42 Page #15

ALICE:

Sorry I’m late. Class ran long.

RACHEL:

It’s okay.

Rachel gently hands the baby over.

RACHEL:

It’s so cold and raw out, I don’t

want him getting sick at the game.

ALICE:

He’ll be nice and warm here.

RACHEL:

(checks her watch)

I’m going to be late.

She kisses him goodbye, frowns as she heads outside -

123B EXT. MACDONOUGH STREET - DAY 123B *

A forboding sky above as Rachel hurries along. Pulling her *

jacket on as she goes. It’s going to be a cold day. *

RED BARBER’S VOICE *

The sky’s are leaden. Threatening. *

Eddie Stanky safe at first as *

Robinson steps to the plate. *

124 EXT. ON DECK CIRCLE - EBBETS FIELD - DAY 124

Brooklyn vs. Philadelphia. The bottom of the first. The

crowd CHEERS. Stanky safe on first.

RED BARBER’S VOICE

The sky’s are leaden. Threatening.

Eddie Stanky safe at first as

Robinson steps to the plate.

Jack walk to the plate, digs a cleat into the batter’s box...

CHAPMAN’S VOICE

Hey! Hey you black N*gger!

Jack looks to the visitor’s dugout where the Phillies Alabama-

born manager BEN CHAPMAN stands at the top of the steps.

DBL. BLUE REV 7-9-12 75AA75AA.

CHAPMAN:

Why don’t you go back to the cotton

fields where you belong!

GREEN REV 4-27-12 7676.

The bear baiting has begun. Jack is in a kind of temporary

shock. That’s the Phillies manager! In uniform.

CHAPMAN:

Or did you swing your way out of

the jungle?! Bring me a banana!

124A RED BARBER - IN THE BOOTH 124A

BARBER:

Chapman the Phillies manager up on

the top step, seems to be chirping

something out to Robinson. Chapman

a hothead during his playing days

with the Yankees.

125 RICKEY - IN THE STANDS 125

Sitting next to Parrott. He leans forward, unsure.

RICKEY:

What’s he saying?

126 VISITOR DUGOUT 126

Chapman joined by two of his PHILLIE BENCH PLAYERS.

PHILLIE ONE PHILLIE TWO

Go home, N*gger! Go back to Africa!

Phillie pitcher DUTCH LEONARD looks in. Jack has to try to

concentrate on the pitch. Here it comes. A fastball well

inside. Jack hits the deck to keep from getting beaned. *

CHAPMAN:

Bojangles! You sure can dance,

snowflake!

STANKY:

On first, mouth hanging open. Almost forgets to take a lead.

It's an instant Rorschach test.

DODGER DUGOUT:

Shotton and the players look stricken. Even Walker doesn’t

quite know what to make of it. No one enjoys it, but Higbe.

STANDS:

CONCESSION MEN walk closer to listen. The fans range from

horrified to some mildly pleased. Rachel looks stricken.

PINK REV 4-19-12 76A76A.

JACK:

A fastball inside. He leaps back again. This one was even *

closer to hitting him. As Jack glares at Dutch...

UMPIRE:

Ball two!

CHAPMAN’S VOICE

Hey, black boy! Hey, shoe shine!

WHITE 3-14-12 77.

Jack doesn’t want to look over, but he is compelled. The

bench players flanking Chapman look furious, but Chapman is

doing this with a sick sort of glee.

CHAPMAN:

You like white girls?! Huh?!

Which one of them Dodger boys'

wives are you climbing on tonight?!

Chapman looks toward...

DODGER DUGOUT:

They don’t like that one.

CHAPMAN (CONT’D)

Oh, I think I got it. Dixie, I

believe I know!

JACK:

Grips the bat. Watches for the next pitch with bloody

mindedness. He hacks at it, lofts a routine fly into left.

He’s about halfway down to first when the left fielder

catches it and Jack can mercifully return to the dugout.

127 RICKEY 127

Rickey watches as he disappears inside. Finally exhales.

128 BENCH 128

Jack sits down. No one says anything to him. No one comes

near him as he stares ahead, trapped in a kind of void. The

closest player to him is Bobby Bragan. Bragan finally

manages to glance over at him, then looks quickly away.

CUT TO:

129 RACHEL 129

As the Dodgers take the field, Jack heads to first. Almost

wincing, wondering if it’s going to start again.

RACHEL:

(under her breath)

Look at me, baby. Look at me.

Finally, Jack glances up to her. She offers her eyes: I’m

with you. He looks away. Her witnessing makes it worse.

130 BEN CHAPMAN 130

Settles back in the shadows of the dugout. Finished for now.

CUT TO:

BLUE REV 4-07-12 78.

131 DODGER SCOREBOARD 131

No score. Bottom of the 3rd.

INFIELD:

Spider Jorgensen takes a lead off first. At the plate,

Stanky lines a single to right. Jorgensen holds at second.

JACK:

Steps to the batter’s box, starts digging in that back foot.

VISITOR’S DUGOUT

As Chapman emerges with his two bench players. *

PHILLIE ONE:

Hey, N*gger lips!

PHILLIE TWO:

Party’s over, jungle bunny! *

*

CHAPMAN:

Hey, Pee Wee! Dixie! What’s this

N*gger doing for you all to let him

drink from the same water fountain

as you?! I hope it’s worth it!

JACK:

Waiting for the pitch. Takes a mighty swing -- CRACKS a

towering POP-UP between home plate and the mound. Dutch

watches his catcher Seminick settle under it. Waiting.

DUTCH:

Hey, is that a home run!?

SEMINICK:

Yeah! If you're playing in an

elevator shaft!

Jack veers off the first baseline. Heads for the dugout.

CHAPMAN:

You don’t belong! Look in a mirror!

This is a white man’s game. Get it

through your thick monkey skull!

Jack stops short looks at him. Chapman stands his ground.

RICKEY:

Stands, watches. Praying this doesn’t go south. As Jack

finally continues on, Rickey closes his eyes in relief.

RACHEL:

Sick for her husband.

WHITE 3-14-12 79.

THE DUGOUT:

Jack stalks down past the team. No one looks at him. Bragan

is ashamed. Dixie tries to look disinterested. Stanky and

Reese exchange a helpless glance as Jack continues into:

132 THE TUNNEL 132

Like a bull on his way to slaughter, he revolts. WHAM-WHAM!

He proceeds to turn his bat into SPLINTERS. Concrete chips,

wood flies. Jack drops the handle of the bat, pounds his

fists. Heaving for breath, framed by the empty tunnel. Raw,

electric, ungovernable. All the anger on display, the fury.

FEET SCRAPE. Jack looks up to see Rickey standing there,

watching, afraid to get too much closer.

JACK:

To hell with this. The next white

son of a b*tch who opens his mouth,

I'll smash his goddamn teeth in.

Rickey stands there until finally, opening his mouth...

RICKEY:

You can't, Jackie. You know it.

JACK:

I'm supposed to let this go on?

RICKEY:

These men have to live with

themselves -

JACK:

I have to live with myself, too!

And right now I'm living a sermon

out there. I’m through with it!

Jack is at the end of his rope. All Rickey has are words.

RICKEY:

You don’t matter right now, Jack.

You’re in this thing. You don’t

have the right to pull out from the

backing of people who believe in

you, respect you and who need you.

JACK:

Is that so?

RICKEY:

If you fight, they won’t say

Chapman forced you to; they’ll just

say that you’re over your head.

That you belong where you are.

(MORE)

WHITE 3-14-12 80.

RICKEY (CONT'D)

That every downtrodden man who

wants more from life is over his

head.

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