Fragments -- BLAZE O'GLORY

I've been cleaning out my office, and came across a stack of old papers and notes with notes and ideas for and fragments of old stories or movie scripts.

I've mentioned that when I was trying to sell movie scripts in the early 1990's, several actual scripts were "dumbed down" stories that went nowhere when I tried to market them.  Those were the script ideas good enough to actually write.   I had more that never got beyond rough notes or outlines.

This, I think, is the worst of those.

BLAZE O'GLORY

High Concept: Showgirls meet Indiana Jones

• Stripper/dancer Blaze O'Glory becomes privy to vital info.
• The Hero-figure, government agent, arrives, bonds with Blaze, succumbs to surprise attack by gunmen; it's up to Blaze to get the info to safety (with a Yoda-type character).
• Bad guys in pursuit; skin-of-teeth escapes.
• Blaze finds out what the info is: widescale corruption in government, including Hero's own agency; turning over info to hero's agency will only see info used for blackmail/influence. (Does Hero know this?)
• Blaze is now marked for death; she's also pissed off.
• Blaze loses closest friend to killers; even more pissed off.  More chases and escapes.
• Blaze takes info to "radical" alternative paper, but the editor is a burnt-out sell-out, sells info back to government and gives them Blaze's location.
• Showdown with armed agents; Blaze under siege.
• Hero brought from hospital to talk her out -- where are his loyalties?
• Blaze "dies" in final conflagration; info destroyed, no one wins; crippled Hero sent to desk job.
• Finale -- corridor of agency, 2 years later -- Hero sees girl who looks/doesn't look like Blaze -- hair color, glasses, breast reduction? -- turn her in or not? finally gives her leeway -- last scene as she hacks into agency files.

Wow.  That kinda... stinks.  Did I really want to write crappy movies?  No, but there were times when low-budget action thrillers seemed to be the only type of scripts companies were buying from neophyte screenwriters.  Even with my ST:TNG episode as a professional credit, it was hard to get scripts looked at.

Since I didn't go on to turn these notes into an actual script, maybe I did have enough self-respect to not sink that low.

Besides, there's probably a real stripper somewhere named Blaze O'Glory.

(A quick Google search reveals a 1930 movie already had the title BLAZE O'GLORY.  A soldier is placed on trial for murder, interspersed with song and dance numbers.  I'm not making that last part up.  However, the author of the original short story -- "The Long Shot" -- that the movie was based on, Thomas Boyd, appears to have been pretty interesting.  I may see if I can get some of his books thru InterLibrary Loan.)