“25 words or less” – Life during the turbulent times of 1920’s Miami focusing on the eccentric characters that patronize a popular speakeasy during the lawlessness of the Prohibition era
Full Summary:
It’s 1921 in Miami. The nascent real estate market is booming bringing with it a large contingent of carpetbaggers looking to make a quick fortune. Prohibition is law in the United States, but in an open city like Miami, where most laws are not followed by the general populace or enforced by local law officials, it’s just a mere suggestion.
With a booming economy, general sense of lawlessness and year-round beautiful weather set alongside tropical beaches, Miami becomes a haven for eccentric characters from all walks of life - speculators, socialites, writers, businessmen, doctors, and especially criminals – to live, work and play.
This Casablanca-style TV series centers on life within the most popular speakeasy, located at the mouth of the Miami River, which brings all these people together to congregate nightly. Although offering highly illegal activities such as unlimited booze and gambling, the club runs with relative impunity from local law enforcement, many of whom count themselves as loyal customers. The speakeasy is so brazen that a big sign sits atop the establishment to inform passersby of its name – “Rum Runners” – since the owner isn’t concerned about bringing any unwanted attention to himself, this is Miami after all.
The ringleader and owner of Rum Runners is James “Jimmy” Conrad. A laid back but well put together native Miamian with a straightforward wit, Jimmy is a friend of everyone in the city and is as comfortable in beachwear and afternoon attire as he is in a crisp suit or tuxedo.
He’s supported by a group of trusted employees including:
Jeeves - the reserved African-American who mans the front door of the club.
Joe - the burly and surly bartender who’s quick with a drink and is everyone’s friend.
Albert - the leader of the jazz orchestra.
Edward and Ralph - two shady Run Runners’ employees who take care of James’ dirty work and any problems that come up with his preferred club patrons.
Rum Runners’ maintains its’ popularity through the eccentric characters that patronize the establishment on a nearly nightly basis:
George McCarthy - a gentlemanly sea captain and well-known rum runner who supplies liquor to the club by smuggling booze from the Bahamas. However, he’s personally never drank an ounce of liquor in his life.
William Carr - the wiry, rough-looking, macho, famous American writer who has hit hard times recently and become a full-blown drunkard willing to challenge anyone around him to an impromptu arm wrestling match.
Charles Franklin - a short, middle-aged real estate spectator who moved down to Miami from the north in search of fortune in the still relatively untapped market.
Mayor Beck - the jovial, portly, completely corrupt but fun-loving Mayor of Miami.
Chief Gerald Novak - the large, strong, physically imposing chief of police with an intimidating personality. As the new chief, Novak tries his best to go by the book in a city that doesn’t follow any rules but finds that temptations to stray seemingly lie around every corner.
Mickey Marino, Michael Ricci and Elijah Bernstein - three well-known northern gangsters who set up shop down in Miami during the pre-Capone days before crime becomes more organized.
Esther Harris - the stately older socialite man-eater who moved to Miami from Cleveland after her wealthy railroad magnate husband passed away and left her his fortune.
Dorothy - a fiery, foul-mouthed prostitute who spends her nights at the club’s bar looking to bed its’ rich and famous patrons.
J.R. Randolph - a well-dressed banking tycoon who visits Miami with much younger females from his secretarial pool while he sends his wife on shopping trips to Europe.
John Pelham - a degenerate professional gambler who spends most of his time every night playing, and losing, in the club’s casino room.
Dr. Ernest Stratford - a top surgeon within the county, and his wife, Sally, are a well-respected couple and regular patrons of the club. Along with their other friends, they give the club a sense of refined legitimacy among the plethora of shady characters and outright criminals.
Phillip - a young and impressionable roughneck dock worker who is comfortable mingling among high society within the club.
Robert Graves - a well-to-do philanderer who goes through women like he goes through glasses of champagne.
The club is not without its’ antagonists though. In the first episode, Detective Johnson & Detective Smith badger James with questions over the murder of a regular club patron. Detective Smith especially doesn’t like Jimmy’s non-answer answers. These two men promise to be thorns in his side while James tries to run his illegal club without interference from the city or law enforcement.
With the pilot episode taking place in 1921, setting the general landscape and introducing the main characters, the series will showcase the urban birth of Miami and the origins of its’ culture of lawlessness, which still permeates the city today, and will follow the actions and evolution of these eccentric characters from the start of the real estate boom and Prohibition, to the development of organized crime in the city when Al Capone arrives, through the real estate bust, the Great Depression and finally the repeal of Prohibition.
Rum Runners Screenplay
