The Black Cat

Written by: Mark Penberthy

Detroit, 1965. SID SHORES, a taken for granted Midwest boxing promoter, struggles to keep his marriage alive with his increasingly unhappy wife, SHERI.

Sid tags along with shirt chasing good for nothing co-worker ARNIE SUGARMAN to meet bagman FRANK STODDARD, who has flown in with several hundred thousand dollars. A robbery ensues, and when the attempt goes horribly wrong, Sid finds himself the only person alive.

Sid makes off with the cash and sensing opportunity, SHERI pressures Sid to keep the money and honor a long-standing promise to buy her a nightclub.

Sid buys Marty's Minxes, a seedy nightclub from owner MARTY MINCER. Sheri quickly starts renovations and works on choreographing new revues.

When ex-partner and now retired LENNIE GREENE flies up from Florida, Sid learns the money he took belonged to Lennie and Lennie was going to buy Marty's Minxes. Stunned, Sid listens as Lennie now wants Sid to help him find his money and kill the son of a bitch who took it.

As the club renovations progress, Sid is quickly entangled in blackmail as Marty becomes wise to the fact Sid has a secret to keep. As Sid tries to stop everything around him from slipping into chaos, an increasingly suspicious and violent Lennie questions people associated with the murder of Arnie.

Lennie sets his sights on Marty as the guy who stole his money and he can barely contain himself from killing him at the opening of the newly renovated Marty's Minxes, now renamed The Black Cat.

Enraged, Lennie follows Marty back to his house, where he kills Marty and his girlfriend, LORRAINE. Sid realizes any chance of getting out alive is going to rest with confronting Lennie. Sid desperately attempts reconciliation, but it ends in a bloody showdown when Sheri tries to protect Sid.



Bio:

Graduate of Tufts University and Art Center College of Design.

Worked as a freelance illustrator in New York City. Worked in miscellaneous crew positions on various music videos for director Matt Mahurin and Mortal Films. Worked in various crew positions on the feature films, “Mugshot” and “Feel.” Loosely advised on post-production for the documentary film, “I Like Killing Flies.” Assistant director for the short film, “More To Life” directed by Paul Morgan. “More To Life” and “I Like Killing Flies” were official selections in Sundance Film Festivals.

Mark Penberthy’s script, “The Black Cat” has received the following recognition in film festivals:

Second Round 2008 Austin Film Festival
Second Place, drama 2009 Filmmakers International Screenwriting Awards
Semi-finalist 2009 Writemovies.com International Writing Contest
Finalist 2009 Las Vegas Film Festival
Runner up 2009 Great Lakes Film Association Screenwriting Competition
Finalist 2009 SoCal Independent Film Festival
Finalist 2009 Cinema City International Film Festival
Finalist 2009 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition

As well as the above, “The Black Cat” is currently a quarter-finalist and semi-finalist in the Champion Screenwriting Competition and ScriptShark Insider Screenplay Competition respectively, which at this date is still ongoing.
 

2009 Script Selections