Come September
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Sep 1, 2021
- 3 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. STUDY - DAY
PETER is listening to Internet radio. We hear guitar instrumental music.
PETER (V.O.): What a familiar tune! It was popular in the early 1960s.
Peter checks the information on his mobile screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Ah, it's called Come September.
Typing Come September on the mobile screen, Peter sees images.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Ah, it's also the title of a 1961 romantic comedy film staring Rock Hudson, Gina Lolobrigida, Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): About Gina Lolobrigida, I recall the Cantonese transliteration of her surname sounds like "boiling and breaking an egg"
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was young and playful then.
Act 2
EXT. GOLDEN COAST - DAY
Walking along the promenade, Peter sees a MAN and a WOMAN having a photo session at the beach.
PETER (V.O.): Like a romantic scene in a drama.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For students, September 1 is the date when the Autumn term begins.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was in primarily school, I would only do my summer-holiday assignment by end August. I always had something to hand in come September.
INT. PETER'S NT HOME - DAY
Listening to Come September, Peter researches with his mobile.
PETER (V.O.): The music was written by Bobby Darin in 1961. I don't know about him.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, he covered the song Beyond the Sea - a jazzy version of it.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Charles Trenet wrote the French hit song La Mer in 1945. It was an ode to the sea.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I love the melody; and I love the sea.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Charles Trenet wrote the lyrics in his teens and came up with the tune only years later.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That explains why the song had verses but no chorus.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And then an English lyricist Jack Lawrence turned it into a love song.
Tapping YouTube icons, we hear someone singing La Mer in French and then others singing Beyond the Sea.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Charles Trenet's original versions were conventional. I don't like Bing Crosby's version. Bobby Darin's version was OK. Frank Sinatra's version was nice.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the 2003 film Finding Nemo, Beyond the Sea was featured during the ending credits.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The singer was Robbie Williams.
Peter taps a screen tag and we see Robbie Williams singing Beyond the Sea.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): His interpretation was very nice.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But it was Bobby Darin who popularized it decades ago.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, Bobby Darin's first wife was Sandra Dee. Wasn't she the actress in the 1959 film A Summer Place?
Peter taps a screen tag and we see the official trailer of A Summer Place.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I haven't seen the film, but I love the theme song.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 1974, I asked Sharon - my wife-to-be to play the song for me.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Peter taps a video clip icon on his mobile screen, we hear A Summer Place.
PETER (V.O.): I'll never get tired of hearing it.
Peter taps another icon and we hear Beyond the Sea.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I love hearing it just like I love swimming in the sea.
Peter taps another icon and we hear Come September.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My life has been revolving around a few sweet tunes; and they're all about me.
Peter turns on the Internet radio and we hear Chicago singing If You Leave me Now.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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