The Slice: Talk about your magical mystery tour

The Academy Awards are this weekend, so I thought I would share my one big idea for a movie.

So far as I know, nobody has ever made a film about George Harrison’s solo visit to the United States in 1963.

Now this was before almost anyone over here had heard of the Beatles. That was about to change, of course. But when he came to Illinois to see his sister and her family, he was not famous here.

If you took a little creative license with this story, I think it has teen box-office hit written all over it.

And speaking of taking license, I might as well be up front about where my screenplay would veer away from the facts.

For one thing, I’d move Harrison’s sister to Spokane.

I really believe this city could play the heck out of “1963 America.” Lots of our buildings would look just right. And many of us already act like extras.

My story would have George falling in with three lovable North Side outcasts. Things heat up when a popular South Hill girl takes a shine to Harrison at a teen dance and the thuggish boys in her rich-kids circle take offense.

There’s a rumble and lots of reckless driving involving nifty vintage cars. But not before the band playing at the dance hears that George is in some sort of pop combo back home and invites him on stage to join them.

Somewhat miraculously, he leads them through a respectable version of “Don’t Bother Me.”

The kids are transfixed.

The only person who realizes that George is a future Fab is his sister’s weird neighbor, Bud. An Air Force flier who goes to England on a regular basis, Bud knows all about the Beatles. A running gag in the movie features him desperately trying to clue people in about Harrison’s status on the other side of the Atlantic. No one listens.

There would be a scene where George just happens to bump into none other than Bing Crosby – back in town visiting family. They have a good-natured exchange at The Crescent that’s loaded with foreshadowing.

“Be seeing you,” Bing says to the skinny kid he has taken a liking to for some reason.

“I think you will,” George replies in a way that combines confidence and modesty.

There would be lots of references to inspirations for future Beatles songs. Lots of moments when people tell George he’s a quiet one.

And when the youngest of the three lovable North Side outcasts complains to George about the other two always making the decisions, the actor playing Harrison would break the barrier for a split-second and shoot the audience a knowing glance.

Of course, it’s all over much too soon. He has to return to England.

After one of those “Several months later” graphics, the film would end with the Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

We would see the Spokane characters we got to know in the previous 100 minutes watching in stunned amazement and delight.

“Isn’t that guy in the middle…?”

“Yes. It is.”

“Today’s Slice question: What would be a good title for this movie?