again, faster and faster, until,
until... (SIGHS) Can I have a cigarette? (BEAT) Anyhow, what I'm saying is he's dead,
and we should get on with our lives. (SIGHS DEEPLY) Oh, God.
PEGGY Do you realize you just had more sex in this house than I've had in sixteen years of
marriage? And it lasted longer. (SHE PUFFS HER CIGARETTE, THEN) Oh, well, at least I've
got my health.
SFX: DRYER DING
PEGGY (YELLING TOWARD THE DOOR) Come in.
MARCY That's the dryer, Peggy. That means it's done.
PEGGY What do we do now?
MARCY You fold them.
PEGGY I don't like this at all.
(MARCY AND PEGGY WALK OVER TO THE WASHER/DRYER AREA)
PEGGY (O.S.) I'm telling you, Marcy. He was so real. Can you imagine what it must have been
like to be married to Elvis?
MARCY (O.S.) And to have his baby. (THEN) But Steve's just as good.
(THEY BOTH LAUGH. PEGGY EMERGES WITH A LARGE BASKET OF DRY CLOTHES AND PLACES IT ON THE
COFFEE TABLE IN THE LIVING ROOM. PEGGY AND MARCY UNLOAD THE BASKET)
MARCY See Peggy, washing isn't so bad.
PEGGY You could be right. This is better than just throwing the clothes away. You can use
them again and again.
(PEGGY PULLS OUT A GREY T-SHIRT)
PEGGY Marcy, this is remarkable. You got the yellow out. Al's T-Shirts are grey again. And
all the stains are gone. Except for this one.
(SHE HOLDS UP A T-SHIRT WITH A HUGE UNDERARM STAIN)
MARCY Give me that!
(MARCY TAKES IT)
MARCY Oh, my God.
PEGGY Don't worry. The numbing in your fingers is only temporary. It's caused by the special
oils and spices in Al's body.
MARCY No, Peggy. Look at the stain. It's the King.
PEGGY Oh, it is a good one, but by no means Al's best.
MARCY No, look at the shape of it. It's Elvis' face. (REVERENTLY) Al sweated Elvis.
(PEGGY EXAMINES THE SWEAT STAIN)
PEGGY It does look like him.
MARCY It is him. It's a sign. You did see Elvis. You've been chosen. (REVERENTLY) Elvis
is alive in Al's underwear.
PEGGY Poor Elvis. First Vegas and now this.
MARCY Let's see what else he sweat.
(THEY START SLINGING CLOTHES AROUND AS THEY SEARCH THROUGH THE LAUNDRY)
PEGGY I've always wondered why Al was born. Now it's all clear. His armpits are a doorway
to another dimension.
(AL ENTERS. HE HAS SWEAT STAINS, MARCY RUSHES OVER)
MARCY Quick, Al. Raise your arms.
(HE SHRUGS AND DOES)
MARCY Quick, Al. Lower them.
(SHE RUSHES BACK)
MARCY (TO PEGGY) It's death all right, but nobody we know.
PEGGY (TO MARCY) The rest of this stuff is clean, dammit.
(AL CROSSES TO THEM)
AL Excuse me, but much like I said on our honeymoon, what's happening here?
PEGGY (SHOWING AL THE T-SHIRT) Look, Al. You sweated Elvis.
AL Peg, if Elvis was married to you, he would have sweat me. What's your point, Peg?
PEGGY I'm serious, Al. You sweated Elvis Presley. You may have the brain of a shoe
salesman but you have the pores of Michael Angelo.
(PEGGY THROWS HER ARMS AROUND HIM)
MARCY Al, do you know what this means?
AL That the tough part of my day is not over?
PEGGY No. It meants I really did see Elvis at the mall. It means he is alive. It means
he's trying to contact me. Oh, Al. I finally understand my real purpose in life.
It's to use you, not as I have been, but as an extension cord to the King.
MARCY He's alive! He's alive! She saw him.
AL You want to see Elvis? I'll show you Elvis.
(AL LIFTS HIS COLLAR, PUFFS HIS CHEEKS, AND FALLS BACKWARDS, DEAD-LIKE, ON THE COUCH)
AL Okay. Now that we've all seen Elvis and felt his presence, let's honor him by doing
something he really loved to do. Eat dinner. But before that, I'm going to do
something Al Bundy loves to do.
(HE PICKS UP A NEWSPAPER AND HEADS UPSTAIRS)
AL I'll let you know if I conjure up another superstar.
(HE EXITS)
MARCY Heathen. (TO PEGGY) Don't let anyone touch that shirt. The world must know. I'm going
to call my Elvis Fan Club hotline.
PEGGY What'll happen then?
MARCY They may send a representative.
FLIP TO:
ACT ONE
SCENE THREE
INT. BUNDY LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN - THE NEXT DAY
(WE SEE A SWARM OF PEOPLE WORSHIPPING THE STAIN ON AL'S T-SHIRT WHICH HAS BEEN MOUNTED ON A
CARDBOARD STAND. KELLY IS TAKING PHOTOS OF PEOPLE POSING WITH AL'S SWEATY T-SHIRT. A SIGN SAYS
"PICTURE WITH SWEAT STAIN - $20". BUD IS SELLING ELVIS PARAPHERNALIA THAT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT
ELVIS, NOR DO WE SEE HIS FACE ANYWHERE. BUCK SITS BY A SIGN THAT SAYS "FEED THE DOG THAT SAW
LASSIE. $5". BUD HAS A TRAY OF HOT DOGS AND A CHANGE MAKER ON HIS BELT)
BUD (HAWKING) Hey, get-cha dogs. Getcha Elvis, "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound" dogs.
DOTTIE (FROM SHOESTORE) I'll take ten.
(WE SEE PEGGY HOLDING COURT BEHIND A ROPED-OFF AREA. MARCY WATCHES PEGGY, HER HANDS CLASPED,
ENRAPTURED. PEOPLE CROWD AROUND PEGGY)
PEGGY And then Elvis said to me... (WITH ELVIS TWANG) "Peggy, you're the ginchiest." No,
that was Kookie. Elvis said, "Peggy, I could have talked through anyone. But I
chose you. I like a woman with... (DRAMATIC PAUSE) ...tall hair."
(A WOMAN SWOONS)
PEGGY Then we held hands. (HOLDS ONE OUT) This one.
(EVERYONE TAKES PICTURES. ON HER REGAL EXPRESSION, WE)
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
FADE IN:
INT. BUNDY LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN - A SHORT TIME LATER
(PEGGY IS STILL BUSY HOLDING COURT. THE KIDS ARE SELLING. AL ENTERS. HE IS BEAT. HE DOESN'T
NOTICE THE ACTIVITY. HE CROSSES TO THE COUCH)
AL God, what a miserable day.
(HE SITS ON THE COUCH, PUTS HIS HAND DOWN HIS PANTS)
AL Get me a beer, will ya, Peg?
(A BEAT, THEN HE TURNS AROUND AND REALIZES HIS HOUSE IS IN CHAOS)
AL Peg?
(NO RESPONSE)
AL Hey, will somebody talk to me, here?
(KELLY COMES OVER)
KELLY Sure, daddy. Get up and go away, the Webstocks are on our package deal which includes
a tour of the grounds and priority seating.
(THE WEBSTOCKS SIT NEXT TO AL)
MRS. W I'm Myrna Webstock. We're up from Tecumseh, Iowa. Don't you love Elvis?
AL No, I love cold beers, I love young blondes, but since I'm not gonna have either of
those tonight, I'd really love it if you got the hell out of my house.
KELLY Daddy, be nice. Don't you understand? We're competing with Graceland, here.
AL Go to your room.
KELLY I can't. The deluxe tour is resting up there.
AL How come Elvis is dead and I'm the one in Hell?
(AL GETS UP AND GOES TO PEGGY)
AL Oh, Peg. Can I see you a minute?
PEGGY Oh, hi, Al. Everyone, everyone. Meet the man who sweated Elvis. We had sex once.
(AL STARES AT HER)
PEGGY Twice.
(FLASHBULBS POP AND BLIND AL)
SFX: DOORBELL
(AL STUMBLES TO THE DOOR AND OPENS IT TO TWO MEN, OLLIE AND LEW, TWO SHRINE BUILDERS)
OLLIE Hi, we're Ollie and Lew, of Twentieth Century Shrines.
LEW If they're dead, and it's worth a buck, we're on it.
(BUD COMES OVER)
BUD It's for me, dad. (TO GUYS) Bundy's the name, bilking the public's my game.
OLLIE We've got your order here.
(BUD TAKES THE LIST)
BUD Let's see. Two gross of skinny Elvis pens. Two gross of fat Elvis pens. One thousand
gross of "Love Me Tender" toilet paper. Wait a second. Where's our "Jailhouse Rock"
shower soap?
LEW Back ordered.
BUD Damn.
OLLIE Now, I know you didn't order one, but what you really want is your basic terra cotta
and neon Elvis shrine.
LEW You don't want to be cheap here, 'cause Elvis could walk in any minute, and as we all
know, Elvis is alive.
(HE WINKS AT OLLIE. OLLIE WINKS AT BUD. BUD WINKS AT AL. AL RUBS HIS TEMPLES. AL WALKS AWAY.
KELLY COMES UP TO HIM)
KELLY Dad, would you raise both your arms? The Webstocks want to put each of their heads
under there for a picture. There's five bucks in it for you.
AL Is there no pride left in this family?
PEGGY And so I said to him, "Hey Elvis. Tell me true, who do you like better - Priscilla or
me?" And he raised his beautiful head from his pizza, and with pepperoni on his
breath, he sang this.
(PEGGY STARTS TO SING "HEARTBREAK HOTEL". PEOPLE "AHH" AND SWAY TO THE MUSIC. AL REACTS. BUD
COMES OVER)
BUD Dad. Here's a quarter. Throw it at Mom, and get the ball rolling.
AL Kids. Don't you see what you're doing? You're taking money from gullible, hard
working morons. How are you gonna sleep at night?
KELLY We can rest our heads on these.
(THEY BOTH TAKE OUT HUGE BANKROLLS)
SFX: BUS HORN
(MARCY GETS EXCITED)
MARCY They're here! They're here!
(SHE RUSHES OUT. PEGGY COMES OVER)
AL Peg. What are you doin'? I had a rough day, and all I want is some peace, a meal, and
some hemlock. Is that too much to ask?
PEGGY Boy. You can't stand not being the center of attention, can you? This is my moment in
the sun and here you come, Mr. Total Eclipse. What could Elvis have been thinking
when he sweated himself through you?
AL Well, it was probably just one of those spontaneous, happy go lucky things that dead
guys do. (CALLS OVER) All right, everyone. Announcement, announcement. This is my
house. I'm opening the door.
(HE DOES. MARCY COMES IN, FOLLOWED BY ELVIS IMPERSONATORS)
AL I'm not believing my eyes.
MARCY Peggy, I'd like you to meet the National Academy of Elvis Impersonators.
(THE FIRST THREE LOOK LIKE ELVIS)
ELVIS 1 Howdy, ma'am.
ELVIS 2 Howdy, ma'am.
O ELVIS Howdy, ma'am.
(A BLACK ELVIS ENTERS)
B ELVIS Howdy, ma'am.
(AN ELVIS IN A WHEELCHAIR ENTERS)
E ON WH Howdy, ma'am.
AL Okay, Peg. I'm gonna put this as plain as I can. It's either me or Elvis. Who's it
gonna be?
FLIP TO:
ACT TWO
SCENE TWO
INT. SHOE STORE - EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
(AL IS ASLEEP IN A COUPLE OF CHAIRS. A BUM, "CLYDE", WALKS BY WITH A SHOPPING CART. HE RAPS
ON THE WINDOW)
CLYDE Eight o'clock, Bundy.
(AL WAKES UP)
AL Thanks, Clyde.
(CLYDE MOVES OFF. STEVE APPEARS AT THE DOOR. AL CROSSES TO LET HIM IN)
AL Hey, Steve. Where the hell were you last night? I was banging on your door for fifteen
minutes, looking for a place to stay.
STEVE Why didn't you stay at the Elvis tent city that sprang up on my lawn? Let me get to
the point of my visit, Al. I'm suing you. My wife won't leave your house.
AL Neither will mine, but they threw me out of court.
STEVE This Elvis thing is ruining my life. I used to have a wife that enjoyed my company.
We'd come home from work, we'd talk, we'd laugh, we'd share little banking anecdotes.
That was before your wife and your sweat stain ruined my life. Now Marcy's at your
house, and it's pretty difficult to discuss supply side economics with a woman who's
riding on the shoulders of a black man, singing, "Viva Las Vegas".
AL So what's your beef, Steve?
STEVE I want my wife back.
AL Steve, if it was up to me, you'd have your wife back. And my wife. But it's not up
to me. Our women have gone insane, and I've learned, much like when they're shopping,
sick or horny, it's best to stay out of their way.
STEVE Why is it that only women see Elvis? Men at least see U.F.O.'s. Something useful for
mankind.
AL I think we see U.F.O.'s because we have to. It's our only way out of here. The only
thing that keeps me going is thinking that one day, a spaceship will land. Hopefully
on garbage day. Then a gorgeous Martian with three big hooters comes out and says
"I can't speak, I have no parents, and I have no idea what good sex is. Hop aboard.
My planet, su planet."
STEVE What's the third hooter for?
AL One in the back for dancing. Y'know what the worst part is?
STEVE No one dances slow anymore?
AL No. It's that there are people out there that are even dumber than women. And they're
at my house, right now, buying rides on my couch. I wish I could be a lowlife con man
like my kids, and make money off this thing.
STEVE Give yourself some credit, Al. You're low enough. You're just not smart enough.
AL Thanks, Steve.
STEVE Oh, come on, Al. I'm not telling you anything that Peggy hasn't told Marcy and Marcy
hasn't told me a thousand times. The point is, why should everyone make money off
your sweat but you? (BEAT) And me. Y'know what we say at the bank. When opportunity
knocks, that's us foreclosing. We gotta get in on this, Al.
AL I dunno. My kids have cornered the market. They're selling everything. What's left?
What really says "Elvis"?
(AL LOOKS AROUND THE SHOE STORE. WE SEE A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS FROM AL'S EYES TO SHOES, TO AL'S
EYES TO SHOES, ETC.)
AL Shoes! Blue suede shoes! Steve, we can sell blue suede shoes.
STEVE Yeah. I like it. I'll be the brains and the money, and you, you'll be... well, you'll
be in the way. Partners?
(THEY SHAKE HANDS)
DISSOLVE TO:
ACT TWO
SCENE THREE
INT. BUNDY LIVING ROOM - LATER THAT DAY
(WE OPEN ON THE DOOR. AL AND STEVE ENTER WITH BOXES OF SHOES ON A DOLLY)
AL (PITCHING) Get your blue...
(AL LOOKS AROUND. THE HOUSE IS EMPTY. PEGGY IS ON THE COUCH)
AL Suede shoes. Peg, what did you do now?
PEGGY Oh, Al. A terrible thing happened. Elvis was just spotted in Youngstown, Ohio buying
quarter-inch lug nuts at Willie Hardware and Lumber. Do you know what this means? I'm
just an ordinary woman, married to you. Oh, Al, hold me.
(AL TURNS AWAY FROM HER)
AL Steve, we got seven hundred pairs of blue suede shoes. What are we gonna do?
STEVE Oh, Al. I'm so depressed. Hold me.
(HE HOLDS STEVE. PEGGY NUZZLES HER HEAD TO MAKE ROOM UNDER HIS ARM. HE HOLDS THEM BOTH)
PEGGY People are so stupid. Elvis didn't say anything to me about Ohio. He must've found out
I had children. I knew those kids would ruin my life. Oh, why didn't I just let you
stay locked in the bathroom on our honeymoon? (SHE BREAKS AWAY) Look, I'm gonna drive
to Youngstown right now and straighten this out.
AL That's it, Steve. We'll go to Youngstown.
PEGGY You'd do that for me?
AL Yeah, sure. Right. For you, Peg. Grab the shoes, Steve.
STEVE I can't go anywhere without asking Marcy. (TO PEGGY) Where is she?
PEGGY On the way to Youngstown. She was still on the shoulders of the Black Elvis when he
got on the bus.
STEVE To Youngstown.
(THEY WHEEL OUT THE DOLLY AND EXIT)
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
Scribed by Nitzan Gilkis
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