Murder at Lake Como

Screenplay Type
Screenplay Award Sub-Category
2024 Young Or Golden Writer
Logline or Premise
Set in Lake Como, Italy 1927, Inspector Lionetti must decipher who killed a wealthy American tycoon. Everyone hated the man, and everyone had a motive. So, who killed him?
First 10 Pages

American tycoon BURT SUMMERFIELD, his wife, PENELOPE, and wheelchair-bound mother, ESTELLE cruise from New York for a six-month vacation at their Lakefront mansion on Lake Como in 1927.

While onboard, Burt strikes up a romance with a wealthy aristocratic woman, AMOREENA di MORETTI. Penelope and Estelle notice the affair as does a male friend of Amoreena, LUCIANO.

After arrival at Lake Como, Burt and Penelope’s son, ROBERT comes home. He hates his father for sending him to Boarding School where he was bullied and made to perform sex acts on the Headmaster.

With Burt’s Napoleon Complex, he antagonizes everyone and especially belittles his wife. Robert also hates the way Burt treats his mother.

Penelope finds out that Burt changed his will and named his dog as beneficiary. She persuades the attorney, SPENCER to change it.

Burt then rapes the Maid, much to the dismay of the Butler who loves her.

Burt also forces the Gardener to perform sex acts on him.

While horseback riding, someone shoots Burt, but misses. Burt finds a gun missing from his collection and immediately suspects the Groundskeeper ARMANDO because he is the only one with a spare key to the gun cabinet.

Burt likes to gamble and chalks up a hefty debt. He is threatened to pay his debt.

During a party thrown in Robert’s honor, a shot is heard. Burt is murdered.

INSPECTOR RAIMONDO LIONETTI and his inexperienced younger assistant, UMBERTO investigate. Several clues besides a gunshot have the Inspector baffled.

Upon questioning everyone, Inspector Lionetti finds each person hated Burt and had a motive to kill him. Every time he questions a suspect, another suspect is implicated.

So, who killed Burt? Is it the jealous Wife, the angry Son, the Grandmother, the Gardener, the Groundskeeper, the Maid, the Butler, the Mistress, Luciano, the Lawyer, or the Gambler?

Continent