The Spotlights Only Big Enough For One of Us
written by Raditz
Editors Note: The timeline of the movies depicted below cover a broad range of years. Cats Don't Dance takes place in the year 1939 while Casablanca was in the 40's and Singin in the Rain the 50's. We allow for a little artistic license. After all the characters where depicted in a number of current movie posters. Maybe things move faster in toon Hollywood.
It was about a month since the big "premiere" of The Little Ark Angel and the world was still on fire from their huge debut. Hollywood was beginning to accept animals as the new wave of entertainment and were the new smash. Danny and the others had already began and were finishing the production of the movie Casablanca starring Cranston Goat. And they were just wrapping up after a long day.
"Whew" sighed Danny the orange Tabby. "Rough day, don't you think?"
"A killer" replied Sawyer the white Persian.
"Let's go home" said Danny. With a congregated agreement they all decided to go to their apartments.
After about an hour Danny finally opened the door and flopped on the coach. Sawyer followed him in (Since the premiere she had moved in with him).
"I'm beat" said the exasperated orange cat.
"Too tired for me?" asked Sawyer who was now on extremely close to Danny.
"Well… not that tired." Slowly their faces came together, their faces were about to meet when a loud knock at the door made Sawyer fall off the couch.
"Why does this happen every time" asked Danny mainly to himself. He opened the door to find no one. He peered around looking for someone but there was no one there. He went to go back in but at that moment, "WHAM!" Danny was jumped from behind by someone and knocked down to the ground.
"Guess who?" asked a strange voice while hands now covered Danny's eyes. Danny's face went from a terrified look to a wide grin.
"No…. it couldn't be…. Brandon?"
"Got it on the first guess" replied the figure who took his hands away from Danny's eyes.
"BRANDON!" Danny screamed as he stared at his companion with tears in his eyes. "It's been so long…"
"Yep, 5 years" replied Brandon.
At this point Sawyer had run out with a frying pan and was threatening to hit Brandon with it if he didn't get off Danny.
"No, Sawyer, it's ok, it's my old friend Brandon." Sawyer slowly put the pan down and started to help Danny up. "Please come in," insisted Danny. "I want to hear how you've been!"
This was the first time Sawyer had gotten a good look at this Brandon. He was an orange Tabby just like Danny but with better looking features. Other than that he appeared to look very similar.
"So, are you two related?" asked Sawyer finally.
"No, just very good friends." Answered Brandon. "Actually remember how everybody used to think we were related because we looked so much alike?"
"Yeah," Danny replied with a smile on his face. "Anyway, what happened Brandon? You left Kokomo 5 years ago to go on Broadway and from the letters you sent, you were doing great in New York."
"Yeah, well, the live stage business got a bit dull. I was thinking of trying show biz and about a month ago I happened to pick up a copy of The Variety and guess who I saw on the cover? And well, that clinched the deal, so I got the next bus over." Answered Brandon. "Hey, well, how about you? I guess you finally got what you wanted and have been dreaming about all those years for. Remember back in 8th grade we were doing the show "The Taming of the Shrew" in Junior High and we both tried out and we were both so good that they had to give us both the lead because they couldn't choose?"
At this Danny started to laugh and replied "Oh, yeah and opening night we both came on by mistake? And we had to convince everyone that we were long lost twins? Ah, good times."
"Yeah," They Both enjoyed a hearty laugh which eventually subsided.
Sawyer was standing on the side wondering who this weird cat was and why Danny hadn't introduced her. "Ahem," said Sawyer sharply. This caught Danny's attention.
"Oh, I'm sorry Sawyer, this is my best friend from Kokomo, Brandon Cat." They shook hands.
"Sorry about trying to hit you with the frying pan before" Sawyer said somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh, it's all right" said Brandon. "No harm done."
"Hey! I have a great idea Brandon!" said Danny. "There's an audition for a movie called "Singing in the Rain." I think it's called. Why don't you try out? You never know, you might even get a chorus part."
"I don't know Danny, it's not like Broadway. There's no audience or music"
"But this is a musical" replied Sawyer.
"It is?" asked the delighted Tabby "Then sure! I'll try out!"
1 Week Later
"Well, the results are back from the audition tryouts"
announced Danny anticipating opening his piece of mail he received. "ok,
everyone open yours." At that moment everyone who was gathered together,
(the movie gang plus Brandon) were each holding a piece of mail from Mammoth
Studios and they finally started to open them.
Tillie was the first. "I'm Lina Lamont! It's a leading role!" announced Tillie.
Next was Cranston "I'm the producer."
"I'm the lovable sidekick" exclaimed Pudge.
"I get to be the director of the show" said T.W. quietly.
"Voice teacher" answered a sully Francis.
But that mood broke when Sawyer opened her letter and her whole face broke out into a smile as she read aloud her letter. "I'm the lead!" exclaimed Sawyer in an extremely happy voice.
"That's great" Danny replied as he hugged her.
"Danny, why don't you and I open our mail at the same time?" asked Brandon eagerly.
"Ok, Brandon but don't be too disappointed if you don't get a part. It's your first audition."
"You know me Danny, I won't." and with great anticipation they opened their letters. Danny looked at his with a look of puzzlement. I sing "beautiful girls" and that's it…. Oh well, it's a part, right?" Danny said toward Brandon. But Brandon didn't respond, he just stared at his letter in a way that Danny couldn't tell if it was shock or disappointment. Assuming the worst Danny his friend said, "It's all right Brandon, you'll get it next time. You have great talent. I mean look at me, I've been here since the beginning and I only got beaut….. But Brandon cut him off.
"No, it isn't that. I got a part all right…"
"That's great Brandon, What is it?"
With a shocked look on his face Brandon answered, "I got the lead. I'm Don Lockwood. I'm the star!"
Well, it's safe to assume that the whole gang was rendered speechless because not one of them let out a peep. Danny broke the silence. "Hey, that's great! Now we'll both be in the show together! I guess you got what it takes to be here after all!" But who was he trying to reassure? Everyone, or just himself?
It was about 3 days since the audition results came back and it was time to begin shooting. Today they would just be shooting the musical number of "Make em laugh" with Pudge, "Beautiful Girls" With Danny and the romantic number between Brandon and Sawyer.
About 2 hours later after they finished "Make em laugh" everyone was on the floor laughing including L.B. and Flannigan because the first 2 times Pudge tried to run up the wall and fell flat on his face and the 3rd time he ran into the wall. After a few bandages were applied they took five for that number and went into beautiful girls.
A couple hours later they were finished. Danny didn't try very hard. He was good in it of course but he didn't feel that this was who he was supposed to be. He wanted to be up there with Sawyer but he knew he couldn't and all because he asked his friend to audition.
"STUPID, STUPID!" thought Danny to himself. "Why did I tell him to try out? Oh, well, I can't change the past."
Everyone started to congratulate Danny about his great number, but the most acclamations came from Brandon surprisingly. But now it was time for the song that Danny was fearing, the love song between Brandon and Sawyer. It was the part of the movie where the female lead was already wooed by the lead male and now he was just wooing her further. At first Danny thought it wasn't too bad but then it started getting really mushy. Danny knew however that even if it said in the script to kiss Brandon she would only do it professionally and for the movie only and nothing else. But at the final note they put their lips together and kissed.
Not for 5 seconds like the script said but longer. MUUCCHHH longer.
We're talking 30 seconds here. "ok…" Flannigan announced. They didn't stop. "Cut…. That's enough…. STOP!!!" but the two cats wouldn't cease.
At this point Danny's ears were steaming and his face went bright red. No one had ever seen Danny angry before. And it wasn't even angry… no… it was WAY beyond angry… he was steaming mad!
Without saying a word he just calmly walked over toward the couple, but Brandon didn't turn around. Finally after about 5 more seconds Brandon turned around with a humongous smile on his face as he peeled off a plastic mouth protector and started to laugh his head off. The whole cast burst out into ecstatic laughter.
"Got Ya!" screamed Brandon through his hysterical laughter. "We knew this would get to you, I told you I would get you back for that milk balloon in 6th grade!"
In a matter of 5 seconds, Danny's face went from P.O'ed to shocked, and finally to an understating smile.
"You know I'd never do that to you." Said Brandon.
Danny just walked over to Brandon and started to ruffle his hair and started to say things like "Darn you" and "you little sneak."
Everyone had a good laugh. All that is except Sawyer. She didn't think it was funny, to her surprise, she actually enjoyed that kiss.
END PART 1