The Saxon Curse
© Louis Felder
(Caper/Comedy, a screenplay)
A scenic film artist uses his talent to arrange the "accidental" deaths of his odious siblings to become the sole beneficiary of the billion-dollar Saxon Oil Trust. As in "Catch Me If You Can" and "Kind Hearts and Coronets," the ingenious hero is sympathetic and comedic, but in the end is convicted of a murder he didn't intend.
Synopsis
A dark comedy. Archer Davis, 32, a scenic painter in film, discovers he is the illegitimate son of Emery Saxon of Saxon Oil. He is angry that his millionaire father never helped his mother financially, but delighted to discover that he has brothers and sisters.
He also learns from a kindly attorney (Weisskopf) that these children will take possession of the billion-dollar Saxon Trust when each reaches 35. A DNA test proves Archer is the son of Emery Saxon and, in his mind, entitled to share in the trust. He wants to meet his siblings, but attorney Weisskopf advises against it: “You’d be an embarrassment. To acknowledge you would be an admission that their father, a prominent Catholic, was a philandering hypocrite.”
Not revealing who he is, Archer meets his wealthy half-brothers and sisters and is shocked to discover that they are not only odious but even evil.
They are:
Marshall, an arrogant untalented amateur painter who abuses and cheats on his beautiful wife (Sarah) whom Archer falls in love with at first sight.
Garrison, a loud macho egotistical devotee of extreme sports.
Constance, a Beverly Hills woman concerned with gourmet food and her body.
Augusta, (Gus) a producer of pornographic movies.
Father Felix, a priest accused of child abuse.
Siegfried, a billionaire arms dealer living in Switzerland who is pardoned by the president.
The controller of the Saxon Trust refuses to consider Archer’s claim to a share of the trust. Archer vows that he won’t be ignored as his mother was, and “if the family won’t share the trust with me, I won’t share it with them.”
His claim denied, Archer systematically arranges the “accidental” deaths of his obnoxious siblings, in a cartoon manner. Although each death appears to be an accident or suicide, the police are suspicious of Archer, but can’t prove his guilt.
Archer and Sarah fall in love. Archer is arrested for murder – not of his siblings but of the kindly attorney (Weisskopf). Ironically the death is truly accidental, but the police have witnesses, motive and incriminating evidence.
One year later at his trial, Archer is found guilty. Sarah sobs, holding a baby son whom Archer believes is his, but Sarah reveals that a DNA test has proven the baby is Marshall’s. Archer will receive none of the trust and is led off to jail. Marshall’s mistress also shows up at the trial with her baby son, also fathered by Marshall. The two baby boys are in line to receive the billion dollar trust, – unless, as the mistress threatens, an accident occurs. The Saxon curse continues.
Download the script