[Susan]

Nancy is emcee of the USC Libraries Scripter Awards tonight. You can watch it live

http://www.usc.edu/libraries/scripter/webcast.shtml

[Nancy]

The Social Network won. Apparently this is a great honor and I didn't even know about it before.

[Susan]

Unfortunately I found the live feed too late to see most of it. I did hear your joke about your movies winning the Penzoil Film Festival.

[George Lyons]

Bummer, it doesn't seem to be streaming anymore - I wonder if it will be on Youtube??

[Nancy]

I put that in at the last minute because Roger Corman was there.The last part of the joke was originally "Come on over to my house and see my golden dipstick," but the Dean said that was a no-no.

[Susan]

Originally Posted by Nancy

I put that in at the last minute because Roger Corman was there.The last part of the joke was originally "Come on over to my house and see my golden dipstick," but the Dean said that was a no-no.

[Richard 55]

I missed it. Will there be a replay?

[Nancy]

Here is my script in case you're interested.

USC SCRIPTER AWARD

[PRE-DINNER SEGMENT - FRIENDS OF THE USC LIBRARIES BOARD PRESIDENT GLENN SONNENBERG INTRODUCES EMCEE NANCY SINATRA]

THANK YOU, MR SONNENBERG. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

DEAN QUINLAN, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

JUST THINK, A LITTLE ROCK SINGER FROM JERSEY, FINALLY ON THE DEAN’S LIST. THAT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE…. UNLESS YOU COUNT DEAN MARTIN… DEAN STOCKWELL… DEAN JONES… JAN AND DEAN … PAULA DEAN…

I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THAT’S NOT WHY WE’RE HERE.

WE’RE HERE IN THIS GORGEOUS LIBRARY TO HONOR SOME AMAZING LITERARY WORKS AND THE BRILLIANT SCREENPLAYS THEY INSPIRED.

AND I’M HERE BECAUSE THE DEAN OF THE USC SCHOOL OF THEATER, MY COUSIN MADELINE PUZO, MADE ME AN OFFER I COULDN’T REFUSE.

(HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD THAT ONE, MADDIE?)

AND WHO COULD REFUSE HOSTING AN AWARD SHOW FOR WRITERS IN A UNIVERSITY REFERENCE ROOM? I MEAN WHERE IS THE ELTON JOHN AFTER PARTY--IN THE CHEM LAB?

WE ARE TOGETHER TONIGHT FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN A PARTY. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF SOME GREAT AUTHORS AND SCREENWRITERS AND THEIR EXCELLENT STORIES.

WE KNOW THAT A GREAT STORY MIGHT TRANSPORT US, BUT IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN ESCAPISM…

WE KNOW THAT HISTORY COMES TO US THROUGH STORIES…

AND THAT STORYTELLING HELPS US UNDERSTAND OURSELVES AS MUCH AS IT HELPS DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD.

THE GREAT STORIES YET TO BE WRITTEN WILL DEPEND ON ALL THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE… AND THAT’S WHY A GREAT LIBRARY IS IMPORTANT TO THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE CREATIVE ARTS…

AND WHY WE’RE HERE TO HONOR ACCOMPLISHED STORYTELLERS.

TONIGHT’S STORYTELLERS ARE VERY DESERVING OF A SCRIPTER AWARD, WHICH HONORS INSPIRED AND INSPIRING WRITING ON THE PRINTED PAGE AND ON THE SILVER SCREEN. THEY HAVE GIVEN US SOME WONDERFUL TALES…

A HARROWING ACCOUNT OF THE LIMITS OF HUMAN ENDURANCE AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR WILL TO SURVIVE IN 127 HOURS.

THE ARTFUL AND ENVELOPING SUSPENSE THAT UNWINDS FROM THE SECRET AT THE CENTER OF THE GHOST WRITER.

SMALL WORLD, DID YOU KNOW I, MYSELF, WAS IN A SUSPENSFUL GHOST FILM?…THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI? LEONARD MALTIN KNOWS. NO SCRIPTER. GO FIGURE.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK A DRAMATIZATION OF A YOUNG, SOON TO BE BILLIONAIRE’S BIG IDEA THAT HAS TOUCHED THE LIVES OF 500 MILLION PEOPLE. BOY! TALK ABOUT REVENGE OF THE NERDS.

A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND A CRUSTY ONE-EYED MARSHAL PURSUING WILD WEST JUSTICE IN TRUE GRIT.

AND A 17-YEAR-OLD ALSO HUNTING JUSTICE IN THE SNOWY, FORBIDDING OZARKS OF WINTER’S BONE.

THE HEROINES OF THE LAST TWO NOMINEES HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH DEAN QUINLAN, WHICH IS NO SURPRISE TO THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HER WELL. LIKE THOSE TWO GIRLS, IS SMART, FEARLESS, AND KNOWS HOW TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.

TO PRESENT THE 2011 SCRIPTER LITERARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, PLEASE WELCOME DEAN CATHERINE QUINLAN BACK TO THE STAGE.


[DINNER]

[POST-DINNER SEGMENT—VOICEOVER WILL WELCOME MS. SINATRA BACK TO THE STAGE]

THANK YOU, AND HELLO AGAIN, EVERYONE.

WHEN DEAN PUZO FIRST, UMM, “APPROACHED” ME, ON BEHALF OF DEAN QUINLAN, AND ASKED ME TO JOIN YOU TONIGHT, I ADMIT I WAS SOMEWHAT HESITANT. I WASN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT…

…WOULD LIBRARIANS BE LURKING AROUND EVERY CORNER, READY TO “SHUSH” ME?

…I WAS WONDERING IF DEAN QUINLAN WOULD TRY TO GET ME TO RECORD HER THEME SONG, “THESE BOOKS ARE MADE FOR READIN’?”

… WOULD I FINALLY BE FORCED TO PAY MY OVERDUE FINES ON “VALLEY OF THE DOLLS?” TWO CENTS A DAY TIMES FIFTY-FIVE YEARS. THAT ADDS UP.

WHO WROTE THESE STUPID JOKES, LEONARD?


[PAUSE.]


I REALLY DO ADMIRE THE WRITERS WHO CAN TAKE A PIECE WRITTEN BY SOMEONE ELSE — IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MEDIUM — AND TRANSFORM IT.

I CARE A LOT ABOUT THIS PARTLY BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER AJ LAMBERT IS A WRITER! A GRADUATE OF THE USC FILM SCHOOL WITH A DEGREE IN SCREEN WRITING. AND WE DECIDED THAT IF SHE EVER WINS AN AWARD SHE WILL SAY, “THANKS MOM.”

MANY OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED AND CLASSIC FILMS WERE ADAPTATIONS OF BOOKS … LIKE PAST SCRIPTER HONOREES,

L.A CONFIDENTIAL AND SCHINDLER’S LIST.

A FEW HAVE EVEN BECOME PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORIES, OUR CULTURAL HISTORY. WE HAVE THE ART OF ADAPTATION TO THANK FOR THIS SHARED HERITAGE.

[PAUSE.]

WE’RE APPROACHING THE MOMENT OF THE EVENING WHEN WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S SCRIPTER AWARD…

…BUT FIRST, I AM VERY HAPPY TO INTRODUCE LEONARD MALTIN, WHO WILL TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT OUR FINALISTS AS WELL AS THE SELECTION COMMITTEE THAT DID THE VERY HARD WORK OF CHOOSING TONIGHT’S WINNERS FROM AMONG SUCH A TALENTED AND ACCOMPLISHED FIELD.

I SHOULD MENTION THAT IN HIS WONDERFUL MOVIE GUIDES, LEONARD LISTS ALL MY MOVIES AS BOMBS.

BUT WHAT DOES HE KNOW?

I DON'T KNOW WHY MY MOVIES HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED. I RODE IN A RACE CAR WITH ELVIS IN SPEEDWAY, ON A HARLEY WITH PETER FONDA IN THE WILD ANGELS. NO SCRIPTER.

WHY, ROGER? WE MADE IT TO THE TOP TEN IN THE PENZOIL HALL OF FAME FILM AWARDS! (YOU CAN COME TO MY HOUSE AND SEE MY GOLDEN DIPSTICK.)

WELL ANYWAY, IT’S NOT LIKE LEONARD IS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING. WHEN HE WAS ON ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, HE TOLD MARY HART SHE SHOULD WEAR PANTS. YOU DIDN’T REALLY TELL HER TO COVER UP HER MILLION-DOLLAR LEGS DID YOU, LEONARD?


LEONARD MALTIN IS AMONG THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR AND RESPECTED FILM HISTORIANS. HE’S APPEARED ON ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT AS A FILM CRITIC SINCE 1982.

THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, JAMES BILLINGTON, APPOINTED LEONARD TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL FILM PRESERVATION FOUNDATION…

…AND HE SERVED TWO TERMS AS PRESIDENT OF THE LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION. CONGRATULATIONS, LEONARD.

HIS FILM SYMPOSIUM COURSE HERE AT USC IS ALWAYS IN HIGH DEMAND, AND I’M SURE MANY OF US CONSULT OUR COPIES OF LEONARD MALTIN’S MOVIE GUIDE WHEN WE UPDATE OUR NETFLIX QUEUES.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME MY FRIEND—LEONARD MALTIN.

[LEAD APPLAUSE.]

[George Lyons]

Some snappy patter, Nancy - you done good.

[Richard 55]

Thanks Nancy for posting your script. I enjoyed reading it. I am sorry I missed it.

[Susan]

Very good, thank you for posting the script. You looked great too.

[Nancy]

Really? I thought I looked awful and sort of like a tent.

[Susan]

I only saw you from the waist up, maybe I missed the tent part. I thought you looked nice.

[Nancy]

Okay, thank you; I know you would be honest.

[ARIES3032]

Thank you , Nancy for posting your speech.

[Rhodalee]

Sorry I missed it. Thanks for posting it.

[Dean]

Thanks for the script transcription. Fight On!

[BrianFStevenson]

Most entertaining script, Nancy. It gladdens my heart to see you mc'ing an event in a library!

I would comment further on your humorous use of the stereotypical 'shushing' librarian, but I have to tie my hair up in a bun, put on my thick glasses, tweed skirt and sensible shoes, feed my cats and get to work to tot up the library fines for the day.

[June]

I missed it ! I enjoyed reading your script !

[Adam Anders]

Enjoyed the script as well Nancy, wish I could have seen it!