The Saddest Music in the World 2004

In the depths of the Great Depression, 1933 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada served as the backdrop for Lady Helen Port-Huntley’s audacious publicity stunt. As Prohibition was set to lift its veil on the United States, the beer baroness announced a competition that would shake the world: finding the saddest music in existence. The grand prize of $25,000 “Depression-era dollars” beckoned musicians from far and wide, all vying for the chance to claim this sum. Amidst this whirlwind of musical hopefuls was Chester Kent (actor name), a struggling Broadway producer who decided to represent America in the contest, despite being a native son of Winnipeg.

As Chester readied himself for the competition, an old fortune teller whispered dire predictions into his ear, only to be met with mocking derision as he commanded his nymphomaniac amnesiac girlfriend Narcissa (character) to satiate his desires. Meanwhile, Fyodor, Chester’s father and Canadian representative, harbored a long-held secret: a passion for Lady Helen that had once been reciprocated, but ultimately led to heartbreak. The tragic accident that befell them all - Helen’s amputations after an ill-fated tryst with Chester and Fyodor’s subsequent descent into drink - only added complexity to the tangled web of relationships.

As the contest heated up, Roderick, another Canadian entrant, revealed a shocking truth: Narcissa was his missing wife, whose memory loss had erased their marriage and the passing of their young son. The weight of this revelation hung heavy as Chester’s relationship with Helen reignited, prompting Fyodor to attempt to win her affections once more by crafting prosthetic legs filled with beer - a misguided effort that ultimately proved fatal.

As the competition unfolded, Roderick’s heart-wrenching performance advanced him in the contest, while Fyodor’s untimely demise came about after a rooftop fall, his death hastened by a leg-full of beer. Meanwhile, Narcissa and Roderick’s rekindled passion remained futile, as she failed to recall their shared past. Helen, though enamored with her new glass prosthetics, refused to forgive Fyodor for his transgressions, and the competition came to a close with Chester poised to claim victory.

As the curtains draw closed on Chester’s final performance, Helen makes a haunting appearance, her legs suddenly malfunctioning in a gruesome display of fragmentation and disintegration. The unsettling spectacle is eerily accompanied by Roderick’s change of heart, as he abandons his promise to refrain from playing “The Song Is You” - a melody he had vowed to reserve for the company of his beloved wife alone. The song’s familiar strains have an unexpected effect on Narcissa, whose long-dormant memories are jolted back to life like a dam breaking loose. Meanwhile, Chester meets his demise at Helen’s hands, a shard from her shattered glass legs proving to be his undoing. As the darkness closes in, Chester’s defiant spirit refuses to be extinguished, and he staggers away, unwittingly setting ablaze the very building that had once been the stage for his triumphs. Amidst the chaos and flames, Chester’s lifeless body slumps over the piano keys, his fingers still clinging to “The Song Is You” as the inferno consumes everything in its path.