"MALCOLM X" (1992)

Autobiography of Malcolm x

It is a bright sunny day on a crowded street on the black side of Boston. People and kids are busy with their own things.

SHORTY makes his way down the street.· He is a runty, very dark young man of 21 with a mission and a smile on his face. He wears the flamboyant style of the time: the whole zoot•suit, pegged-leg, wide-brim bit.

Shorty turns into a grocery store.

With exaggerated care Shorty selects two large potatoes (rejecting one as too small); then moves to an egg bin and picks out two eggs. He brings his selections to the counter and impatiently waits for the white grocer to put them in a bag.

• DAY

A hand reaches for the devil and we see it is the label on a can of lye. PUl.LBACK SHOWS the hand to be Shorty's.

Shorty moves past sundry hardware items, stops to select a rubber hose with a metal spray-head. He tests it for durability.

A large jar is plunked on the counter by a white hand. Shorty leans INTO the SHOT to make sure it's what he ordered: a jar of Vaseline. Satisfied, he hands it back to the white dniggist.

s txT. STREET· FOLLOW SHOT· DAY s

Shorty is now laden with packages, winding his way down the street. His smile is one of anticipation. He noda to a pal without stopping; eyes a couple of chicks danc- ing on the street, but is not dissuaded.

Shorty has his jacket and hat off, his sleeves rolled up. H~ is like a surgeon preparing for an operation. His equipment is spread out on a table: can of lye, large mason jar, wooden stirring spoon, knife, the eggs, His actions have the character of a ritual: each thing being done just so, in time-honored fashion.

He slices the potatoes and drops the thin slices into the mason jar. He adds water and makes a paste of the starch,

Behind Shorty is a spirited barbershop conversation. One man is getting a haircut; two others are watching (TOOMER, JASON) one of them from behind a newspaper. A middle-aged barber, CHOLLY, is doing most of the talking.

The men laugh.

Cholly is annoyed. It's hi.I. story,

(CONTIN!JtD)

CONT!~'7JtD: 6

He is all ready; one of his hands is filled with a huge glob of Vaseline. His manner is indignant as if he were asking the whereabouts of an exasperating child.

His hands full, Cholly opens the door with his feet and MA.LCOLH comes out, a big, gawky, bright-faced country boy, wearing down-home clothes and an expression of apprehension.

Halcolm allows himself to be led to an empty chair, where Cholly drapes him with a double sheet, tucking it tightly around his neck and adding a protective collar of paper.

CLOSE - H.Al.COLH

Malcolm gulps, his eyes on the fuming mason jar.

(CO~"TINU!.D)

6 CONTINUED: ( 2)

Shorty starts massaging a great quantity of Vaseline into Malcolm's scalp covering his neck and ears as well. All the men have gathered around, involved in the ritual. For Malcolm it is closer to being a kind of execution.

Git his forehead and eyebrows.

Shorty applies the Vaseline to that area. Now he brings over the steaming jar and places it nearby.

Hold tight, baby, and keep your eyes shut.

Malcolm nods his head, clenches his eyes and gri~s his teeth. Shorty applies the congolene with a comb, working it into Malcolm's hair.

For a moment nothing happens, then the heat hits him. He yells, tries to catch his breath: his head is on fire.

He nearly leaps out of the chair, but the barber restrains him.

Shorty, utterly unmoved by the outburst, continues working the congolene into his hair.

Malcolm breaks out of the chair wildly. But the three men drag him to a basin where Shorty has attached the shower spray. His cries filling the room, Malcolm is ducked under the spray. Shorty starts rinsing out his hair.

( CONT11''1.f£D )

6 CON7I !,lJED: ( 3 ) 6

Malcolm is a little relieved, he tentatively opens his eyes, then he feels the congolene again and there is another outburst. Shorty forces his head under the spray, spurts the water all over his head, wetting Malcolm and the shop in the process.

The men laugh as Shorty throws a large towel over Malcolm's head and begins drying him.

Shorty is working Vaseline into Malcolm's hair with a comb. Malcolm is covered with sweat and water. His teeth are still clenched, his eyes still closed.

6 COI\TI ?-."UtD: ( 4) 6

ANGLt ON MAI..COI..H

as he tests his profile in the mirror. He laughs joyously.

7 txT. STREET· NIGHT (REMEMBERED TIME) 7

FROM the POV of the motonnan, the trolley tracks ahead as the trolley moves rapidly in the night. Someone is lying on the tracks a distance ahead. CI.ANGING of the trolley BELL is loud as it's RAINING cats and dogs.

A terrified black man, badly beaten, lies on the tracks as the trolley approaches. SOUND COMING ON. He is unable to move.

Shorty is supel."VlSlng as Malcolm tries on a zoot suit. He slips into the jacket ••.

Shoes off, Malcolm steps into the tight-fitting peg• legged pants ..•

dons a wide-bri111111ed hat with a bright blue feather.

Finally, fully outfitted, he leans forward toward his

new image in the full-length mirror, twirling a long, dangling key chain.

The transformation is complete, The two laugh and slap hands.

Malcolm and Shorty come strutting down the street: two conked zoot-suited sharpies. Hometown boy has departed.

10 CONTlN1JtD: 10

And the chicks en the street notice them, especially Malcolm, the taller cf the twc, the lighter-skinned, the more dominant. They walk imperiously past, fully aware cf their impact.

CLOSE SHOT· MALCOLM

FREEZE FR.AME. He becomes a STILL.

ANGLE· KL.AN ON HORSES IN FRONT OF HOUSE

ANGLE· PREGNANT LOUISE LITTLE ON PORCH

ANGLE· KL.AN

BRtA.KS all the Wlh'DOWS in the house, then rides cff intc the glcricus D.W. Griffith !irth of a Nation mccnlit night.

CLOSE· LOUISE LITTLE

ANGLE· TERRIFIED LITTLE CHILDREN

leek cut a broken window at their mother.

(COITTIN1.J'tD)

B.

10 CON!INUtD: ( 2) 10

J,,1;;;1..t • O1..D FR.A!'lt HOUSE: IN OH.AHA

ANGLE· FRONT PORCH OF LITTLE HOUSE

An empty rocker on it.

CI.Ost· t.ARL LITTLE

He looks directly INTO the CA.'1ERA, wearing a Baptist minister's robe.

CLOSE· t.ARL LITTLE

He wears a Garvey hat, ornate with gold braid.

In a wagon with little Malcolm.

CLOSE· t.ARL LITTLE

10 CONTih'1JED: (3) 10

ANGLE - NINE LITTLE CHILDREN

CLOSE - LOUISE Aft"D £ARL

A posed wedding picture, serious but sweet.

CLOSE SHOT - FLASH BUl..B

of camera flashes.

ll EXT. ROSELAND STATE B.Al.LROOM • NIGHT ll

Music of GLEh'N MILLER'S BAND is heard.

A poster and the marquee announce the well-)::nown band.

The music is good, but ecol and white.

ln CUTS a big Saturday night crowd flocks in, All the patrons are white. People are dressed for the occasion.

(CONTlmr£D)

11 CON'!INUtD: 11

Malcolm and Shorty watch the crowd come in. Malcolm is impressed.

The crowd dances sedately to the music, but the sheer mass of people and their fancy clothes amazes Malcolm's country eyes.

In time to the GLENN MILLER MUSIC, a pair of shoes is being given a high gloss. Malcolm, as shoeshine boy, is working them over till they gleam. At the same time, to the delight of his white customer, B\JRGtSS, he is dancing to the music. He gives the shoe a final tap as the MUS· ICAL N1.))1"EtR ENDS and Burgess steps down. He appreciates Malcolm's expertise, his ingratiating manner and especially his smile.

B\JRGtSS You can sure swing it.

Malcolm grins again and Burgess tosses him a quarter.

:SUli.GtSS You're okay.

Halcolm gestures the urinal nearby. Burgess nods "Not a bad idea."

Burgess has just turned from the urinal and Malcolm has a basin of warm water waiting. A towel dangles from his wrist. As he goes to wash, Malcolm nods over toward Shorty who, approvingly, nods back.

ANGLE· MALCOI..H

is now giving him a brisk brushing off, the full treat· ment. He turns, fishing in his change pocket.

Burgess eyes him, amused. Malcolm smiles broadly.

Malcolm pats his pocket (the stuff's inside); flashes open the lining of his jacket. A pint bottle is visible.

You on the ball. What's your name?

He smiles, tosses Malcolm another coin. He exits. Shorty sticks out his palm.

Malcolm slaps it.

MA.LCOlJ1 Solid. Hey, this gone be all right.

(CON'.:'INU!.D)

CONTINUED: 14

Malcolm scoops out a handful of silver from his pocket and grins. Nice take for an evening.

As the music of LIONEL H.A.HPTON comes BI.AR.ING through

Miller has been replaced by Hampton; the white crowd is a predominantly black crowd·· and the contrast is imme· diate. The music is wilder, the dancing more frantic, the clothes more flamboyant. Although the crowd is over· whelmingly black, there is a peppering of whites, especially white chicks. And Malcolm is a little bug· eyed as he nudges Shorty, watching mixed couples on the floor.

A boy in extreme :cot-suit flips him; a white gi~l in long, blonde ,hair wigs him. Malcolm is a little open-mouthed.

VOICE (V .0.) S,bowtime! showtimel

ANGLE· BALLROOM· NIGHT

People start moving off the floo~, making room for the showtime dancers. The music begins to get faster and more furious.

CLOSE• H.A.HPTON'S BAND· NIGHT

It is a fast Lindy. People start clapping to the beat as they form a U around the dancers, with the band at the open end.

Two couples are on the floor, dancing wildly. They are quickly joined by a half dozen others. These are the best dancers and constitute the main event of a Saturday night black dance.

People crowd and push to get better vantage points and the competition is underway.

16 CO?;TIN7.JE:D: 16

ANGl.E ON CROWD

It is dominantly black, but there are some whites in the audience, mostly women. One is SOPHIA, a spectacular blonde with a degree of refinement, something of a thrill-seeker. Many of the men try to catch her eye, but for the moment Sophia is just watching, looking for no one in particular, but nonetheless looking.

ANGl.E • COUPLE ON DANCE Fl.OOR

Getting ready to enter the fray, the girl takes off her shoes and bounces out on the floor barefoot with her partner. Their advent is greeted with cheers and AD LIBS. Clearly, the crowd has its favorites,

',,,'IDER SHOT

The music gets faster and the dancing takes on a more frantic and more remarkable quality.

FOLLO\,,~NG SHOT· MALCOLM

He is looking for his partner, the Girl he brought, and now he sees her. He makes his way through the watching audience.

CLOSE· LAUR.A

She is a fine chick, cool and beautiful. She smiles as she sees Malcolm approaching.

TWO SHOT

Laura and Malcolm stand together, delighted to be with one another, starting to move to the 1111Jsic, as they watch the dancers.

Laura smiles shyly; she's willing.

Laura laughs, goes quickly to a bench and changes into a pair of sneakers.

Because of the cpmpetition, Laura and Malcolm begin at high speed. In a moment, they are executing the most intricate steps of the ''Flapping Eagle'' and the "'Kangaroo." Malcolm starts boosting her over and around his hips, then boosting her over h;s shoulders. Laura is the perfect partner. She loves it.

ANGLE· SHORTY

A big, fat, hefty black woman takes Shorty out to the dance floor, and she takes the lead. As they do the Lind~, she is slinging Shorty around like a rag doll. This woman slides him through her legs and Shorty has had enough; he runs off the dance floor, and hides.

T\.1O SHOT

Laura and Malcolm are, in the phrase, cooking on all burners now; and when they execute an especially intri• cate step, even Hamp waves over.

Malcolm is sweating and flushed and enormously elated. He sees that people are watching him, goading him on. He notices that Sophia, in particular, has not taken her eyes off him; she is clapping in time to his steps.

Seeing new stars in the making, the other dancers move to the side of the floor, marking time, yielding the dance floor to them. Laura and Malcolm go into a solo.

VilIOUS ANGLES

The crowd loves it. Malcolm and Sophia are very aware of each other. The finale is the classic drag, with Laura hanging limp around Malcolm's neck as he cnpers off the dance floor to the spontaneous applause of the audience.

CLOSE SHOT· SOPHIA (SLOW MOTION)

Clapping enthusiastically•· in open admiration.

CLOSE SHOT· SHORTY

Waiting to catch them as they come off.

( CO?{TINUED)

l.$.

17 CONTI?-1.JtD:

Shorty is whistling and shaking his hand appreciatively. He ~s also looking out for his dance partner.

Hey, man, gimme some skin.

Laura is flushed and out of breath and joyous.

Laura laughs as she goes. She surely will be back.

That's a fine chick.

Except she live on the Hill IU\d got a grandma.

Then his vision catches Sophia, who is approaching him. She makes a simple, direct gesture, "Want to dance?" Malcolm eyes Shorty and wordlessly glides into Sop~ia's anns.

ANGLE· DANCE FLOOR.

Immediately from the glances of the other men at the dance, he is the cynosure cf all eyes. He has new status. It's a heady feeling because she is the first white girl he has even been with socially who is not an obvious whore. He begins to show off a little, cuts a few fine steps.

TWO SHOT

They are dancing closer than before, Sophia begins to rock his black world.

( CO?,'TINlJED)

17 CO?,'Til'<"UtD: (2) 17

CLOSt · 11.ALCOLH

Trying to play it cool•· but he is beginning to pant. Not from the dancing, but from the situation: a gorgeous white chick asking for it.

He stops in his tracks. He can't believe it.

He can only grin.

18 txr. LA1JRA'S HOUSt (ROXBURY) - NIGHT 18

The porch of a respectable house. Malcolm with Laura; he anxious to get away.

Laura walks to the door.

The front door opens; it's Laura's grandmother, MR.S. JOHNSON.

He runs down the porch steps.

The lone light emits from the car RADIO, which plays THE NKSPOTS' "!f ! Didn't Care."

Sophia pulls her tight sweater over her head to expose two full, ripe, xbite breasts. Malcolm's eyes are popping out of his head. (NOTE: It's very unusual for women not to wear a bra back in that day, but you might say Sophia was way ahead of her time.)

He is paralyzed.

Malcolm touches one softly, then the other.

Malcolm is getting used to their feel, their squeezeability.

Malcolm mumbles something. He then kisses Sophia as if his black life depended on it and he commences to kill it.

She stops him for a moment, but he buries his head in her long neck.

(CONTINUtD)

19 C0N!I1'1JtD:

She already knows the answer.

Knowing she's right, Sophia becomes the aggressor.

ANGLE· TWO PAIRS OF LtGS

Malcolm and Sophia as they bone.

A beat•· both panting -- then Malcolm stops abruptly, He raises his hand to his face, then to Sophia's hand, which is still caressing him.

CLOSt · SOPHI.A

She shrugs, then moves to embrace him.

The couple starts at it again.

On the screen, Bogart and Cagney are blasting away the dirty, flat•footed coppers with machine guns. It'• one of those great Warner Bros. gangster B movies, maybe The Eoarine Twenties.

ANGLE - MALCOL.H AND SHORTY

Malcolm and Shorty sit, transfixed, in their seats.

( CO?.'TI?,'UtD)

19A COKTINUED: 19A

MALCOl.H Don't you know, you can't hump the Bogart.

20 txT.~OSTON COHHONS • DAY 20

A bright, sunny day, long shadows in the park. The Commons is almost empty, Two improbable :cot-suited blacks race past trees, and run over the grass. Malcolm and Shorty are playing cops and robbers while passersby stare.

MALCOl.H Naw, you missed me, copper. Try this on for size.

Malcolm fires an imaginary Tommy machine gun at Shorty.

MAl.COl.H The hell you are.

Shorty shoots Malcolm from behind.

Malcolm acts as if he's been hit,

20 CON7lKUtD: 20

H~lcolm starts to stagger, this is a long, dra\,'Tl•out Hollywood drawn-out death a la Cagney death in Public tocmv.

LOW ANGl.t • MALCOl.!1

Malcolm falls directly INTO the CAm:RA, face-first, and Shorty stands over him.

21 OMITTtD 21 th:ru thru

24 tXT. HARVARD LAW SCHOOL - DAY 24

The campus is deserted as they stand before one of the impressive buildings of the law school. Ivy, columns, majesty.

Malcolm laughs, then looks up at the motto on the build- ing. Carved on the facade i~ a Latin maxim meaning "Equal Justice Under Law." The laughter fades from his face. BtLLS RING behind.

25 tXT. HARVARD LAW SCHOOL - DAY 25

They are dismissal !ELLS, R.ES01JNDING now, across the campus as the students (all white) pour out of the build- ing. They are self-concerned and don't even see the two black boys standing in their pathway. There is no malice involved, merely indifference, Malcolm and Shorty are brushed aside, forced onto the grass by the mass of exiting students.

In the same sweeping rhythm and from the same direction that.the students came, the moving trolley comes closer and closer to the black man lying on the tracks. Earl Little's mouth opens in terror.

A room, clinically empty: table, chair, and MR. HOLWAY. He is putting papers into his briefcase; the hearing is concluded.

He is nearly out the door.

The students have left. Shorty and Malcolm are alone.

Shorty wants to break the mood that has descended on Malcolm.

·' 22.

He repeats Malcolm's hand gesture. Malcolm laughs forcedly. There is no joy in it. The two walk off, become tiny figures lost IN THE FRAME. A RADIO begins PLAYING one of the syrupy white BAU.ADS of the period.

Malcolm lies in bed, naked under the sheet. A half-empty whiskey bottle and an ashtray full of butts are en the night table: last night's partying.

WIDEN TO SHOW Sophia at the stove fixing eggs. She wears an apron and nothing else. It's a nicely furnished, middle-class apartment.

She shrugs, shuts off the burner, smiles and ambles toward him.

She starts to sit down on the bed n~xt to him.

He points to a nearby chair. Sophia makes an amiable hand-shrug and compliantly ~oes.

(CONTI'NUtD)

MALCOlJ1 What's your story, baby?

He doesn't want to hear it; he wants to talk. He goes right on:

MALCOlJ1 You one of them white bitches can't get enough black dick. ls that what you are?

Sophia smiles. She aims to please. Malcolm smacks the bed next to him. She gets up and comes over.

MALCOlJ1 Take it off.

She takes off the apron.

MALCOlJ1 Now kiss my feet. Kiss 'em!

CLOSEUP· SOPHIA

As Sophia bends to do so.

MALCOlJ1 Feed me.

ANGLE

Sophia now has the scrambled eggs on a plate at Malcolm's side. She spoons some into his mouth. He chews and swallows slowly, then grabs her head and brings it to his. A long, brutal kiss. Then he pulls her head away by the hair. She looks at him: anything he wants.

( COh'TINU'ED)

29 CONTI KlltD: ( 2) 29

Malcolm lays back on the pillow and she holds out the eggs to him.

30 tXT. BEACH - DAY 30

Bright sunlight. Malcolm and Laura are on a deserted Cape beach. They are dressed but both have their shoes and socks off, and he has his trousers rolled up. They walk, like birds, avoiding getting their feet wet as the waves come in.

Laura stops him and moves to him. Her kiss is a tender one, exploratory. Then Malcolm responds, embracing her fully. Her arms go around him as they both drop onto the sand.

CLOSt - HALCOL.H AND LAUR.A

Malcolm turns his head from her, he gets up.

(CONTINlJtD)

25,

30 co~;r1 huED: 30

MALCOl.!1 Save it, baby. Save it for Hr, Right. 'Cause your grandma's smarter than you think.

& &

Laura is eating a banana split. Malcolm is smoking and drinking coffee.

Laura looks over. She doesn't understand.

Louise's hand reaches for a small sack of flour stamped "Not For Sale." She brings it down on the table with a hard, controlled whap.

Louise doesn't look up.

WIDEN to show Louise with a white social worker, HISS DUNNE, complete with pad, pencil and good will. Huddled out of sight, but nontheless visible, are five small black children.

MlSS DUNNE There's no point in fighting about it. I'm sorry. Hay I sit down?

Louise is very aware of the children and struggling for self-possession.

34 CONTI 1'1.lED: 34

One of the children brings over a ~hair. Miss Dunne sets out her papers.

PAN the children's faces.

HISS DU?.'NE (still sitting) Your control over your children, therefore --

The terror-stricken children huddle together.

27,

34 cot;TlNUED: (2) 34

FREEZE FRA.~E. It becomes a STILL.

SH.Al.L CLEAN ROOH

with a cot, a chair and a bureau.

MRS. SwtRl.IN (motherly; friendly) This is your room, Halcolm. 1 know you'll keep it clean.

DlNlNG ROOH TABLE

five white boys around it.

MRS. SwtRl.IN This is Malcolm, our new guest. We'll treat him like a brother,

SCHOOL YARD· KIDS

Playing in the school yard.

34 CONTIKUtD: ( 3) 34

t'.A.I..CCL.11

doi:ig home1o10rk.

MRS. SWEJU.IN HALCOL.11 (V.O.)

He's bright. Good grades. They talked about me Fine athlete. President like I wasn't there. of his class. Like I was some kind

of pedigreed dog or a horse. Like I was invisible.

OSTROWSKI is talking to Halcolm, it's after school, the classroom is empty.

Laura and Malcolm, Neither is talking. She is simply watching him as he sips his coffee and puffs on a cigarette.

3GB lN1. DRUGSTORE: - CLOStUP - LAI.TR.A - P.H. 3GB

As Malcolm, driving, roars away in Shorty's Cadillac; Sophia at his side in the front seat. Shorty and two white chicks are in the back, all drinking out of a bottle, all high as kites.

38 SIGN 38

Bright sunlight. It reads "K.ALAHAZOO STATE HOSPITAL 'FOR '!Ht INSANt."

39 Ih'T. HOSPITAL - ROOH • DAY 39

Malcolm is with Louis~, who sits in a chair at~ window. She addresses him but without the slightest recognition of who he is.

She goes right on talking, although we do not hear her words. We GO IN ON her eyes TO an txnEME CLOSEUP.

The sound of a SPEEDING TR.A.IN is heard.

The crack train of the New York, New Haven &Hartford speeds through the New England countryside.

THREE ELDERLY Bl.ACK WAITERS and Malcolm, wearing a sand· wichman's uniform, are crowded around a portable radio in the galley where food is prepared. The four stand around TULLY, a bland-faced personification of fine Pullman service. They are all listening to the Joe Louis-Max Schmeling heavyweight championship fight,

WAITER fl Turn it up, Tully.

WAITER {!2 Tully, move the antenna ...

Tully fixes with the knobs.

The Waiters are acting as if they're at ringside.

'R.ADIO ANNOUNCER (V,O,) Louis moves in, he fires a left, another left, a looping right, Schmeling goes do}:ID,

• The Waiters are going crazy.

'R.ADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O,) The referee leads Louis to the neutral corner.

'R.ADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O,) Seven, eight, nine, .t.c.D, We have a new heavyweight champion, J.£1:. Louis -- Joe Louis-

41 CONT!h1JED:

The Waiters are all jumping up and down when the galley door opens. MR. COOPER, the white man in charge of the kitchen, pops his head in.

In a moment's notice Tully and the others have resumed their customary, servient roles.

TlJLLY Nothing, Mr. Cooper.

TlJLLY Yes, sir, Mr. Cooper, soup done finished.

Cooper eyes him narrowly.

RADIO ANNOt.TNCER (V.O.) Ladies and gentlemen, one minute , and fifteen seconds of the eighth round .•.

thru thru

as Malcolm hefts his sandwich basket and a large con• tainer of coffee down the aisle, hawking as he goes.

45 CON!lh'UED:

ANGLE· FAVORING WHITE CUSTOMER, Bl.ADES

Hey, boy. Gimme a cheese on white and coffee.

Malcolm's mood is exuberant: the fight is still in his ears. He makes the delivery with a flourish and a smile.

'Bl.ADES I like you, boy.

INSERT· FANTASY PROJECTION

Malcolm picks up a slab of cream pie and pushes it in Blades' face,

A.nd takes a satisfying bite out of his thin sandwich.

As the Clipper surfaces in Harlem, pulls up to the 125th Street station.

Malcolm, out of uniform and dressed in his :cot suit, comes down from the Park Avenue station in Harlem. He is hit with the sights and sounds. Everything delights him: the noise, the lights, the women, the pimps, the signs, the windows, the crowds, the laughter, the MUSIC.

48 ' OMITTED 48 thru thru

50A ANGLE· CROWD 50A

A CROWD of people run by Malcolm yelling and screaming.

He runs after them.

All traffic has stopped, there is a huge spontaneous celebration going on. Black folks are everywhere, it seems as if all of Harlem is out on the streets. The citizens of Harlem are hugging, kissing, drinking, danc• ing, folks are hanging from street lamps, yelling out their windows, holding up hand!llade Joe Louis banners, everyone has great reason to be joyous. The heavyweight champion of the world is a black man•· Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, he has regained his championship.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

Malcolm quickly looks at his watch, he's running late for his train, as he fights his way through the crowd like a salmon going upstream, the CAM'E:RA CRANES 'IJ1' to see him eventually get lost in a sea of black humanit:y "cutting loose."

FADE OUT,

51 OMITTED .5 l thru thru

FADE IN:

Malcolm, newly conked and shart:> as a tack (:oot suit, trouser crease like a knife's edge, orange knob-toed shoes) walks toward his goal: Small's F~radise.

57 CONTI?.'"UED: 57

The street is crowded with people, kids and HUSTLERS.

Malcolm smiles "no thanks"; keeps 111oving.

Malcolm waves; he's not having any. Goes on.

l>efore entering, Malcolm sharps hin..;elf a bit, picking off some lint, cocking his hat. And enters.

The restaurant is crowded, both at the bar and at the tables beyond. The immediate impression is of subdued well-being, of decorum, of easy affluence. This is the world Malcolm wants into. He digs it, drinking in its details.

ANGLE· BAR

A big man, FOX, accidentally bumps into Malcolm almost knocking him over.

Everyone becomes quiet in the bar.

Malcolm grabs a bottle off the bar counter and, with lightning speed, brings it crashing down on Fox's he•~· As he lays on the floor with head bleeding, Malcolm kicks him in the stomach two times. It's done, the fight is over and Feople pull him off of Fox,

59 CONTI1'1JED: 59

ANGLE WITH MALCOLM AUD BARTENDER

The BARTENDER pours him a double.

BARTEh"DER The double'& on that gentleman. Jack!

He points.

FROM MALCOL...~'S POV· ARCHIE AT T.A.l!LE

The elderly man nods. He is big, he is ve:ry black. The same color as Malcolm's father.

The Bartender would not normally answer this, but Malcolm is the man of the moment, 10 the Bartender speaks:

Malcolm nods, then looks over again at Archie·· in appreciation. Archie wiggles a finger for him to come over.

(CONTINlJ'ED)

59 CONTINUED: ( 2) 59

Halcolm sits. There are no introductions. He just nods at SAH?-IT and CADII.l..AC.

11Al.COU1 Red, and I ain't no punk.

11Al.COU1 I'm working trains. Selling.

11Al.COU1 Not this boy. I ain't fighting their war. I got my own. Right chere. Heard tell you're a good man to know.

11Al.COU1 'Where I come from. Boston.

3 7 .

59 C0NTI1'7JtD: ( 3) 59

Samrr:y and Cacillac are watching a little skeptically. Archie is flattered.

MA.l.COLM Man's rep travels.

Then seeing Sammy and Cadillac's dubious visages, Archie adds:

Archie laughs, Even Sammy smiles. Cadillac st.ll holds his judgment.

Sammy covers his eyes. Malcolm plays off the insults.

59 CONT! t-'UtD: ( 4 )

Haleolm reaehes for a peneil.

Arehie looks at him sharply.

Haleolm does so.

A pause.

Archie and Sammy laugh at his direetness. Cadillae smiles.

Arehie pushes baek his ehair, about to get up.

Malcolm has suddenly been exeluded and he wants des· perately baek in.

(CONTIN'tJED)

59 CONT 11'7.JED: ( 5 ) 59

MAl.COU1 Can I run with you, Hr. Archie?

Archie eyes him, weighing him seriously.

The three established hustlers smile at the newcomer in their midst.

The education of Malcolm X as a big-time hustler is underway. There is a father-son thing here, on both sides: Malcolm taking pride in Archie's knowledge and experience; Archie in Malcolm's quickness and intelligence.

Archie and Malcolm are headed into a bar. Archie lets Malcolm try the door. But it's locked and does not yield.

( CO?t!INUED)

-'40.

61 CONTl1'1JtD: 61

Archie smiles, raps en the small window cf the bar door with a coin: three taps, a pause and a fourth. Clearly a pre-arranged signal. The door CLlCKtR BUZZES and the two walk in.

62 !NT. RlP'S BAR· SA.11I. TlMt 62

It's packed and the men greet Archie as the door closes behind him. It's a loud bar (unlike Small's) and the MUSIC POURS OUT, the greetings are loud and hearty.

SKtJLLY How about that seven, seven, seven?

ANGLE· RIP'S BAR

Halcclm and Archie stand before a drawn curtain on one side cf the bar. Archie pulls the curtain to one side.

FROM MALCOI..~'S POV - RIP A1''D CLOTHING RACKS

They are looking at racks of clothing; you name it, Rip has it: furs, women's dresses, men's overcoats, shoes, suede jackets, men's suits. RIP, a sweet-faced fence with'a nice leathered face, smiles over at Archie.

ltlP Hey, baby, close the flap. You letting in a draft.

Archie does so.

He and Rip slap hands.

(CONTINUtD)

CDN!!J.'UtD: 62

ARCHIE: Rip, this is my main man, Red. Fit him up.

Now Rip looks Malcolm over, as the outfitter in a fine men's shop might.

He selects a dark garment.

Archie, a father buying his son some clothes, feels the fabric.

Malcolm is delighted with the selection; it's the kind of suit Archie is wearing.

Malcolm starts to remove his own coat.

Malcolm has the new jacket on now.

He gestures a mirror.

Malcolm is looking at himself in a mirror in Archie's room. He has on the full outfit now, together with a new white on white shirt and a Sulka tie. Looks great.

(CONTIW£D)

Malcolm buttons the jacket and turns around, demonstrat• ing for Archie's inspection.

ilCHIE You looking good, Red. Real clean. Clean as the board of health. But you missing something.

ilCHIE Frisk me, baby. Give me a real pat-down.

Malcolm doesn't understand, but he senses something and becomes excited. Archie has walked over to him.

ilCHIE Go ahead. Do me.

Malcolm frisl:s him carefully: pats his sides, his pockets, under his arms, his legs. Archie is clean to the touch.

(triumphantly) And I'm still carrying.

He smacks the small of his back. Then, reaching under his coat, he takes a revolver out from the middle of his back. And hands it to Malcolm.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

Holding the deadly instrument, fascinated by it, hefting it, feeling its power .

It's yours, baby. Put it on.

Malcolm slips it carefully into the small of his back, behind his trouser belt. His first gun: the feeling shines in his eyes, Bogart has become a black man •

How's it feel?

63 CON!H,1JtD: ( 2) 63

64 lNT./EXT. VAltIOUS LOCATIONS - SERIES OF CLOSE SHOTS 64

A five dollar bill. CA.MER.A GOES lN for the last three digits.

The stock market board at the end of a day's trading. CO IN for the last three numbers.

Preacher in a pulpit, reading from the Bible.

l'R!.ACHER Let us turn to the Gospel according to St. John. Chapter 3, verse 23.

VOICE (O.S.) Three, two, three.

Malcolm scribbles the number onto a piece of paper.

VOICE (O.S.) Two, nine, eight,

Malcolm's hand writes out the number.

CLOSE· TRAIN TERMINAL SIGN

It reads "New York to Chicago," FAN DOWN to show "Train arrives l:05."

VOICE (O.S.) One, :ere, five.

Archie with Malcolm as the latter writes down "l, O, S."

AltCHIE I told you less paper, less trouble.

64 co:-TIKUED: 64

He taps his head.

CLOSE· FACE OF ELDE'ltLY WOMAN

ELDE'ltLY WOMAN I saw it in my dream. Five, five, five. And last week my sister had a dream and she hit.

CLOSE· FACE OF ELDE'ltLY BA'ltBER

BA'ltBER I got it from Ching Chow. It got to be two, five, one.

thru thru

We are TIGHT ON Malcolm's intense face, he is pulling on a joint. We hear Bogart BLASTING his way out of a police blockade.

A PHONE RINGS.

In her well•to•do apartment, Sophia passes her husband, reading the stock reports in the evening paper, as ahe goes to answer the phone.

MALCOl.H (V. 0. ) It's me.

Sophia is excited by his call. She watches her husband carefully as she speaks.

Malcolm is on the phone with the door open. B.g. sounds of ):roSIC and LAUGHTER are heard.

INTERCUT BET\o/'tEN Sophia and the phone booth:

Husband bobs his head in acknowledgement.

Malcolm smiles.

There is MUSIC PLAYING. Wordlessly, Archie sprinkles a few grains of fine crystal onto a round shaving mirror. He slides it across a table to Malcolm and hands him a short straw. Sophia sits next to Malcolm; she and Archie are already high. Malcolm leans over the mirror, placing the straw in his nostril.

TIGHT CLOSE SHOT· HALCOLH'S FACE

IN THE MIRllOR (something satanic about him) -- aa he sniffs the cocaine well into his nose.

A beat as he leans back waiting for the drug to take hold, Malcolm looks into dressing mirror.

Malcolm with gun in hand does his Bogart gangster imitations.

71 CONTI1'1JtD;

ilCHIE 'Bet you are.

CLOSE· MA.l..COLH

FREEZE FR.AME.

thru th:r-u

75 txT. Sl'1A.I..L'S PARADISE· NIGHT 75

A miserable night, RAINING and cold. Malcolm turns into the bar.

Shaking off the rain as Malcolm walks through. He is a familiar figure to the bar's denizens. He is met with AD LIB cries:

"Hey, 'Red," "Have a taste," from the men; a.nd from the women: "Come here, sugar," "Where you been?"

One man stands apart. He is Detective Holmes.

Malcolm a.c'knowledges the greetings, strolls down into the bar. It's illllllediately clear that a subtle change has come over him. He is no longer the neophyte, but a well· groomed, smooth, fully-possessed hustler.

ANGLE· BOOTH

Malcolm sits into the booth and motions for the waitress.

ANGLE· HONEY

A fine copper tan waitress comes to him.

(CONTINUtD)

76 CONTINUED:

Honey stares at him.

She leaves. He leans his head back against the booth -- thinking. ,

Ft11A.LE (O.S.) Daniel come in yet, Honey?

Malcolm turns his head sharply at the sound of the voice. It's familiar. He looks toward the bar and sees the girl who asked the question.

She is still young, still vulnerable, but she is bolder, more self-assured, more vividly-dressed. She is unaware of Malcolm.

( CO?-.'"I'INUED)

76 CONTINUED: ( 2) 76

It's obvious he's a junkie. And in need of a fix. Quick-

SHOT· MALCOI..H

Honey places his drink and cigarettes before him. He'~ watching, taking it all in immediately. Laura is clearly cra:y about Daniel,

ANGLE· LAUR.A AN!> DANIEL

CLOSE· MALCOl.H

He looks, then belts down his drink.

CLOSER· LAVR.A AN!> DANIEL

Daniel motions to her pocketbook and she takes out a 10- dollar bill. He grabs it, and heads for the door.

WITH MALCOl.H AN'D HON'EY

She has been watching Malcolm.

76 CONTH,'1.JED: ( 3)

With him?

Honey nods.

She know?

ANGLE - I..AU!tA

Walking toward the door, looking for Daniel. She leaves the bar.

CLOSE - 11.ALCOLH Al-,'!> HONEY

ls she hooking?

Malcolm smacks the table in frustration.

ANGLE· 11.ALCOLM AND HONEY

He raises his arm tc hit her and it is held.

Archie is standing above him. Malcolm nods, and Archie lets his arm gc; standing next to him is Sophia.

( CO?{Tlt,'UED)

>O.

76 co1:r1 NUtD: ( 4 J 76

MAl..COl.H Honey, he didn't mean it.

Archie wiggles his hand. Honey goes, but not before throwing daggers at Malcolm and Sophia, Archie sits do\.lTI, takes a cigar. For a good beat there is a coolness between them. Then Malcolm reaches over and lights Archie's cigar. Sophia stares at her man, he then motions for her to sit down beside him,

AllCHIE Thanks. You got it. Who's beating on you, P.ed? You looking a little uptight.

The father-son thing is back, but Malcolm will never again be the student.

MAl..COL.M I ain't. But I might be tied up a couple of days.

By way of explanation he tosses an envelope in front of Archie. Archie opens it.

AllCHIE Well, well. Little old draft notice. You might be tied up a coupla years, Red.

MAl..COL.M Not this mother.

AllCHIE Yeah. I been hearing you rap 'bout you ain't gonna fight they war. What you gonna do about it? Mr. Hot Shot.

Archie looks over.

SHOT· DETECTIVE

Nursing a drink at the bar.

76 CONTINUED: ( 5) 76

He gets up and addresses the bar.

People are watching, amused, puzzled.

Sophia is not sure of this, or anything else.

She laughs at her achievement. Malcolm goes to open Sophia's purse.

With each number he throws a bill at Archie.

76 CONTih'UED: ( 6) 76

Malcolm slides his tongue down Sophia's throat, then waves his notice on high; he starts for the door. The detective watches him narrowly. As Malcolm leaves, the detective heads for an open phone, drops a coin in and starts dialing.

- DAY

It is torn off. Ptn.LBACK SHOWS Malcolm, zoot-suited and newly conked, has ripped the poster from a stand just outside the Army Induction Center.

SERGEANT ltOCK All right, I'm gonna say this once. Strip down to your socks and shorts. Clothes over there. Let's go.

A long, desultory line of inductees, mostly white, aome black; but all nervous. All the inductees a~e stripped down, as instructed. To the side of the line is S£RGE:AN'I ROCK, very GI, very tough.

SERGEANT ltOCK Now fonn two single lines: white to the right, coloreds to the left. Hop to it.

The two lines begin to form, the inductees eyeing each other; segregation begins ~n the U.S. Army at once.

All the nervous eyes, and especially the Sergeant'•• turn back to where the commotion is coming from.

7S coi:rINUtD:

Where the hell do you go to git some action?

Man, looka me. I don't need no physical. Gimme a gun. I'm gone kill me a hundred nips. A goddam thousand.

The Sergeant is standing in front of him, glaring.

'Fore I'm done I'll make chicken Colonel.

Rock grabs him by the arm and yanks him out of line.

SERGt.Al,'T ROCK Okay, Colonel, this way.

He pushes Malcolm ahead of him.

78A CLOSE SHOT· SIGN 78A

"PSYCHIATRIC SECTION" and below that: "NO SMOKING, NO TALKING."

Someone leaves one of the booths, a sad-eyed black inductee. He hands a card to the Nurse as he leaves.

She gestures to the left booth.

DOCTOR McCOY is pne of those thoughtful psychiatrists, sucking the earpiece of his glasses as he talks.

DOCTOR McCOY You want to fight, Little?

Doctor is looking at a 6x8 file card on Malcolm.

DOCTOR McCOY Can't wait to get into it?

DOCTOR McCOY \.Thy?

DOCTOR McCOY Pearl Harbor was two years ago.

The Doctor taps his file card.

DOCTOR McCOY \.That's this about joining the Japanese Army?

DOCTOR McCOY You did. Several times.

Malcolm looks around the cubbyhole, pretending caution, and lowers his voice.

79 CONT!!,1JED: 79

MALCOI...~ They might be in here, too. You ain't none, is you?

DOCTOR Mc:COY What's that supposed to mean?

He whispers.

DOCTOR Mc:COY What?

Malc:olm gets up, goes to the door, falls prone on the floor and peeks under it. The Doc:tor might say some· thing, but Malcolm presses an urgent finger to his lips. Then he stands up and quickly opens the door•· to see if anyone is listening. There is no one there.

MALCOl.H'S POV· NURSE BROWN

Busy at her desk, she frowns at him.

DOCTOR McCOY You better sit down and tell me what you're talking about.

It's crowded now and Archie and Malcolm are sitting at their table with Sammy and Sophia. All listening to his account of his interview.

56,

81 u;r. DOCTOR. s BOOTH - DAY 61

H.ALCOI..!1 •· so I know you'll dig this. When I put on that brown they gonna ship me south. And they gonna give me a gun and teach me how to use it. And they gonna teach a lot of cats like me how to use them. And you know what we gonna do, man•·

Archie, Sammy and Sophia hanging on his words.

MALCOI..!1 We gonna organize. We gonna start shooting up them redneck crackers ...

MALCOI..!1 ... All them goddam redneck crackers, we gonna blow they redneck motherfucking heads off.

The Doctor is simply staring at him.

MALCOI..!1 (V. 0. ) Nothing. His mouth just flapped open. Damn Sam, how soon can you gimme that brown and that little old M·l?

The Doctor takes his glasses out of his mouth, looks over at Malcolm.

DOCTOR McCOY I'll have to -- make out my report.

MALCOLM (V.O.)

84 !NT. SMALL'S (AS BEFORE) 84

Malcolm holding up a draft card.

57,

84 CONTINUtD: 64

They all laugh.

He hands Malcolm a cigar•· and while Malcolm wets it, bites it and puts it in his mouth, Archie lights a match.

He puffs, pulling on the cigar, lighting it.

AltCHIE I know ain't nothing you don't know. But don't never sit with you back to no door.

AltCHIE What you talking about?

Archie looks at him, non-comprehending.

84 CONTINUtD: ( 2) 84

MALCOl.H The bitch was there.

Archie doesn't even look at Sophia.

MALCOl.H Then skip it, man. But you slipping, baby. You done slipped.

Archie is controlling himself, Everyone in Small's is all ears, a falling out between Red and Archie•· their reps are at stake.

ANOTHtR ANGLE

Archie looks at Sammy. Sammy is neutral. Archie digs in his pockets, comes up with a roll. He peels off six $100 bills and throws them on the table in front of himself, as he gets up.

MALCOl.H Oh, sit down, man. What you tasting? I'm buying,

SAM!fi Be right there.

Archie goes.

SAM!fi Twenty-two years he didn't never forget no number.

MA.LCOl.H Got to be a first time, daddy•o,

Sammy goes.

84 CO?-:TH,"UED: ( 3 ) 84

MAl.COU1 Come on, sweetlips, I got us some G·I·R·L, girl. Let's you and me fly.

He kisses Sophia possessively.

The well-known 52nd Street night spot features Billie Holliday. A stand-up cutout of her is outside.

This is a plush nightclub, with a mixed black and white audience. Some of the hustlers from Small's are in evidence.

CLOSE· 'BILLIE

l.AI>Y DAY starts into "You Don't Know What Love Is."

Malcolm and Sophia, high as a kite and on the town.

CLOSE· ARCHIE

He makes his way toward Malcolm's table. There is murder in his eyes .

Al'.CHIE You're a damn liar.

CLOSE· Al'.CHIE

You~ me, you bastard, and now I'm taking you •

86 CONTlJ.7JtD: 86

His eyes gesture. Malcolm looks:

MALCOLH'S POV - SA!1!1Y

At the nearby bar: his hand in his coat pocket.

Archie backs away from the table, his gun on Malcolm.

{CONTINUED)

86 CONTI?-.1.JtD: ( 2) 86

CLOSE· BILLIE

She knows what's going on.

He races into the men's room.

ANGLE

Archie and Sammy run after him.

There is an open window. Archie is leaning out, looking both ways.

A tiny alleyway. No one is visible.

ilCHIE The dirty, yellow, rat bastard.

ilCHIE lolhat you say?

Malcolm comes running out of an alleyway and onto the street. He stops to catch his breath, to regain his composure. He is shook up, frustrated, but mostly saddened. He then runs down the block OUT OF FRAME into Harlem night.

9lA INT, LITTLE HOUSE (LANSING, MlCHIGAN) - CLOSE• E:A:R.L 9lA • NIGHT (REHE:M'.BtRED TIHE)

Earl is sitting up in bed, he wakes his sleeping wife, Louise; next to her is a baby in a crib; another child sleeps between Earl and her.

ANGLE· HOUSE

Outside the house, five riders of the BLACK LEGION. The Blac'; Legion are dressed in the style of the KKK, but in black sheets rather than white, even their horses sport black cone hats and sheets. We see gasoline cans being passed around.

?.APJ. Somebody out there. Wake the children.

Earl starts to put on his overalls and reaches for his gun, which sits on a nearby chair, when an explosion of flames greets the house.

ANGLE· CHILDREN'S BEDROOM

FLAHES ROAR through the room and the Little kids are hysterical. Louise rushes in and pushes them past the fire, she has infant in hand covered in a blanket.

The entire house is in flames. The Little family stands in front of it, just out of harm's way.

(CONTINlJED)

91C CONTlh1JtD: 91C

ANGLt - BLACK LEGION

They sit on their horses watching the results of their work.

CLOSE - BLACK LEGION LtADER

BLACK LEGION LtADER Boy, good thing we're good Christians. Nigger, it's time for you to leave this town.

CLOSE· £AlU.

£AlU. This here is 'pose to be a free country.

CLOSE - BLACK LEGION LtADER

BLACK LEGION LtADER Rev, we warned you 'bout that Garvey preaching, stirring up the good nigras here. Boy, next time you're a dead nigger.

CLOSE - £AlU.

Earl takes his PISTOL out from behind his back and FIR.ES above their heads.

£AlU. Take these here bullets for de.m sheets.

ANGLE· BLACK LEGION

The bullets send the Black Legion flying into the glorious D,W, Griffith moonlit night.

ANGLE· HOUSE

The burning house collapses behind the Little family,

( CO?,"TlNlJED)

91C CON'l'INUtD: ( 2) 91C

ANGLt • EARL A?,"D LOUISE

EJJU, Just wanted to scare 'em, they won't be bothering us no more.

EJJU, They won't be here no time soon. I •m a lll.ll.ll •

91D EX!. STIU:ET (LANSING)· NIGHT (RtMD-mtRED TI.ME:) 91D

It's raining eats and dogs and it's foggy. We he'lr a big THUD, then a GRUNT, and Earl Little falls across the trolley tracks, the sound of MtN RUh'NING away is heard in the distance.

ANGLE· STRttTCAlt

Approaches.

ANGLE - E.AlU.

On tracks. He has been beaten to a bloody pulp.

CLOSER SHOT or STIU:ETCAR

Approaching.

CLOSE· STREETCA.lt MOTORMAN

He sees

( CO?."TINUED)

91D cor;rnn.JtD:

91D

CLOSE • HAh"D

reaches brake lever.

CLOSE· STREETCAR WHEELS

STOPPING, SPAR.KS fly.

CLOSE· MOTOR.MAN

winces and then makes the sign of the cross.

LONG ANGLE· PASSENGERS

Jumping out of the streetcar to attend to Earl.

92 lNl'. CAR· NIGHT 92

Shorty is driving with Sophia in the front seat. Malcolm is in the back. They are in the country -- outside New York.

SHO'ltTY Han, I'm glad we got you out of there. With West Indian Archie on your ass, your name on the wire-· Boston the best goddamn place in the world for you -- things are too hot and it's not even summer.

( COh'TINUtD)

Halcolm has withdrawn within himself. He takes out a packet of cocaine and sniffs it.

The drug takes hold. Halcolm is out of it.

He and Sophia keep talking it up, trying to bolster Halcolm.

CLOSE· !1A1.,COI..H

Stoned, his nose running, Malcolm stares out of the window at the receding landscape. FREEZE FUME.

MUSIC of a DANCE COMBO is heard in b.g.

l1Al,COI..H (V.O.) Three things I was always scared of: a job, a bust and jail. l realized then I wasn't afraid of anything. I didn't care.

• -✓ 67.

94 INl. HARVARD SQUARE APARTMENT - DAY 94

Shorty, Sophia and Peg faee Malcolm -- stoned in a chair. Peg is 17, Sophia's kid sister and Shorty's date.

You got to eat somethin', Red.

MALC01.!1 Yeah and get a slave, too, huh, baby?

I ain't doing bad.

MALC01.!1 Han, the name musicians ain't got shit. How you gonna have something? 1 need a stake, a bundle, a grand. Hy bitch can't afford it; my homey ain't got it. Hey, sis -- (this to Peg) -- how you like to turn out for ole Red?

Peg smiles, afraid of Malcolm.

Jesus, Red, she's a kid.

MALC01.!1 Jesus ain't got nothin' to do with this. She got a pussy, don't she? Don't she?

Shorty eyes him in amazement. The degree of Malcolm's depravity surprises even him.

MALC01.!1 Surprise you, baby? Well, that'• the way it is. A bitch ii to buy and sell, Any bitch. What kind of scratch you got on you? Turn out. Let me have it. All of you•·

Glances exchanged among Shorty, Sophia and Peg. Shorty reaches into his pocket.

Halcclm with Sophia, Shorty and Peg around him.

Nobody answers; they'll go with Malcolm.

J'l1l1l' CUT TO :

They are in the process of appraising each other, seeing which one has the bigger penis,

( CO?.'TINUtD)

95 CONTI?.1JED: 95

Peg and Sophia are listening, a little horrified.

Malcolm smiles easily.

He takes out his gun, a ,32 revolver. He dumps the shells on the table, then reinserts one shell and twirl• the barrel.

He puts the revolver to his own head.

Malcolm squeezes the trigger. lt CLICKS. Now he twirls the barrel again and hands the gun to Rudy.

Rudy is staring at him; so are they all. Malcolm puts the gun to his temple again.

He pulls the trigger a second time. Cl..lCK. Now he twirls it again.

Malcolm puts the gun to Rudy's head.

A beat.

You the man!

Nodding accord from Rudy and Shorty. Sophia can hardly stand.

7 l.

95 CONTH,1JED: ( 3)

ANGLE

Rudy is at a table drawing a diagram; the girls have left. Shorty and Malcolm alone at a window.

H.Al..COLM Yeah.

He breaks open the gun·· the bullet is in the next slot to be fired.

H.Al..COLM Palmed it right in the goddam chamber.

Malcolm starts laughing: a silent, hysterical laugh,

The robbery, in QUICK CUTS:

A door lock is picked by Sophia.

Pencil flashlight passes an upstairs window.

Rudy in the ear.

Silver removed from a drawer by Shorty.

Peg walking down the street, as lookout.

Malcolm takes off his shoes.

The sleeping old man, old talcum powder, as Malcolm takes a watch, a wallet from within inches of his pillow. Then, more boldly, picks up the man's hand and removes a ring from one of his fingers. Shorty watching with bated breath, he's about to have a heart attack.

A Boston matron, MRS. CR.Aloli'OltD, is showing the girls her collection of U.S. silver. In a fine New England home.

( CO?."TIN'UtD)

97 CONTH,7JED: 97

SHOT· AR.RANGtMENT OF MUSEU!1-QUALITY PIECES

Sophia is casing the room carefully as the matron continues.

MRS, CRAWFORD Won't you step this way?

Everybody is high, Rudy is driving, Malcolm beside him in the front seat. Shorty sits between Peg and Sophia in the back a.mid a earful of stolen bric-a-brac. We see candlesticks, lamps, vases, fire dogs, etc.

98 CONT!h'UtD:

JtUI>Y They got a good look at you.

Malcolm is about to sniff,

JtUI>Y When?

And sniffs.

In the kitchen, Shorty is conking Malcolm's hair, about to apply the congolene.

Shorty works in the congolene. PAN the ROOM during the process, to reveal considerable loot from previous hauls, not yet disposed of. And the tools of their trade: pick-locks, jimmies, etc.

( COh"TlNlJED)

They move to the sink. Shorty turns on the faucet, but no water comes. He tries the other faucet. Nothing.

MALCOLM , Come on. The damn shit's burning me.

He tries both faucets at the sink, then in the tub. There is no water.

'He pushes Shorty aside and sticks his head in the only place he can find water: the toilet bowl.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

His head in the bowl, as he splashes water on his head, trying to find relief. But it's not enough.

100 CONT!J,7.JED: 100

And bathes his head in the tcilet bcwl, finally finding relief.

VO! CE ( V. 0. ) Take ycur head cut cf the shit bcwl, nigger·· and grab that wall.

Malcclm turns sharply, water running dcwn his face; eyes tearing.

HIS POV • T\./0 COPS \o.'lTH DRAl.'N GUNS

Smiling at his plight.

ANOTHER ANGLE· SHORTY

Shcrty leeks at Malcclm, his hands are raised, a third ccp has his gun sticking intc his back.

The priscners face the bench: Peg, Scphia, Shcrty, Rudy and Malcclm.

He ccntinues giving them 8 tc 10 years, behind Malcolm's comment:

76,

lOl CONTINUED:

CAMERA HAS CON£ lN for a TIGHT Cl.OS£ SHOT of Malcolm's face: a hardened hustler, pimp, dope peddler and now jailbird at the ripe old age of 20. FREEZE FR.A.HE.

CUT TO :Bl.ACK.

FADE IN:

It is the afternoon lockup: about 3:30 P.M.

The line of PRISONERS stands in front of their :ells, as two guards, WILKINS and :BARNtS, one white, one black, slowly walk past the P.M. check.

The procedure is routine, done without emotion, as it is done three times a day: the black guard calls out the prisoner's name, the PRlSONtR answers with his number, then steps into his cell, Whereupon the white guard slam~ the door shut and locks it,

GtlARD WILKINS Jackson.

PRlSONtR A 231549.

Door is slammed and gate locked,

Cl.OSt • MALCOLM

Each time a gate is locked his tension increases. His face is a mask hiding his fury, violence and the hunger of an advanced junkie who has not had a fix in over a week.

GtlAFJ> WILKINS Crichlow.

7i.

102 CONTI?-.1.JtD: 102

Same procedure.

ANG~E SHOOTING PAST MALCOLM

FAVORING two other prisoners. The Guards are approaching Malcolm's cell. Past Malcolm are two experienced prison- ers who have been watching Malcolm during the scene. They whisper surreptitiously without moving their bodies, and barely moving their lips. One of the prisoners is PETE, a huge barrel of a man, a lifer -- beaten by the system and a lifetime of incarceration. The other is BE:!1l3RY, a man of no great physicality, but who possesses immedi· ately the gift of leadership. It is clear that Pete and others look up to him with great respect.

BE:!1l3RY I see him.

Bembry's language is very unhip. He speaks carefully. He respects words and he respects himself, something which sets him apart from all the other prisoners.

BE:!1l3RY No, he's not gonna burst, But he's not gonna fix his face to please them, neither.

ANGLE

The check-in has reached the man next to Malcolm.

GUAJU> WILKINS Harrington.

GUAJU> BARNES Yeah. Lucky Seven.

Door slammed and locked.

102 CONTH,1JED: ( 2 )

Malcolm doesn't move.

GUARD BA:RNtS State your number.

Malcolm doesn't answer, doesn't blink.

ANGLE

Bembry in the f.g. of the scene.

BtH:BRY He's a new fish, Hr. Barnes. Give him a break.

It's a bold step by Bembry and the prisoners look over at him with admiration. Barnes accepts the irregularity and calls over to Bembry.

GUARD BA:RNtS Okay, I'll give him a break. Now state your number, Little.

Cl..OSt SHOT - BtH:BRY

Shaking his head in anguish. He knows what's coming.

ANGLE

Barnes makes a small gesture and Wilkins aeizes Malcolm, grabbing his head and uniform at the same time. Stencilled on the chest of his faded dungarees is Malcolm's number. The Guard bends Malcolm's head to the number, shoving the material in Malcolm's face.

• ·' 7 9.

102 CONTINUED: ( 3) 102

GUARD "BARNES Now say it.

MALCOI.!1 l'm Malcolm Little, not no goddam number.

And slams Malcolm hard. He slumps to the floor.

GUARD :BARNES Two days in the hole. Take him.

Wilkins drags Malcolm off as :Barnes resumes the roll call.

GUARD :BARNES :Burnham.

PRISONER #4 A 551613, sir.

JUMP Cl.TT TO:

Only the faintest light comes into the hideous room, which consists of a mattress and a slop bucket. If Malcolm were to stretch out his arms, he could touch both walls. He lies half on the stone floor, half on the mattress.

A CI.ANG as the heavy DOOR is opened'.

GUARD com: Time's up. Get on your feet.

Malcolm stands.

GUARD com: Little, state your number.

A beat as Malcolm stares at the man, refusing to answer.

GUARD com: You just drew two more days.

And slams the door shut.

It is almost pitch biack. We can almost smell the stench of the room. Malcolm sits stony-faced, his back against a wall.

TRUSTtE: {O.S.) Water.

The long spigot of a watering can is pushed through an opening in the cell door. Malcolm, animal-like, leaps at it and bends the spout, almost wrenching it off in his fury.

10.5 OMITTED 105

MALCOl..11 - DAY

HAl.COL.M Preacher, take your tin Jesus and the Virgin Mary both, and shove 'em.

DOOR Sl..AM.

Malcolm is alone at the bars: the hope of freedom filling his mind.

Malcolm pulls at the bars, tries to shake them in impotent fury. He pounds the walls. Empty, sick, defeated, his nails scratching the walls, he slides to the floor of the cell.

lt is the low point of his life: nowhere to turn, nothing to hope for.

108 !NT. SOLITARY· LA.TtR 108

Guard Cone is shaking him into consciousness.

{cot-.-rINUtD)

Bl.

Malcolm just about makes it. The Guard is in half-focus.

He is beaten.

HAl..COLH A 859912,

A SHOWER is heard.

Malcolm stands with bowed head as the hot water cascades over his broken body. He lets it run and run, but it cannot really touch his problems. On a nearby bench are his clothes, his towel and the makings for a conk: lye, Vaseline, comb, etc.

He turns for a moment as he see~ he is being watched by someone. It' .s Bembry standing nearby. Malcolm ·::urns away, trying to find solace in the water. He wants no part of the world or anyone, just to be left alone.

Malcolm shows no flicker of interest or understanding.

He puts down a small matchbox on the bench next to Malcolm's things. Malcolm eyes him like a snake•· but the punishment has reduced him to deep insecurity and his belligerence is more cautious than angry.

HAl..COLH Who the hell are you?

HAl..COLH Man, what do you want?

'BtmR.Y You need something. It's not a reefer, but it'll help some.

'But he steps out of the shower, fills a tin cup with wate~ and empties the ·contents of the matchbox into it. And drinks it down quickly.

'BtmR.Y Sit down or it might knock you down.

Haleolm sits, towelling himself as the spice hits him. For the first time he smiles; this is the first relief he has tasted in prison. He looks at 'Bembry wonderingly, unable to figure him out.

'BD-1'.BR.Y I can show you how to get out of prison. And it's no hype.

'BtmR.Y That's the last stuff you'll ever get from me.

BtmP.Y 'Cause you needed it. 'Cause you couldn't hear me without it.

This is a new breed of cat; Malcolm has never met anyone like him. He eyes him closely, as he slips into hi• clothes.

109 CONTINUtD: ( 2) 109

He begins to conk his hair, but is paying attention to what Bembry is saying.

Malcolm looks over, piqued.

Malcolm is putting lye into his hair now.

This last is spoken sharply with disgust. Malcolm turns, his hands massaging the conk into his hair.

( COl'l'TiwtD)

109 CONT!t.1.ltD: ( 3) 109

l!E:MBR.Y Why don't you want to look like what you are? What makes you ashamed of being black?

INSERT FI.ASH· CLOSE ON JER.Rl·ctJR.LED MAN Ah'D WOMAN WITH A wtAVE • 1991 (TIHE IS TODAY)

J!oth are wearing blue/green contacts.

l!ACK TO SCENE

He turns the water on to wash out the conk•· which has begun to burn. J!embey restrains him, holding his arm.

J!E:MBR.Y Let it burn. Haybe you'll hear me then.

But it is burning now.

He wrenches away from J!embey and puts his head in t.he water.

J!E:MBR.Y Sure, burn yourself, pain yourself, put all that pois~n into your hair, into your body trying to be white.

l!EMBR.Y I thought you was smart. J!ut you just one of them cats bebopping down the avenue in your clown suit with all that mess on you. Like a monkey. Md the white man sees you and he laughs. He laughs because he knows you ain't white. )

109 CONTINUED: ( 4) 109

Halcolm is drying his hair, finishing his conk, But some of what Bembry has said disturbs him.

Malcolm is completely humiliated, Bembry sees this and stops the barrage.

And he is gone. Malcolm stands looking after him, a long thoughtful moment. He is pulling the comb through his hair.

Prisoners are working en a beltline that stamps out and finishes license plates. Bembry is on the stamping machine, working as he talks to the other prisoners. Malcolm is painting the plates, a little removed from Bembry, but listening with interest. Barnes, with rifle, idles by a window.

The men react variously: some proud of Bembry'• out• spokenness, especially in front of a white man; some are indifferent, having heard it all before. FRANK ia one of these.

F1WiK You a bitch with your shit, but this a white man'• country. What you fixing to do?

( C0?.'1'INUO)

86,

110 CONTit.1JtD: 110

There is more scoffing at this, but Bembry is unperturbed.

A WHISTLE SOUNDS, ending the work shift. The men quickly file out into the yard. Bembry stays. Malcolm is half decided.

GUJJU) BARNES You taking the yard?

I'm staying.

Barnes gestures to Malcolm.

He goes.

BEH'.Bli.Y ..'hat you sniffing around for? I told you I gave you your last fi:a:.

BEH'.Bli.Y \.lhat's he gonna do to me he ain't already done?

BEH'.Bli.Y I respect myself. A man cuss because he hasn't got the words to say what's on his mind.

BEH'.Bli.Y Don't con me. Don't try •••

110 CONTINUED: ( 2) 110

Don't con me .

BE:MllRY I read. I study. 'Cause the first thing a black man got to do is respect himself. Respect his body and his mind. Stay 'way from whores; protect your women. Quit taking the white man's poison into your body: his cigarettes, his dope, his liquor, his white woman, his pork.

BE:MllRY Your mama had sense because the pig is a filthy beast: part rat, part dog and the rest carrion.

Malcolm has b~en pondering all this and now grows animated as he thinks he has come to the essence of a hustle.

BE:MllRY I'm telling you God's words, not no hustle. I'm talking the words of Allah, the black man's God. I'm telling you, boy, that God ii black.

110 CONTINUED: ( 3) 110

CLOSE: SHOT· DICTIONARY

We can read the fine print of the definition:

BEMBRY (O,S.)

•

Read it.

PULL BACK to show Bembry and Malcolm in a small prison library. No one else is in the book-lined room.

( COh'TINUE:D)

110 C01''TI1'1JtD: ( 4) 110

Soiled with dirt, foul; sullen, hostile, forbidding•· as a black day. Foully or outrageously wicked, as black cruel t:y .. Indicating disgrace, dishonor or culpability.

Bt!1BRY Now look up 'white.'

Bembry turns the pages of the dictionary to 'w.'

BtMBRY Read it:.

CLOSE. SHOT· DICTIONARY DtFINITION OF "WHITE"

Malcolm stumbles through the definition as well as he can. Bembry takes over the reading, giving it ironic emphasis.

SHOT· SHELVtS OF BOOKS

BtMBltY They sure ain't no black man'• books in here.

(CONTINUE.D)

110 C01'TU,"UtD: ( S) 110

Bembry smiles at Malcolm. He is a remarkable man who always takes careful measure of his listener. He never talks down to his audience; he talks to them. (A manner Malcolm later will adopt.) Bembry can talk funky or salty or, as we will see, in the cadence and eloquence of the Bible. 'R.ight now he goes into street talk.

BDm'R.Y I'll pull your coat, daddy. 'Cause lots of these can't nobody read, be he black or white or a Ph.D. with their suspenders dragging the gre~nd with degrees.

Malcolm laughs. He likes .and admires the man. Then caught by a passage he does not understand:

BDm'R.Y Look 'em up and find out what they mean.

BDmltY Start at the beginning, Page one, the first one. Here

CLOSE SHOT - BE:HBJtY'S HAND

as Bembry's hand opens the book to page one.

CLOSE IN ON PICTUJtE OF AJJS>V~ WITH ITS DEFINITION

110 CONTI?-1.JtD: ( 6)

ANGLE· TWO-SHOT

Malcolm's finger runs down to the next definition:

& & 112. 112.

He is reading on his bunk as Barnes walks by.

The lights in the cell go out. Malcolm looks Uy, annoyed at being interrupted. He shifts his position to the floor of the cell so that he can catch the dim light coming from the corridor and goes on with his reading.

CLOSE SHOT· BOOK

Malcolm is studying the dictionary, the last of the "a's": the words azimuth. Azores, A;te;, azure, etc. He reads a word, then holds his hand over the printed definition to test himself, half-mouthing its meaning. Malcolm is also copying the dictionary in a school book word for word.

There are several books on the desk before Malcolm. We see their titles: W.E.B. DuBois' The soul of »lack folks, Carter G. Woodson's Journal of Nerro Histpty. Durant's Stoo: of Philosophy, H.E. Wells' Outline pf History. Spinoza, Thoreau, etc.

Malcolm is surprised the time has gone so fast. He gathers up his books with care. He cherithes them, putting them back on the shelf carefully.

(CONTINUt!>)

92,

114 cor:rn,1.JED: , 114

The machines are idle; no one is in the room but Malcolm. He starts to reach inside his jacket when Barnes sticks his head in.

GUARD :BARNES You taking the yard or not?

Malcolm takes out a half-filled pack of cigarettes, about to offer one, then pauses. Malcolm hands him the pack of cigarettes.

He takes the pack happily and goes. Malcolm reaches into his jacket again, takes out a book. We see its title: Mahatma Gandhi's MY St;:μggl@. He sits next to the license press to read.

116 txT. PRISON YARD· DAY 116

A baseball game is in progress. A black team is playing a white one. Most of the convicts are watching the game; partisanship at every pitch. A base hit gets a big reaction.

ANGLE· MALCOLM AND BEMBRY

They are out in right field, near the wall, They walk throughout the scene.

( COh'TIWED)

116 CONTit.1..TtD: 116

MALCOl..'1 Let's do both, baby.

His ingratiating manner makes Bembry smile.

BEMBR'); Lemme tell you about history: black history. You listening?

TWO SHOT

Malcolm still watching the game.

94,

CONTINUED: 116

Malcolm is listening to Bembry's intent statement.

BE:11BRY We were a race of kings when the white men went around on ~ll fours.

There is a CRACK of the BAT and Malcolm turns, to watch another base hit, by a black convict, stir the crowd.

He sees a black convict, CHUCK, nearby and calls over:

'

Jackie Robinson and we pounding the hell out of them, celebrating.

(CONTim.rtD)

117 CONTINUtD: 117

CLOSt SHOT· MALCOLM

listening.

BtM'BRY Have you ever known a good white man in all your life? Think back on all the white folks in your life. Did you ever meet one who wasn't evil?

A prison WHISTLE is Ht.A.AD.

& &

Malcolm and Bembry standing close together. The feeling is of someone taking communion: with Bembry the minister and Malcolm the col!llllunicant. Their voices are little more than whispers.

You are now Malcolm X.

( CO?r!INUED)

120 COt,TIN1JtD: 120

Malcolm lifts his head.

BtH:BRY He dedicates his body in purity to Allah. He practices moral restraint. He defends our women.

BtH:BRY But the key to Islam is submission. That is why twice daily we turn to Mecca, to the Holy of Holies, to pray. We bend our knees in submission.

Bembry kneels in a praying position. Malcolm stands.

BtH:B'RY For evil to bend its knee, admit its guilt, implore His forgiveness, is the hardest thing on earth•·

MALCOt.H I want to, Bembry, but I can't.

BtMB'RY -- The hardest and the greatest.

MALCOt.H l don't know what to say to Allah.

BtMBRY Have you ever bent your knees, Halcolm?

Halcolm laugh-snorts:

MALCOt.H Yeah. When I was picking a lock to rob somebody's house.

BtMB'RY Tell Him that.

MALCOt.H I don't know how.

120 C0NT!h"\.ltD: ( 2) 120

:BEMBRY You can grovel and crawl for sin, but not to save your soul. Pick the lock, Malcolm, pick it.

Malcolm holds a letter in his hand. He reads it careful· ly. He has read it several times before.

The room becomes transformed. lt is suddenly suffused with light. And standing in the cell with Malcolm is ELIJAH HUH.A.H?1.A.D. He has materialized, but he can be seen through. He is Malcolm's hallucination.

121 CON'!lh1.JED: 121

The hallucination disappears.

MALCOI.H (V.O.)

Malcolm goes down on his knees. There are tears in his eyes as he begins praying:

CLOSE· MALCOI.H

He continues to pray.

122 IN'!. BtM:BRY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 122

A poorly furnished, small, but immaculate room. There are two couches, a table set for eating, and, on the walls, a portrait of Elijah and a Muslim banner. It is dinner time in a Muslim home.

Two boys, SIDNEY, aged 20, and PETER, aged 17, both per- fect specimens of the Fruit of Islam, stand behind their chairs, waiting. Their mother, Lorraine, a woman of Bembry'& age, is seated, but, she, too, awaits Bembry.

SHOT· 'BtM:BRY

'BEMBRY In the name of Allah, the beneficent and the merciful to whom all praise is due.

At the window 'Bembry saying the evening prayers.

'BtM:BRY (V.O.) 'Dear 'Brother Malcolm: I am back in the bosom of Islam, praise Allah ••• '

lOl.

122 CONTI 1-<utD: 122

He eomes to the table, nods and sits. The boys respect· fully sit after him. Food is passed. It is simple fare: natural foods, milk, greens. The portions are small. They eat in silenee, but there is warmth and love at thi.s table.

BtH:BRY (V. 0. ) We don't have much, but what we have is yours. Lorraine and my two sons join with me in saying that when you eome out, whieh will not be too long, come straight to us .•

123 lh'!. PRISON BARBER SHOP - DAY 123

Malcolm is reading Bembry's letter as he waits his turn. There is a white eonvict in the chair, just being finished by a white barber -- SI!1!10NS. A black barber Slim sits by. Both are eonviets. (NOTE: Malcolm now wears glasses, all that reading in his badly lit eell has ruined his eyes.

BtH:BRY (V. 0. ) You write thanking me. Don't thank me. Praise Allah. He did it all.

Sll1!10NS · Next.

Malcolm starts for the chair. Simmons moves away to light a cigarette as Slim takes over.

Archie and Cadillac are reading a letter they have received. They look at each other incredulously.

102,

Shorty is waving a letter he has received to his cellmate.

An immaculate room, well-furnished. ELIJAH sits in a chair as Bembry stands reading Malcolm's letter.

BE!1BRY 'I wrote the mayor, the governor and the rresident, but for some reason I haven't heard from them' ...

Bembry laughs; Elijah smiles.

TITLE: 6 YEARS LATER

A group of Prisoners, mostly white, but with a goodly smattering of black convicts, are listening to a lecture by CHAPLAIN GILL.

(CONTIN'IJl:D)

127 CONTINUtD: 127

Pete, sitting next to Malcolm, whispers.

PtTt Watch out, baby, this cat is he~vy on religion.

There is laughter from the convicts.

Yes it is, Chaplain Gill. ~ut 1 wouldn't want to say which one of us is what.

Laughter, especially from the black convicts.

You've been talking about the disciples. What color were they?

There are reactions from the convicts. Malcolm is sharply challenging a white man about color.

They were Hebrew, weren't they?

As Jesus was. Jesus was also a Hebrew.

( What color were the original

Hebrews?

( CO?l"TINUED)

127 CONTINUED: ( 2) 127

MA.l.COl.!1 Then we don't know that Cod was white.

There is a strong reaction to this.

CH.Al'LAIN GILL Now just a moment, just a moment

MALCOl.!1 But we do know that the people of that region of Asia Minor, from the Tigris-Euphrates valley to the Mediterranean, are dark-skinned people. I've studied drawings and photographs and seen newsreels. I have never seen a native of that area who was not black.

MA.I.COl.!1 I'm not saying anything, preacher. I'm proving to you that Cod is black.

INSERT· FLASH· BLOND, BLUE-EYED JESUS ON CROSS

(Note: Try to get footage from The Last Tem2tatiop of Christ (William Dafoe)

MA.I.COl.!1 (V.O.) Cod is black,

Malcolm is talking to a crowd from a ladder.

MALCOl.!1 And that the white man is the devil. Yes, God is black and you are made in His image and don't know it. That '1 how brainwashed you are.

The crowd is listening, caught up in Malcolm's intensity.

( CO!ITIN1JED)

105,

128 CONTit-1JED: 128

CLOSE SHOT· SEVER.AL LISTENERS

They turn from Malcolm, moving a few·steps away, and now are the audience on an adjacent SPLJ.KER.. He is a young firebrand:

PAN CONTINUES to take in another ANOTHER. SPEAKER., a few feet away. We see the street corner in Harlem's Hyde Park, with half a dozen speakers haranguing the crowd with half'a dozen panaceas. That Malcolm is just one among many:

ANGLE· MALCOLM

l:?9 INT. Bt!-fBRY'S LIVING ROOH • P.H. 129

In contrast to the peaceful family scene, the room is a beehive of activity. Sidney is turning out leaflets on a mimeograph machine; Lorraine is busy making up a mailing list, using 3x5 file cards; Pete is talking animatedly to TWO TEENAGERS in a corner; Bembry is busy recruiting on the telephone.

SIDNEY

Earl moves toward Malcolm and extends his hand. Malcolm shakes it firmly.

tAR.L I'm a willing servant for Allah.

Sunday service has let out and Malcolm, Earl, Sidney and Peter are "finishing." They're trying to convert the black Christians. Malcolm speaks, while the others hand out leaflets.

130 CO?.'TINUtD: 130

131 t.XT, OPEN AIR "MAIDS" MARKET· DAY 131

A place where black women come to offer themselves for day work. Several are seen. A white woman comes up to one to interview her (bargain with her). Malcolm's voice is heard before he is seen, speaking to the women from a ladder.

CLOSE· MA.LCOJ.M

FACE OF ONE BLACK WOMAN

beginning to shake her head in accord.

The same woman, now at a Muslim meeting. The faces of other listeners (from the church and from the maids' market) are scattered in Malcolm's audience,

The headquarters itself shows the progress Malcolm has made. It is better furnished, larger, and the chairs are ( filled. Bembry, Sidney, Peter and Lorraine are in the back of the room, pleased with the growth. Malcolm stands at a podium,

lOE.

132 CONTINUE:D: 132

Reactions: laughter, interest. Ad lib "That's the truth."

Malcolm scanning the faces of his audience as they react. He sees someone he knows and blurts out boyishly (and winningly):

The crowd turns to Shorty, sitting embarrassedly in the audience.

But Shorty is trying to hide from the spotlight. Malcolm comes down from the platform and walks to him,

He embraces Shorty as the crowd laughs appreciatively and Brothers Sidney and Earl have a chuckle themselves,

·'109.

Shorty and Malcolm in a booth. Shorty has a drink in front of him.

11.ALCOI.H It isn't hype, Shorty. And I meant what I said: join us.

11.ALCOI.H The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says you should pay it all your mind. If you got a mind.

11.ALCOI.H I been clean for twelve years, Shorty.

11.ALCOI.H How's the rest of the gang? You seen anyone?

INSERT FLASH - SAMMY

I He's dead on top of teenage whore who is screaming, trying to push that dead weight off her.

11.ALCOI.H How about Old Cadillac?

133 CON!Ii...utD: 133

INSERT FL.ASH· CtDILL.AC

is an old junkie, past reclaiming, sitting staring in a mer,tal ward, twitching, nose running.

INSERT FL.ASH· SOPHIA

is a bored housewife, she's in the kitchen cooking while her husband hides behind the Wall Street Journal.

A KNOCK on the door rouses Archie, by now an old and dying man. All the vigor is gone, all the life has ebbed out.

Door opens, Malcolm enters.

Archie sits up from his bed and stares. He tries to bring back some of his old Juice, tries to stand up.

Malcolm has to help him lie back.

ll l.

134 COKTI't.7.JtD: 134

The contrast is shocking: Malcolm tall and straight: Archie ruined.

You could of been something, Archie, but the devil got to you.

The old man is asleep.

Malcolm walks thoughtfully doWT1 the street; Archie is still on his mind, as he passes prostitute after prosti- tute. Once beautiful black women now selling their bodies.

136 !NT. TtMPLt U7 • NIGHT 136

Malcolm is addressing a huge audience. His tone is more intense, more personal than before, because of his recent encounters. In the audience, sitting with Bembry, is BETTY, a lovely dark-skinned woman. Her interest in Malcolm (tnie, also, for most of the other unmarried sisters) is more than religious.

ANGLE· AUDIENCE

Many stand, some walk toward the podium speaking his name: "I'm with you, Brother Malcolm," "Praise Allah," "He, Brother Malcolm,"

CLOSE· BETTY AND BEMBRY

There is applause; some of the audience get to their feet •· Malcolm acknowledges their approval, trying to quiet ' them, but caught up in the heady excitement of leadership.

136 CONTI!."UED: 136

CLOSE· BETTY AND BEMBRY

Beth are moved by Malcolm's performances.

The Muslim movement has grown enormously. The activity in this anteroom, leading to other rooms off it, shews that. Betty and Bembry stand before a directory announcing activities in the Temple: MONDAY· Fruit cf Islam Meeting; TUESDAY· Unity Night; WEDNESDAY - Student Enrollment; THURSDAY· Muslim Girls Training; FRIDAY· General Civilization Class; SATURDAY· Swahili, etc.

A stir cf people and activity as Malcolm enters the ante· room. He excuses himself from a group of Muslims, making his way toward Bembry.

Malcolm nods at her; she nods in return.

Malcolm mutters "very good," but his mind ii clearly on a million other details,

I

the body and :regular eating habits.

(CONTINU'ED)

137 CON!I?-'UtD: 137

Malcolm is still distracted.

BtTTY The sister wonders if the brother knows what Harriet Tubman did between taking souls to the promised land?

Malcolm is stopped. He looks at Betty.

BtTTY She ate.

Halc:olmlaughs.

BtTTY

his actions where his mouth is.

Halc:olm's laughter is heard, in response.

138 IN!. HUSLIH CAFtTtRIA • TWO SHOT• BtTTY AND MALCOLM· 138 NIGHT

BtTTY If you want to tell me.

'EXT. ELIJAH'S GAltDtN • DAY

Malcolm sits next to the Honorable Elijah Huhammad. The student and the teacher.

_,115.

138 CON'l"I~-UtD: l3E

BtTTY AND MAJ..COI..~

Betty says nothing, she merely pushes the salad plate a little toward him. The food has thus far gone untouched. Malcolm continues.

CLOSE· MAJ..COl.11

MAJ..COl.11 Women talk too much. To tell a woman not to talk is like telling Jesse James not to carry a gun or a hen not to cackle. And Sa.mson, the strongest man that ever lived, was destroyed by the woman who slept in his arms.

CtJT TO:

CLOSt · ELIJAH

What points?

138 CONT!N'\.JtD: (2) 138

Malcolm chuckles a bit.

Now he bursts out laughing.

CLOSE· BROTHERS SIDNEY AND E:AR.L

They're alarmed at Malcolm's behavior.

TWO SHOT· BETTY AND H.Al.COLH

He takes a forkful of the salad.

Let me explain. No. I'll do better than that. I'll show it to you. Scientifically. But it's demonstration purely in the interest of science, you understand?

Before a comparative evolutionary display showing the skeletons of various animals, Malcolm is holding forth. Betty is dressed in a vivid, becoming, red dress.

( CO?.'1'INU!.D)

139 CONTit11JED:

MAl.COl.11 So it is not a matter of the breeding conditions or preparation of the meat. The meat itself is foul.

ANGLE· MAl.COl.11 Al,1) BETTY

as they saunter out, passing the huge skeletons of pre· historic animals now.

MAl.COl.11 l'm,sor:ry. I've had you on your feet for hours.

He plunks down the order before Betty and Malcolm. Malcolm takes a long, long satisfying pull on his straw. Then he sighs:

MAl.COl.11 That's something l haven't done in fifteen years.

MAl.COl.11 Sat down with a pretty girl and had an ice cream soda.

118,

140 CONTINUtD; 140

'Bt!TY How do you like it?

She laughs. He blushes.

'BETTY There's nothing to talk about.

'BETTY Oh? Purely scientific interest I'm sure.

ETTY I can handle it.·

'BETTY You have enough worries of your own.

'BETTY Why do you ask?

(CONTIN'lJED)

119,

140 CO~! l 1'7.JED: ( 2 ) 140

She takes a bite of her sundae.

MALCOI.!1 How old are you, Betty?

MALCOI.!1 Are you?

MALCOI.!1 What have you set your mind to?

Malcolm takes a good look at the lovely woman in front of him, then a long sip from his ice cream soda.

Betty sees him first.

ANGLE· SIDNEY

As he runs to them at the table:

Malcolm listening as several witnesses simultaneously describe the attack. A small angry crowd has gathered. The most animated one is BENJAMIN, a very dark, young black teenager, we will soon meet him later.

The Brother didn't scatter fast enough for the ofay.

Watcha gonna do?

Malcolm's face goes taut. He nods sharply at Sidney, as Benjamin watches them both.

Malcolm facing a DESK SERGEANT, TWO UNIFORMED COPS and a PLAINCLOTHES 11.AN off to one side.

COP #1 Never heard of you.

.. _, 121 .

142 CONTU,UtD: 142

The police respond with a squeeze play intended to intim· idate Malcolm: ·

StRGtANT Nobody here by that name ..

He feels the power play and stiffens in resistance.

HAl..COI..M I'm Minister Malcolm X. Two witnesses saw him brought in. He was not brought out,

Malcolm stands his ground coolly.

HAl..COI..M Take a look out that window. I intend to see Brother Johnson.

The Cops eye each other. Plainclothes walks to the window.

Across from the station is a phalanx of some fifty men of the Fruit of Islam. All are dressed in dark suits with white shirts. They stand in military formation: eyes forward, every face burning. People from the neighborhood have formed a crowd behind and around them. We make out Benjamin amongst the crowd.

HAl..COI..M Brothers of Brother Johnson.

TWO SHOT - FAVOR HAl..COI..M

( As the Cops examine the police blotter.

( CO?,"TINUED)

143 CO!\TH,1JED: 14 3

PI..A!NCl..OTHES But you can't see him, You ain't his lawyer.

No lawyer, no see.

Cops eye each other. Plainclothes nods slightly, he has to give in, Malcolm is not playing.

The back of Malcolm's head, as he examines Brother Johnson. As he comes up OUT OF FRAME, we lee that Johnson has been badly beaten.

PI..AINCl..OTHtS Watch your tongue, boy.

Sergeant puts a restraining hand on Plainclothes.

As Johnson's body, on a stretcher, ii hurried into an ambulance. The crowd has grown in proportions. There are AD LIBS: "Goddam pigs," "Damn police brutality," "Least they got him out of the meat house."

Malcolm with the Sergeant and a LIEUTENANT, as the ambulance pulls away.

145 CONTI?-.1.:ED: 145

11.Al..COLH I'm not satisfied.

Malcolm starts walking down the center of the street, after the ambulance.

11.Al..COLH To the hospital.

The Fruit of Islam fall in behind him, marching slowly. It takes on the start of a march as the neighborhood peopl~ fall in behind them. People (especially kids) race with them on the street and on the sidewalk.

ANGLE· BENJAMIN

Benjamin fights his way through the crowd trying to walk beside Malcolm, the Brothers in the Fruit stop him and Benjamin drops back.

' 146

146 UT. LENOX AVtN'Ut - NIGHT

Now the march has taken over the broad avenue. Cops are forced to redirect traffic, holding up cross-town ears as the group walks solemnly by. The people walking behind have swelled it to a huge demonstration. Their faces reflect their anger and their satisfaction that, for once, something is being done about what has happened.

shows the Muslim men in perfect order, calm, with their arms folded across their chests, waiting. Their eyes are on Malcolm as he walks toward the hospital entrance.

of the nervous cops, including some big brass.

of kids watching from a rooftop.

of Benjamin trying to emulate the Fruit of Islam.

148 tXT. HOSPITAL (HAlU.tH5 ~ NIGHT 14B

Malcolm is standing in front of the Fruit of Islam men, as HIGH-RANKING POLICt OFFICtR CRttN comes over.

CAPTAIN CRttN All right, that's enough. I want these people moved out of here.

SHOT· CRO\o/D

The unruly crowd behind the Fruit of Islam. They are restive, milling, ugly.

CAPTAIN CRttN \,That about them?

CAPTAIN CRttN All right, okay. Now disperse this mob.

MED. SHOT· MAI.COLJ1, FRUIT OF ISLAM AND CROWD

It's clear the decision is in one man's hands, Malcolm's.

(CONTIN1JtD)

14 9 CON7Ih-UtD: 149

CLOSt SHOT· MALCOL.H

He makes a gesture with his hand, the Fruit of Islam disperse.

ANGLE· PEOPLE

moving away, going home. Only one person remains from the Fruit of Islam and the crowd, it's 'Benjamin.

CLOSE· CAPTAIN GREEN

Everyone is in a somber mood over the evening events.

ANGLE· TABLE

Malcolm sits with 'Brothers Earl and Sidney.

'BROTHER UR!.. Put fear into those devils.

HALCOlJ'f I want to also, but until we are instructed by the Messenger to do so, we will Just wait and pray.

'BROTHER UR!.. I'm tired of praying.

ANGLE· ENTRANCE

'Benjamin comes into the cafeteria and everyone looks at him. He sees Malcolm sitting and moves towards his table.

l49A CONT!t-.1JtD: 149A

A.NGl.t · TABl.t

Brothers Sidney and Earl get up to intercept him but Malcolm waves him through. Benjamin stands.

Malcolm pours some eream into his cup of blaek coffee, then also some white sugar.

Benjamin laughs.

They £xehange dubious looks.

Benjamin hesitates,

:BENJAMIN Not exactly, but I want to be one, like you.

Benjamin is crushed and he starts to get up.

149A CON!I'NUtD: ( 2) 149A

150 IN!. TEM'PLt Ul (DETROIT) - CLOSE ON NEWSPAPER HEADLINE 150 (DAILY NEl:/S)

MALCOLM X W'INS $70,000 .JUDGEMENT FOR BEATEN NEGRO

An AIDE of Elijah puts down the newspaper and shakes Malcolm's hand.

Elijah is sweeping the floor with a plain, hand broom. Malcolm enters the room, is surprised and waits at the door. The two are alone together.

1A1.COIJ'S Allah a;.kbar.

The sweeping done, they stand together near a table at a window.

( CONTI?.'UtD)

151 CONTlKUtD: 151

ANGLE· AlDtS AND OTHJ::RS

come into the room now. They are listening.

Elijah picks up a glass and sets it before Malcolm.

He is holding a clean glass, with clear water in it,

Malcolm kneels at his feet.

129,

151 CONT!t."\.JED: (2) 151

Betty is administering to a patient, as a PHONE is heard RINGING. It's answered. Another nurse motions Betty to the phone. She finishes with her patient and goes quickly.

INTERC'UT:

I'm in Detroit.

'

Did you hear what I said?

( COh"IINUED)

1.54 INT. BE.H:BRY'S LIVING ROOM• NIGHT 1.54

A subtle change has come over the apartment: it is more comfortable; there is even evidence of some small luxury: A TV set, a new settee, etc. Preparation for the wedding party is in progress. It is a Muslim party, sedate and reserved, but with an underlying joy. Lorraine is put- ting the finishing touches on a wedding cake. Bembry, Sidney, Earl, and various brothers and sisters are present. Malcolm and Betty are not in the room.

Just about ready.

Sidney is about to go when Lorraine stops him.

Betty and Malcolm in a dim•lit room, very close.

155 CONTlNUE.D: 155

He embraces her. Then Betty laughs.

Full embrace.

MtD. SHOT - FESTIVE TABLE

Malcolm has just cut the cake and handed a piece to Betty. Amid laughter and great warmth, Sidney and Earl unfurl the front page of the Messenger, the Muslim news- paper. Headline reads: "M.ALCOLH X WEDS BETTY SAUNDERS"; there is a photo. It is a moment of great joy -- but it lasts just a moment: I

Malcolm is speaking to a good-sized audience:

MALCOI.!1 I bring you greetings from the Honorable Eiljah Muhammed. Mr. Chairman, brothers and sisters, friends and enemies. I can't believe everyone here is a friend and I don't want to leave anyone out.

CRO~'D - RE.ACTIONS

MALCOI.!1 So maybe 1 better add N,B.C., C.B.S., A.B.C., the F.B.I., and let's not forget our friends at the C.I.A.

MALCDI.!1 You all read the newspapers, watch the T.V. shows, they call us 'hate mongers.' That's supposed to be us, the Nation of Islam led by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. They say we hate whites; we're anti· white. No. I'm for anybody who's fQr freedom. I'm for anybody who's for justice. I'm not for anybody who tells me to sit around and wait for mine. I'm not for anybody who tells me to turn the other cheek when some cracker is whooping upside my head. I'm not for anybody who tells black people to be non-violent while nobody is telling white people to be non-violent.

1S7 INT. ANOTHER MUSLIM TEM".E'LE (CHICAGO)· NIGHT 157

There is a larger crowd in evidence.

( COlt"TINUED)

157 COK'!INUED: 157

MAl.COlJ1 Something new has happened. And it'll be Molotov cocktails next time there's violence against us. And hand grenades after that and something else after that. It'll be ballots, friends, or it'll be bullets.

The crowd responds, but Malcolm continues overriding:

Strong response by the audience.

A modest room. She is rocking a cradle with her foot as she writes:

l58A INT. HOTEL ROOM• NIGHT 158A

Malcolm sits in front of a television screen and watches the evening news:

158A CONTl?.'UtD: 158A

StR!tS or OLD NEWSREEL FOOTAGE (BL.ACK AND WHITE)

(Newsclips from Birmingham, Selma, Mississippi and elsewhere):

Police using dogs against people.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Marching.

Cattle prods used against men, women and children.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King singing "We Shall Overcome."

Pregnant woman knocked down by high-pressure water hoses.

Th~ Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King leading a crowd in p1ayer.

The smouldering ruins of Birmingham's 16th St. Baptist church.

Betty, quite pregnant with her second child, Quibillah, is with Lorraine. Attallah, about a year and a half old, is playing with Sidney. I

( CO?.'T!N!JtD)

159 cor;TINUED: 159

:BETTY (with humor) Well, so far it is, There's one thing l haven't told Haleolm. There are twins in my family.

Both women laugh.

With a studio mike around his neek, he's on a panel show.

DR, PAYSON :Brother Malcolm is a demagogue. He has no place to go, 10 he exaggerates. He's a disservice to the good Negroes in this country. Now he's breaking bread with the communists.

, 136.

159A CONTIJ.7JtD: 159A

Please.

The brother accused me.

The Honorable Elijah Huhammad and Bembry watch Malcolm on television.

CLOSE:· TV SCREEN

(interrupting) That's not breaking bread. I spoke in London, does that make me pro· British? I spoke in an A,M,E. church. Does that make me a Methodist?

First I'm not your brother. I'll talk about 'progress' in a minute, but let me finish with mx brother•·

He gestures to the Negro panelist. The black members of the TV audience are lapping it up. Betty and Earl ait in the TV studio audience.

H.Al.COU1

I Stop me if I'm wrong. I 'polarize

the community.' I 'erroneously appraise the racial picture.'

159A CONTl ?-.7.ltD: ( 2 ) 159A I

DR, PAYSON You put it very well.

There is some blanching and guffawing from the audience. The Moderator is totally embarrassed. Betty roars.

He points a sharp finger at the Negro panelist.

(

nigger. Well, that's what we call them today because we still got a lot of house niggers running around.

159A CON!IKUED: ( 3) 159A

There is applause from the blacks in the audience. Moderator tries to regain control.

IN1'. ELIJAH'S OFFICE• CLOSE· HONOR.ABLE ELIJAH l1UHAHl'1AD • DAY

He is enjoying this display by his prize student, the CAMER.A PANS to a CLOSE SHOT of Bembry and the same cannot be said.

, MALCOLM Thank you. Now the Negro in the field caught hell all day long. He was beaten by the master; be lived in a shack, wore castoff clothes and hated his master. lf the house caught fire, he'd pray for a wind.· lf the master got sick, he'd pray that he'd die. And if you said to him, 'Let'• go, let's separate'; he'd yell, 'Yeah, man, any place is better than this.' You've got a lot of field Negroes in America today. I'm one.

Bembry turns off the TV set and he commences to plant the seeds of ''betrayal.''

CLOSE· BEM:BRY

BEM:BRY Your holy apostle, dear Messenger, I am your true servant and the brothers asked me to tell you Malcolm is getting too much press. The brothers think he thinks la is the Nation of Islam, that he has aspirations to lead the Nation. It was you who made Malcolm the man he is. You lifted him out of the darkness.

CLOSE· ELIJAH

CLOSER· BEM:BRY

BEM:BRY Great benefit for himself.

l59C BRIEF HONTAGE - THE RISE or MALCOLM X l59C

Malcolm is walking the streets of Harlem like he i ■ campaigning for office. He has Brothers Sidney, Earl and Benjamin at his side, a crowd follows hilll. Malcolm sees a wino.

{

there.

The wino looks at Malcolm and continues to drink.his wine.

(CONTINU'£1))

l59C CONTI!,7.JED: l59C

Malcolm emerges from a doorway to be met by an army of 'TV reporters armed with microphones. He walks; they follow.

Malcolm walking in Harlem, urging people to lift themselves up, come to the meetings, etc.

Malcolm sits with Benjamin.

CLOSE· BENJAMIN

He takes the letter from Malcolm and looks at it.

Benjamin hands Malcolm his letter, Malcolm shakes his head· and hands it back, it's not exact.

Malcolm is talking to a group of people who are having a rent strike.

(CONTlN'IJED)

159C CONTIKUED; ( 2) l'59C

DESPAIR OF HARI.EH - SL1Jl1S, TENEMENTS, GARBAGE, MTS

Benjamin meekly walks toward Malcolm and gives him his letter, which he takes. The fast is wearing him out.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

Malcolm is inspecting it.

CLOSE· BENJAMIN

His face is filled with apprehension.

' ANGLE· MALCOLM AND BENJAMIN

l59C CONTIN1JtD: ( 3) l59C

lltNJAMIN All praises are due to Allah. Thank you, llrother Minister.

11A.LC01..1'1 Come, sit with us.

ANGLt • TABLt

llenjamin 2X sits with Malcolm and llrothers tarl and Sidney.

11A.LC01..1'1 We are now sitting with llrother llenjamin 2X.

Allah Akbar.

SIDNtY You will be good.

lltNJAMIN llrother Ministet, can I hav~ something to eat?

tveryone laughs.

11A.LC01..l'I Let's get this man some food.

160 tXT. HARVARD SQUARE· DAY 160

A crowd of students outside the Law School. The setting is the same as the last time we saw Malcolm and Shorty here, except now the students part for him. Malcolm walks slowly toward the entrance, looking up at the Latin inscription of the building when he is stopped by a WHITt COED.

160 CON!INUED: 160

CLOSE· H.Al,COl.11

He stares at her.

HALCOl.11 Absolutely nothing!

CLOSE· COED

She is absolutely crushed and runs away in tears.

Speaking to a packed student audience in the famous auditorium:

H.Al,COl.11 ,,, My high school was the black ghetto of Roxbury. My college was the streets of Harlem and I took my Master's in prison. If you look out that window --

SHO! • H.ALCOLH'S OLD GANG HANGOUT

H.ALCOl.11 (V,O.) -- you can see my burglary hangout. I lived like an animal. Had it not been for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad l would surely be in an insane asylum or dead.

I in that language.

(MORE)

(CONTI!M:D)

161 CONTINUtD: 161

MALCOl.11 (D.S.) (CONT'D) (pause) '!he white man speaks the language of brutality and violence and some of us are going ar·ound speaking this·· ehieken peeking, we shall overcome singing, Unele Tom language and think he's going to hear. I tell you•·

INStRTS • SHOTS

A) Fruit of Islam, standing up to police.

B) Blaek Panthers bearing arms.

C) Students in confrontation.

D) Blaek folks rioting in ghettos aeross the country chanting "We want Malcolm X, we want Malcolm X."

BACK TO AUDI'!ORIUl1

'!he audience roars.

MALCOl.11 '!he Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that we're sick of 'advances'; we're sick of token Negroes; we're through with showpieces. Yeah, acme restaurant hires a Negro, Some university enrolls a freshman without bayonet ■,

be shouting halleluyah, Let ae tell you something: for 400 years he has had a foot-long dagger in the blaek man's back, and now because he starts to wiggle the knife out maybe an inch, the black man is supposed to be grateful. Why, if he jerked the knife out altogether, it's still gonna leave a scar ••• (CON'IIN'UtD)

161 cor:rnmtD: ( 2 )

Crowd response.

SHOT OF REPORTERS IN AUDIENCE

Beginning to scribble furiously.

Great cry from the crowd. Malcolm stills them:

' Loud laughter from the audience. But this response ii overwhelmed by the response of ANOTHER, LARGER AUDIENCE.

162 lN!. HONS!tR RALLY - NlGH! 162

Malcolm is talking before an all-black audience. lt is the largest rally yet; the hall is packed to the rafters.

People in the audience wave The Pailv News headline: "MALCOLM X CALLS FOR HARLEM MAU MAU." Their joy is enormous.

VARlOUS SHOTS OF RALLY

Hawkers selling the Messenger: faces of Fruit of Islam near the podium; Lorraine, Sidney, Earl, Benjamin, and Bembry. For the first time a new note is 1een in Bembry's face: reserve bordering on resentment. When others around him cheer Malcolm, Bembry is cool. Sidney notices this from his father, but makes no comment.

147,

162 CONTit-'UED: 162

11ALCOl..l1 (CONT'D) The Honorable Elijah Huhammad teaches us that the only solution for the black man is complete and total separation. Ours, .our own, no one else's but ours.

A wave, as responses greet this.

163 Il;T. ANTEROOM OF RALLY - NIGHT 163

The rally is over. A small room packed with people congratulating Malcolm, trying to touch him.

He is the hero of the hour. Sidney, Peter, Earl and Benjamin are with him, enjoying the accolades and trying to help Malcolm make his way out. Bembry stands apart, removed and silent.

MALCOl..!1 Thank you, brother; sister, how are you?

GREGOltY Are you a dupe or a dope?

-· 148.

163 C0N!H,1JtD: 163

H.,U.COLM Say what you're saying.

lf you don't know, man, ;hen I feel sorriest for you.

Betty, large with child, is in a chair -- a newspaper in her lap. Malcolm is in the other room, putting his last daughter to sleep. We hear him saying:

ANGLE:

As he enters, a smile on his face, but the concern of the evening clearly imprinted. He sits heavily. Betty watches him carefully.

A pause.

( break. I'm a black woman. You

helped make me that.

(CONTINlJtD)

14 9.

164 CONTU,1JED:

BtTTY We've never had a fight.· Not a real one. But we're going to have one right now if you don't talk about it.

BtTTY Because the talk is all around.

She picks up the newspaper and reads from it:

( about it tonight.

164 CONTI?-.1JtD: ( 2) 164

Woman, have you lost your mind? What's the matter with you?

She gets up, goes to him gently.

:BETTY No, what's the matter with you? Wake up! Are you so dedicated that you have blinded yourself? Are you so committed you cannot faee the truth? Bembry is the editor of the newspaper you established. Ask him why your name hasn't been in the Messenger in a year? Ask him why you rate front page in every paper in the country, but not a single paragraph in your own?

:BETTY But do you know what Bembry is doing? You're so blind, everyone ean see this but you!!!

164 CONTINUED: ( 3) 164

She touches him very gently.

164A DETECTIVE MONTAGE 164A

Malcolm goes to the apartments of the secretaries to question them. These attractive young women are pregnant and/or with children, most complain that they are getting no child support from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he has cut them off, even threatened them.

He has said everything on his mind and waits for Bembry's answer.

PAN TO Bembry.

Malcolm is listening closely. Bembry puts an arm around him, man-to-man. "

165 CONTU,1JED:

BtMllRY You want a new car? You want a new house? ls that it? It's the money, right?

Malcolm has to control his rage:

BtMllRY Elijah Huhammad is a human being. So am I. Do you know your Bible?

BtMllRY All right. David slept with Bathsheba; but that was less than his slaying Goliath. Lot committed incest, but he saved the people from Sodom and Gomorrah. Noah wa1 a drunk, but God gave him the Ark. A man's deeds outweigh his personal weaknesses.

Malcolm pours out his acorn.

165 CONTI?.1J'ED: ( 2) 165

llD1'BR.Y lle careful, Malcolm. I warn you.

A tableau. Elijah Huhammad at his desk; Malcolm stands. We do not hear the earlier part of their exchange. Peri• odically Elijah has coughing spasms.

CLOS 'E • MALCOLM

His world is coming apart.

Malcolm's face is dimly lit. He is kneeling as he prays and the C.AHI:R.A MOVES IN SLOWLY INTO an EXTREME CLOSEUP •

MALCOLM (V,O.) Every second of my twelve year, with Hr. Huhammad, 1 had been ready to lay down my life for him. The thing to me worse than death was betrayal. 1 could conceive death. 1 couldn't conceive betrayal•· not of the loyalty which I had given to the Nation of Islam and to Mr. Muha.mmad. During the previous twelve years, if Mr. Huhammad had committed any crime punishable by death, I would have

(

said and tried to prove that I did it•· to save him•· and 1 would have gone to the electric chair, as Mr. Muhammad.

FR.'EtZE FR.AMI: ON Malcolm's eye.

168 lNT. MALCOLM'S HOME - NlGHT 168

Malcolm is working at his desk when Betty enters. He locks up and smiles wanly, she wants to say something but dces not.

CLOSE· MALCOL.11

Feeling he's being watched. Malcolm puts his papers down and looks at her.

ANGLE - BETTY AKD MALCOL.11

We hear RIFLE SHOTS.

DRUM CADENCE (it will be throughout entire scene).

Malcolm, a last minute replacement for the ailing Honor• able Elijah Muhammad, speaks before a huge crowd.

155,

168A CONTI!."UtD; 168A

SHOT· Al1tRlCAN fl.A.GS AT HALF·11AST

ANOTHtR SHOT· .AHtRICAN FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

SHOT· KtNNtDY FUNtR.AL CORTtGE

SHOT· AUDIENCE

SHOT· LONE, RIDERLESS HORSE

JU:PORTER Minister X! Don't you have even a little bit of remorse ... saddened by President Kennedy's assassination?

CLOSE· MALCOLM

I word, and might I add an Arabic

word at that. This was a prime example of the devil's chickens coming home to roost. (MOJU:)

156,

16 9 CON!I?IUED: 169

169A IN!. ELIJAH'S OFFICE· NIGHT l69A

On his desk is the black headline: "MALCOLM X CALLS ASSASSINATION 'CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST,'" Elijah's health is getting worse, his coughing is frequent.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

He knows what is coming.

CLOSE· ELIJAH

CLOSER· MALCOLM

He looks at Elijah, his leader, his friend, his father and speaks with total sincerity.

ANGLE· ROOM

Malcolm turns around and leaves the room.

169A CONTI t.'UED: 169A

ANGLE• DOOR

As the door is being closed, we see Bembry kneeling before Elijah and kissing his hand. The door closes, the SCREEN IS Bl.ACK.

FADE IN:

He is driving the ear slowly. Betty is with him. The mood is bitter.

Bt':7Y What you said was true, And you've said harsher things.

(

brother said if people knew what I'd done, they go out and kill me, This wheel 'h_as a lot of play in it.

170 CONTIJ.1JtD: 170

11.ALCOI..H Hy head feel like it's b~eeding inside.

lt's darker. Their car is on a rack. An ATTENDANT comes out from under.

11.ALCOI..H That bad?

11.ALCOI..H lt has begun.

Betty has a terrible thought:

She can't say the words•-

The room is empty, Betty and Malcolm come bursting in.

A pause.

Sidney enters with both girls on his back and the little one, Ilyasah, riding his leg. Betty begins to weep in relief. She takes the children.

The PHONE RINGS. Malcolm answers it. From his expres• sion we know it is a threat call. He hangs up.

H.Al..COl.11 How long has this been going on?

' H.Al..COl.11 What was the assignment?

H.Al..COl.11 Sidney, you don't believe that?

H.Al..COl.11 No, you mustn't. You'll be marked for death.

H.Al..COl.11 I won't allow myself to come between you and your father. Go home. I order you.

Sidney reluctantly leaves.

Arid don't come back.

Malcolm, backed by Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X, faces a roomful of supporters and reporters.

ln the past l thought the thoughts, spoke the words of the Honorable Elijah Huhammad, that day is over. From now on l speak my own words and think my own thoughts. Because 1964 threatens to be a very explosive year on the racial front and because l myself intend to be very active in every phase of the American Negro struggle for human rights, not civil rights, l have called this press conference to clarify my own r~sition in the struggle. The orders have been issued for my death. l &111 certain my executioner walks these streets. He may be even in this room, but that will not stop me. I've been forced out of the Nation by internal differences, the decision to break with the Honorable Elijah Huhammad was not mine to make, it was made for me. l therefore announce today the formation of the 0.A.A.U., Organization of Afro-

eliminate the political oppression, the economic e:r:ploitation and the social degradation 1uffered daily by 22 million black .Americans. I'm back at the old stand, gentlemen, A little more alone than I was before, but I am back,

A host of questions fired all at once:

ltEPORTERS l. Will it be a Muslim organization? 2. Do you have a mosque of your own? 3. How many of Elijah's followers will join you?

( COh'TlNUtD)

173 CON'!It.\.JED: 173

MaJcolm calms them:

HALCOl..H There is one further preparation I need, It is a return to the source cf cur great religion. I will make a pilgrimage tc Mecca.

Malcolm, at the window, as his plane takes off. He is watching Betty and the children on the visitors' ramp. He sees her become a tiny figure, waving a vivid bandana.

17 5 EXT. VISITORS' JtAl1P • DAY 175

The plane is out of sight. Betty gathers up her children. As they leave, she is subtly surrounded by a protecting band of supporters, led by Earl and Benjamin 2X.

175A MECCA· PILGRIMAGE 175A

HALCOl..H

Greeted as he descends from the plane in Egypt.

HALCOl..H (V.O.) Hy darling Betty. Everywhere l go I am welcomed as the representative of our people.

GROUPS or BURNOOSED SUPPORTERS ON STREETS OF JEDDA, SAUDI A:R.A:BIA

HALCOl..H (V.O.) Our fight is known and respected worldwide. Incidentally, there's a little white man who follows me wherever I go ...

HALCOl..H (V.O.) •.. I wonder who he's working for? If I was a betting man I'd say C.I.A. What's your guess?

SHOT OF HALCOl..H

On a camel as he rides toward the Sphinx.

162,

Betty is reading Malcolm's letter to a large audience.

A) Malcolm, wearing the garb of a pilgrim, walks with a vast throng of others, similarly clad, around the Great Temple. He wears two white towels, one over his loins, the other over his neck and shoulder, leaving the right arm and shoulder bare. He wears simple sandals. The other pilgrims are of various colors: from white, to yellow, to darkest black.

B) Malcolm and other pilgrims kneeling together on a praying rug.

C) Malcolm and several white pilgrims eating Muslim· style; breaking a chicken and shaking it.

D) Malcolm and others walking around the Great Kaaba, a black stone set in the middle of the Great Mosque. He falls to his knees. We see what he dE:sribes:

Elijah and a group of Black Muslim leaders. Bembry among them, it looks like he is the number two man now that Malcolm has been jettisoned. The Messenger lies in bed, he is having a coughing fit, this is the worst condition he's been in. A doctor orders everyone out of the room.

·' 163.

CON!Ih7JED: 178

11ALCOU1 (V. 0. ) You may be shocked by these words, but I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass and prayed to the same God with fellow Muslims whose eyes were blue, whose hair was blond and whose skin was the whitest of whites. And we are brothers, truly; people of all colors and races believing in one God and one humanity. Once before, in prison, the truth came and blinded me. It has happened again ...

Betty is with Brothers Earl, Benjamin 2X, and the children. There are now four incluning another baby Gamilah.

HALCOLH {V.O.) My first concern, of. course, is with the group to which I belong, for we, more than any other, are deprived of our inalienable rights.

MAl.COLH (V,O.) I believe the true practice of Islam can remove the cancer of racism from the hearts and souls of white Americans.

BETTY - DAY

In embrace. She breaks from him and whispers:

A large press conference: mikes of every network, every newspaper and wire service present. Malcolm looks magnificent, tanned and healthy, wearing African garb and his splendid beard; he sits down at a table.

SHOT· REPORTERS

Taking down his words.

181 CONTIN'\.JtD:

H.Al.COU1 ... But there are ingredients here that make it impossible for me to die of an old age. When l go, you will know who got me.

A long pause; no one moves.

H.Al.COU1 So every day that l wake up is another borrowed day, but you can be sure l will use the day to the fullness thereof.

He stops, Reporters burst in immediately with questions:

Yes, sir. Mecca opened my eyes. The true Islam taught me that it takes all the religious, political, psychological and racial ingredients to make the human family complete. Today my friends are black, brown, red, yellow and white.

Nothing 1 saw or learned abroad changes the basic facts about America. (MORE)

(CONTIN'\.JED)

l 6 6.

181 CONTI 1,1.JED: ( 2 ) 181

ANGLE· MUSLIM MALE

'B'ENJAM!N THOHAS Git your hand out of my pocket!

'Everyone turns around to the back to see what the commo• tion is about. The man who yelled out leaves quickly, we will see him later on, very soon.

Malcolm and 'Betty are in bed with a tiny night light on. They are closer than they've ever been. He is reading to her from their favorite poetry: The Rubaiyat of Omar Kbavvarn-

(CONTIN'U'ED)

167,

182 CONT!t,"JED: 182

Betty is half-asleep in the crook of his arm. She mumbles in pleasure.

Betty raises an eyebrow.

ETTY That's what the doctor thinks.

She kisses him.

ETTY Get some sleep.

He switches off the light.

182 CO?;Tn,utD: ( 2) 182

lltTTY I'm not sleepy.

lltTTY We have to work on that other 25 percent. Dear heart, I love and trust you and I'll always support you, Muslims or no Muslims.

It is a cold winter night. A molotov cocktail. is lit and hurled through the front picture GLASS WINDOW.

One of the children screams.

Malcolm grabs his pistol and ~uickly throws a coat over lletty. She is half-asleep, frightened, trembling and disoriented.

lletty goes. Malcolm runs back for the children.

ANGLE

He reassuringly leads the four children, in their pajamas, through the smoke-filled house.

~, 16 9,

INSERT - fLASHBACK

cur BACK TO:

Neighbors' lights have gone on. Tl.~re are shouts:

l86A INT. HOTEL. THERESA - NIGHT l86A

Brothers Earl, Benjamin 2X and some of the other brothers are in Malcolm's office.

BROTHER. E.AlU. Get your coats. Now. And arm yourself, the minister is in trouble.

The brothers run out of the office brandishing rifle ■ and pistols.

A hose is playing on the fire. Police cars have arrived. There are TWO REPORTERS with the cops. H~lcolm faces them furiously.

( CO?,"T!NiJED)

187 co1;,11,"1JtD:

Bembry is being interviewed by a reporter.

A CAll comes ROAltING down the street with rifles sticking out the windows, and pulls right up in front of Malcolm'• house.

f Malcolm.

( COh"l'INUED)

187A CDNTl?-.-UED: 1B7A

I\ENJAMIN 2:X Give us the command, Malcolm.

I\ROTHER £AP..L Let's get out of this cold.

Brothers Earl and I\enjamin take off their coats and put it over Malcolm and lead him to a police car.

Five black men sit around a table. They do not speak. They are Thomas Hayer, Ben Thomas, Leon Davis, William X, and Wilbur Ki~ley. All are Muslims, ell are the assassins.

CLOSE· 12 GAUGE SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN ON TABLE

CLOSE· 9Hl1 GERMAN LUGER ON TABLE

CLOSER· .45 AUTOMATIC

ANGLE· THOMAS HAYElt

He puts a roll of e:r:posed 35mm film into a aock.

ANGLE• TABLE

l87C INT. NY HILTON• ANGLE· LOI\I\Y ESTABLISHING SHOT l87C

Malcolm is checking in when he is approached by• young white COED.

l87C CONTINUED: l87C

CLOSE· COED

CLOSE• MALCOLM

He looks at her.

CLOSE· COED

CLOSE· MALCOLM

Malcolm lies on his bed, and for the first time we see the strain in his face, it has begun to take its toll, he's a hunted man. A doomed man.

ANGLE· MALCOLM

Malcolm dials the phone.

17 3.

187D CO?,TIJ.1.JED: 187D

BROTHER tAltL Malcolm, where are you?

INTERCUT BETW'EEN Brother Earl and MAJ..COLM.

BROTHER tAltL I wish you'd listen to us. What about the meeting tomorrow? We need to frisk people.

There is silence on the other end.

CLOSE - BROTHER E.AlU.

A tear rolls down his face.

I ( CO?-.'TINUED)

174,

1B7D CONTINUED: ( 2) 18 7D

1B7E INT. AUDUBON BALI.ROOM· NIGHT l87E

The Harlem Y is having a party and it's packed with ttenagers doing the Monkey, Watusi, Mashed Potato, etc. to the sounds of MOTOWN.

ANGLE· STAIRCASE

The three assassins come up the stairs, Ben Thomas, William X and Wilbur Kinley, and start to mingle amongst the gyrating bodies.

Thomas Hayer and I.eon Davis, two of the rema1n1ng assassins, walk into the lobby and go straight to the check-in counter.

CLOSE· HAYER

Malcolm's resting on the bed.

I CLOSE· MALCOLM

He picks it up.

187G CONTlt..'UED: 187G

HAYER V.O.) Wa•Salaam Alaikum. Wake up, brother.

The three assassins are casing the ballroom. They check the different entrances, the exits, the bathrooms, staircases while the jam-packed crowd continues to dance the night away.

Betty is putting her four daughters to sleep when the PHONE RINGS. She picks it up.

CLOSE· 11.ALCOLM

It's me, good to hear your voice.

INTERCUT BETWEEN Malcolm and Betty.

In a hotel. The kids asleep?

MALCOLM

I

It's dangerous.

176,

lBB COKTH,1JED:

CLOSE· MALCOl.M

MALCOl.M Sister Betty, I trust you 110 i,er cent.

CLOSE• MALCOl.M

Malcolm doesn't say anything, he's silent as he thinks about how much he loves his wife and kids.

SUPERlH'POSt: StJNllAY FEBRUARY 21, 1965

A blue 1962 Cadillac i,asses a sign that says Patterson, New Jersey.

( COh"TIN'lJED)

177,

ANGLE • CAR

The assassins are on their way to the Audubon ballroom, Wilbur Kinley is behind the wheel, no one is talking.

Betty is driving to the Audubon Ballroom, her four daughters are in the back seat making a racket.

Malcolm drives to the Audubon Ballroom.

Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X along with some others are putting the folding chairs in place for the coming meeting. The audience has not started to come in yet.

The assassins are driving over the George Washington Bridge.

ANGLE· CAR

KlN'LEY Brothers, the time is fast approaching, it's the hour of the 'knifa.

Betty is trying to quiat down her daughters as she drives.

Malcolm is in deep.thought as he drives.

,

Betty and her four kids walk into the ballroom and move down the canter aisle.

( CO?-."TINU'ED)

178,

One of the girls drops her black doll and a young man picks it up. The young man is Thomas Hayer, he gives it back to her.

GAM!LAH Thank you.

ANGLE

The rest of the assassins come in and go to their posi- tions along with the rest of the crowd, the place is starting to fill up.

BROTHER EAlU.. He'll be here like clockwork.

Malcolm drives past the Audubon Ballroom, people are going in but no cops are present.

ANGLE· CAR

Malcolm drives by.

ANGLE· STREET

Malcolm parks his car, it's four blocks away. He turns OFF the IGNITION and sits there.

CLOSE· MALCOLM

It's as if he's frozen in his car. I

l 79.

CL.Ost - MALCOI..H

Malcolm has stepped in his tracks, like some unseen force has overcome him which prevents him from moving. Malcolm is paralyzed.

01..D WOMAN Sen, you all right?

Malcolm opens his eyes, she has brought him out of it. He looks at her but doesn't answer.

01..D WOMAN ~re you okay?

Malcolm looks at this Old Woman, who slightly resembles his own mother.

, She walks away, carrying her two shopping bags full of groceries.

197 lNT. BACKSTAGE· DAY 197

Malcolm walks in. Present are Brothers 'Earl, Benjamin

B'ENJAMlN 2X No.

SlST'ER ROBlN I apologize, Minister, we'll have it next week.

He is pissed.

BROnt'ER EAlU. He called last night and said he wouldn't be able to attend.

BROnt'ER EARL I called Betty, she didn't call you?

(CONTIN'\J'ED)

Haleolm starts paeing the room, nobody has ever seen him like this before.

MA.l..COLH Ber.Jamin, you better go out there and explain the charter isn't ready.

Benje.min 2X gets up to leave,

MA.l..COLH Sister, please go with the brother.

They both exit.

CLOSE - MA.l..COLH A'ND EAlU.

BROTHER EAlU. Brother Hinister, what is wrong?

MA.l..COLH I don't feel right about this meeting, something is not right.

BROTHER EAlU. Let's cancel it.

MA.l..COLH Is my family here?

BROTHER tAR.L Down front.

A lone cop in uniform stands in the shadows with a walkie-talkie.

Malcolm is about to go out onstage when he sees Sister ltobin.

'

The place is filled. Betty and the girls sit in a boxed· off section near the platform. Malcolm's bodyguards stand on and around the stand: Benjamin 2X is finishing up his speech when Malcolm walks onto the stage and sits down.

HAl.COU1 Hake it plain,

CLOSE· BETTY >.1,'D KIDS

CLOSE· THOMAS HAYER

CLOSE· \,'l,LBU'R KINl..EY

CLOSE· LEON DAVIS

CLOSE· BEN THOMAS

CLOSE· \,'l,LLIAH X

CLOSE· HA1..COU1 X

CLOSE· BENJAHlN ZX

CLOSE· MALCOU1

He starts to rearrange his 3xS index cards in his hands,

199 CONTINUtD: 199

AUDitNCt Alaikum Wa-Salaam.

S',,,'IFT JtRKY PAN OF CAMtR..A

There is a commotion in the rear of the audience.

BENJAM!N THOMAS Git your hand out of my pocket.

The bodyguards move towards the rear.

CLOSE· HALCOLM

ANGLE· 1,/lLLIAM X

He stands up from the fourth row with 12 gauge sawed-off SHOTGUN BLASTING.

CLOSE· HALCOLM'

Throws up his hands, grabs his chest and is knocked backward.

SHOTS· PURE PANDEMONIUM

People hit the floor, knock over chairs, stampede for the exits.

ANGLE· BACK OF AUDITORIUM

Wilbur Kinley ignites a smoke bomb.

ANGLE· FIRST I.UN

Thomas Hayer and Leon Davis stand up, run towards the stage, and EMPTY their 4Ss and LUGER into the fallen body of Malcolm.

ANGLE· BETTY

She is on the floor covering her children.

(CONTimrtD)

199 CONTINUED; ( 2) 199

ANGLE· BODYGUAJU>

He stands in Hayer's way, Hayer FIRES, he turns, the bullet misses and the bodyguard gets off a SHOT which hits Hayer in the leg.

I BETTY (O.S.)

They killed him. They killed him.

STUNNED FACES OF BLACK PEOPLE (OUTSIDE AUDt.raON BALLROOM)

STUNNED FACES OF BLACK PEOPLE (ANI> IN HARLEM)

Ossie Davis speaking behind the above:

200 CONTINUtD: 200

SHOTS· FACES OF HAR.LEH (PRESENT DAY, '90s)

Ordinaey people in ordinaey pursuits of life, black people still struggling to stay afloat in a racist white America that does not have their best interests at hand·· 8 years of Reagan and now at least 4 years of Bush.

SHOT· STREET SIGN· HALCOLH X BOULEVARD (HAR.LEH)

SHOT· YOUNG AFRO-CENTRIC TEENAGERS WITH MALCOLH I T-SHIRTS, HATS, JACKETS, JEWELRY, ETC.

SHOT• NEWSREEL FOOTAGE OF .lUl. MALCOLH I

I

in honoring him we honor the best in ourselves.

{CONTINUED)

200 CONTliNUE:D: ( 2) 200

F'RE:E:Zt FR.AHE: • A CLOSEUP of the real Malcolm X smiling right at us.

A picture collage of Malcolm X. It reads: P.S. 153 Harlem honors Malcolm on his birthdate May 19, 1925.

ANGLE· CLASSROOM

It's a fourth grade class.

CLOSE: • S'!"tJI>t?t'T

1ST STUDENT I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE • STUDE?t'T

2Nl) STUDENT I'm Malcolm :X.

CLOSE:· STUDENT

3RD STUDENT I'm Malcolm :x.

CLOSE· STUDENT

4TH TtMALE STUDENT I'm Malcolm x.

CLOSE· STUDENT

1ST STUDENT I'm Malcolm :X.

CLOSE - STt.JDENT

2ND STt.JDENT I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STU:OENT

3 R!> STt.JDENT I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STt.JDENT

4TH FEMALE STt.JDENT 1'111 Malcolm X,

CAMER.A PANS SI.OWLY TO head of class where the teacher stands, it's NELSON MANDELA.

The students are chanting, "We- want Malcolm, :X, we want Malcolm X, we want Malcolm X."

MALCOLM :X (V,O.) ••• in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence bx 1nv moans Dcccssan~

FADt TO !LACK,