1949
Quiet barber Ed Crane discovers his wife's affair and, after a failed blackmail attempt against her boss, Big Dave, accidentally kills him during a confrontation, leading to Doris's arrest and subsequent suicide in prison. Grappling with Doris's death and her secret pregnancy, Ed attempts to invest in a young musician, Birdy Abundas, but a car crash after Birdy's advances leads to Ed's arrest for Big Dave's murder. Ed is found guilty and sentenced to death, reflecting on the bizarre chain of events that brought him to the electric chair. As he awaits execution, Ed experiences a fleeting, unexplainable encounter with a flying saucer.
Save the Cat beat sheet
A reserved barber’s life spirals out of control after he makes a seemingly harmless investment and unwittingly becomes entangled in blackmail, murder, and a doomed love affair.
Open full beat sheetEd Crane is listed as Protagonist / Narrator. A quiet, stoic barber who works in his brother-in-law's shop. In the parsed data, Ed Crane is connected to 58 scenes, 9 dialogue lines, 9 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
58 scenes / 9 dialogue linesDoris Crane is listed as Ed's Wife. Works as a bookkeeper at Nirdlinger's, unhappy in her marriage. In the parsed data, Doris Crane is connected to 12 scenes, 6 dialogue lines, 6 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
12 scenes / 6 dialogue linesFrank Raffo is listed as Barber. Ed's brother-in-law, the principal barber, talkative and outgoing. In the parsed data, Frank Raffo is connected to 12 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
12 scenes / 5 dialogue linesFreddy Riedenschneider is listed as Defense Attorney. A high-priced, cynical lawyer from Sacramento. In the parsed data, Freddy Riedenschneider is connected to 11 scenes, 10 dialogue lines, 10 text mentions, first appearing around scene 22.
11 scenes / 10 dialogue linesBirdy Abundas is listed as Musician. A talented young piano player, daughter of Walter Abundas. In the parsed data, Birdy Abundas is connected to 8 scenes, 4 dialogue lines, 4 text mentions, first appearing around scene 12.
8 scenes / 4 dialogue linesBig Dave Brewster is listed as Department Store Owner. Doris's boss, a boisterous man with a dark past. In the parsed data, Big Dave Brewster is connected to 6 scenes, 6 dialogue lines, 6 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
6 scenes / 6 dialogue linesCreighton Tolliver is listed as Entrepreneur. A swarthy, mustachioed man who pitches a dry-cleaning business. In the parsed data, Creighton Tolliver is connected to 4 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 5.
4 scenes / 5 dialogue linesAnn Nirdlinger is listed as Big Dave's Wife. Heiress to the Nirdlinger department store fortune. In the parsed data, Ann Nirdlinger is connected to 3 scenes, 2 dialogue lines, 2 text mentions, first appearing around scene 23.
3 scenes / 2 dialogue linesWalter Abundas is listed as Genealogist. Birdy's father, a local lawyer. In the parsed data, Walter Abundas is connected to 3 scenes, 2 dialogue lines, 2 text mentions, first appearing around scene 18.
3 scenes / 2 dialogue linesEd and Frank discuss the news while working in the shop.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd and Doris entertain Big Dave and Ann for dinner.
Ed Crane, Doris Crane, Big Dave Brewster, Ann NirdlingerBig Dave talks to Ed on the porch about business and Doris.
Ed Crane, Big Dave BrewsterEd and Doris play bingo at church.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneCreighton Tolliver enters the shop and pitches a dry-cleaning business to Ed.
Ed Crane, Frank Raffo, Creighton TolliverEd shaves Doris's legs while contemplating the dry-cleaning investment.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneEd meets Creighton to discuss the investment; Creighton makes a pass at Ed.
Ed Crane, Creighton TolliverEd talks to Frank about hair growth while working.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd helps Doris get ready for a party.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneEd attends the Christmas party and is approached by Big Dave.
Ed Crane, Doris Crane, Big Dave BrewsterBig Dave confesses to Ed about his affair and the blackmail note he received from a businessman.
Ed Crane, Big Dave BrewsterEd wanders into the music department and meets Birdy Abundas playing the piano.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasDoris and Ed drive home, Doris complains about Big Dave's money problems.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneEd watches Big Dave leave the hotel, then retrieves the blackmail money.
Ed Crane, Big Dave BrewsterEd delivers the money to Creighton Tolliver.
Ed Crane, Creighton TolliverEd and Doris attend a family reception where Frank participates in a pie-eating contest.
Ed Crane, Frank Raffo, Doris CraneBig Dave confronts Ed about the blackmail, leading to a violent struggle where Big Dave is killed.
Ed Crane, Big Dave BrewsterEd is working when two police officers arrive to inform him that his wife has been arrested.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd visits Doris in prison; she confesses to helping Big Dave cook the books.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneFrank insists on paying for a lawyer for Doris.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoFrank and Ed secure a loan from the bank using the barbershop as collateral.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd meets Freddy Riedenschneider for lunch to discuss the case.
Ed Crane, Freddy RiedenschneiderAnn Nirdlinger visits Ed to talk about Big Dave and UFOs.
Ed Crane, Ann NirdlingerFreddy meets with Ed and Doris to discuss the defense strategy.
Ed Crane, Doris Crane, Freddy RiedenschneiderDoris is arraigned for the murder of Big Dave Brewster; Freddy Riedenschneider enters a plea of not guilty.
Ed Crane, Doris Crane, Freddy RiedenschneiderEd continues to cut hair while narrating the slow pace of the legal process.
Ed CraneFreddy Riedenschneider sleeps in his hotel room.
Freddy RiedenschneiderFreddy eats spaghetti at DaVinci's.
Freddy RiedenschneiderA private investigator is shown scouting Big Dave's past.
Ed listens to Birdy play the piano, finding peace.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasFreddy presents his theory of 'Uncertainty' and reveals Big Dave's past lies.
Ed Crane, Doris Crane, Freddy RiedenschneiderBirdy plays piano and discusses Beethoven.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasEd watches Birdy perform at a talent show.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasEd approaches Birdy after the show, but sees her with a boy.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasFreddy prepares for the first day of the trial.
Freddy RiedenschneiderThe trial is abruptly halted by the judge.
Ed Crane, Frank Raffo, Freddy RiedenschneiderEd and Frank learn of Doris's suicide.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd lies in bed, feeling the weight of the situation.
Ed CraneFreddy checks out of the hotel.
Freddy RiedenschneiderFrank is depressed and stops coming to work.
Frank RaffoEd manages the shop and hires a new barber.
Ed CraneEd locks up the shop.
Ed CraneEd walks home feeling like a ghost.
Ed CraneEd sits alone in his house.
Ed CraneEd continues working as the barber.
Ed CraneEd is approached by the medical examiner.
Ed CraneDiedrickson reveals to Ed that Doris was pregnant.
Ed CraneDiedrickson informs Ed that his late wife was pregnant, leading to a tense exchange about their marriage.
Ed Crane, Frank RaffoEd visits a medium to try and communicate with his deceased wife.
Ed CraneEd leaves the medium's building, feeling disillusioned.
Ed CraneEd visits the Abundas house to speak with Birdy about her musical future.
Ed Crane, Birdy Abundas, Walter AbundasEd takes Birdy to audition for a piano teacher, Carcanogues.
Ed Crane, Creighton Tolliver, Birdy AbundasEd and Birdy drive back; Birdy makes a pass at Ed, leading to a car crash.
Ed Crane, Birdy AbundasEd is approached by a salesman while Doris arrives home.
Ed Crane, Doris CraneEd wakes up in the hospital and is arrested for murder.
Ed CraneEd's trial begins with Riedenschneider as his defense attorney.
Ed Crane, Freddy RiedenschneiderRiedenschneider delivers a closing argument, but Frank interrupts by attacking Ed.
Ed Crane, Frank Raffo, Freddy RiedenschneiderEd receives a new lawyer and is sentenced to death.
Ed CraneEd reflects on his fate while walking to his cell.
Ed CraneEd writes his story for a magazine.
Ed CraneEd walks toward the prison yard.
Ed CraneEd encounters a flying saucer.
Ed CraneGuards and a priest come to take Ed to his execution.
Ed CraneEd is prepared for the electric chair.
Ed CraneThey got this guy, in Germany. Fritz something-or-other. Or is it. Maybe it's Werner. Anyway, he's got this theory, you wanna test something, you know, scientifically--how the planets go round the sun, what sunspots are made of, why the water comes out of the tap--well, you gotta look at it. But sometimes, you look at it, your looking changes it.
...a menace to society... a predator on his own wife, his business associates, on an innocent young girl... social contract... line crossed... the offender forfeits the right to his own life... I hereby order that you be taken to a place of confinement...
Japs had us pinned down in Buna for something like six weeks. Well, I gotta tell ya, I thought we had it tough, but, Jesus, we had supply.
It's called dry cleaning. You heard me right, brother, 'dry cleaning'--wash without water, no suds, no tumble, no stress on the clothes.
I'm sorry to add to your burden, Crane, but I'd want to know it it was me. Your wife was pregnant. First trimester.
I do the talking; you keep your trap shut. I'm an attorney, you're a barber; you don't know anything. Understood?
Move for a mistrial, your honor! Move for a mistrial! This outrageous display cannot help but prejudice...
Says here that the Russians exploded n A-bomb and there's not a damn thing we can do about it.
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