Boys Will Be Boys
by Irving CobbGenre: Comedy
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Short Story
Recommended Adaptation Length: Two Hours
Candidate for Adaptation? Promising
EXCERPT:
“Why, suh,” stated Mr. Quarles, “to my mind, Judge, there ain’t no manner of doubt but whut prosperity has went to his head and turned it. He acted to me like a plum’ distracted idiot. A grown man with forty thousand pounds of solid money settin’ on the side of a gutter eatin’ jimcracks with a passel of dirty little boys! Kin you figure it out any other way, Judge–except that his mind is gone?”
COMMENTS:
A down-and-out-for-the-count poor man inherits a fortune he never saw coming. He spends the money extravagantly; happily, joyously, generously…is it changing him? For the better? For the worse?
There’s some potential here to create a charming piece. The man could be endearing (he’s gettin’ on in life, and the money reinvigorates him, giving him the happy boyhood he never had). If you adapt this story to something longer than a one-act, you’ll want to invent some RELATIONSHIPS which don’t exist…but there’s a good solid structure here to work with.
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