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Deb Havener
posted a screenplay

MIDNIGHT SWING
By Deb Havener

GENRE: Drama, Music

LOGLINE:

SETTING: Big bands are in full swing, smoking tea is all the rage, and kids as young as 15 are hitting the road in hopes of becoming the next Benny Goodman. This is 1939; a shimmering time when jazz dazzles, swing is King and dance halls across the nation are hopping. Lording over all of this are the boys in the band.

LOGLINE: A boy in a small-town swing band confesses his feelings for the 2nd-chair trumpet player – just as the band is about to explode onto the National stage.

Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, Screencraft Fellowship semi-finalist https://dreamriver.org/midnigh...

SYNOPSIS:

Official Site:

https://dreamriver.org/midnigh...

Pitch Deck:

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SUMMARY:

Charlie (18) is a young man in a small town swing band who fights hard to keep his love and attraction for his best friend, Jack (the 2nd-chair trumpet player), a secret. These two are ecstatic to have snagged a weekly gig at the Starlight Ballroom in their sleepy Ohio town. And who cares about a possible war brewing overseas? It will never hit America's shores. It's time to hit the dance floor, make screaming great jazz, and steal a little of Benny Goodman's limelight.

Larry Evans, a dashing photojournalist from DownBeat Magazine, is right in the middle of a story on little town swing bands of the Midwest when he comes upon Charlie at the Starlight Ballroom.

Fascinated by Charlie, Larry lures him to his hotel room under the guise that he wants to show him his photo collection of famous Big Bands - but Larry has more intimate ideas in mind. Starry-eyed and naive, Charlie accepts and ends up having his first sexual encounter with another man.

Larry finds a way to ingratiate himself into Charlie's world by booking a gig for them at the famed Moonlight Garden and befriending the older band leader, Teddy. Without any other job prospects to lean on, Teddy eagerly invites Larry to hit the road with the band.

During a night of drunken merriment on the road, Charlie unwittingly confesses his feelings to Jack. Jack responds by throwing the first punch. Threatened, and unable to process this new information, Jack sets out to have sex with as many willing ladies as he can.

Meanwhile, Charlie seeks solace in Larry but is caught in bed by his girlfriend, Daisy. In a moment of sheer panic, Charlie lies and proposes to Daisy -- who happily accepts.

Now, Charlie must fight to keep his band together and keep his love for Jack (and his dalliance with Larry) a secret, or he will be shunned, or worse, by his band, family and friends.

As in all classic, coming-of-age stories, Midnight Swing ends with a loss of youth and childhood dreams. Charlie leaves his band and ends his engagement. But, as in life, new paths emerge. We see Charlie head bravely into an unknown future.

We believe the dazzling dance sequences and touching human dramedy in "MIDNIGHT SWING" will appeal to a wide audience. As well, we feel that the script's competition comments and standings are strong indicators that the feature film will appeal to critical film boards and venues.

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