42 Page #2

BLUE REV 4-07-12 6.

Everyone looking over as Jack stops.

JACK:

I'm going to the toilet.

ATTENDANT:

Sh*t, boy, c’mon. You know you

can't go in there.

Jack does a slow burn, then suddenly strides toward the

attendant. The air rife with tension.

JACK:

Take that hose out of the tank.

Huh?

ATTENDANT:

Robinson -DRIVER

JACK:

Take it out. We'll get our ninety-

nine gallons of gas someplace else.

The attendant blinks. He takes a look from Jack to up and

down the deserted highway. No business in sight.

ATTENDANT:

Okay, use it. But don't stay in

there too long.

Jack heads back. The Driver, the players, a bit stunned.

CUT TO:

5 INT. WHITE MEN ONLY REST ROOM - FILLING STATION - DAY 5

Jack splashes water on his face, rips a paper towels from the

dispenser, pats his face dry. He balls the wad up, squeezes

it in his fist before firing it into the trash. He considers

his reflection in the mirror. As he regards himself, we hear

the SERVICE BELL ring outside.

*

*

CUT TO:

6 EXT. FILLING STATION - HIGHWAY 24 - DAY 6

A car has pulled up. The driver talks to several players.

They look over as Jack exits. The driver is Clyde Sukeforth.

SUKEFORTH:

Are you Jackie Robinson?

CUT TO:

TAN REV 6-25-12 77.

7 OMITTED 7 *

8 INT. BRANCH RICKEY’S OFFICE - MONTAGUE ST, BROOKLYN - DAY 8 *

Blinds closed. Jack sits across the desk from Rickey.

Sukeforth sits a little further back. Rickey is staring atJack. Bushy eyebrows flared, light gleams off his glasses.

INSERT:
August 28, 1945. Brooklyn. *

Jack doesn’t know what to do, looks to Sukeforth. Finally...

RICKEY:

Do you have a girl?

*

Excuse me?

JACK:

RICKEY:

A man needs a family relying onhim. It insures he'll behave

responsibly. Do you have a girl?

I think so.

JACK:

RICKEY:

You think so?

Jack looks to Sukeforth who smiles placidly. Back to Rickey.

WHITE 3-14-12 8.

JACK:

I don't make much money. Between

the army and now baseball I've been

away a lot. And Rae, Rachel, she

wants to finish school. Considering

all that, I say I think so.

RICKEY:

Do you love her? Rachel?

(Jack confused)

Don’t you know?

JACK:

Yes, sir, very much.

RICKEY:

Marry her.

What? Rickey stands, walks to a window. Jack looks at

Sukeforth who raises a hand as if to say: Give it a chance.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

Baseball's a hard life; a man needs

a good woman by his side. You

don’t want the only person waiting

for you at home to be a catcher.

Sukeforth chuckles at that. Rickey fingers open a slat on

the blind and peers out. Jack looks hard at him.

JACK:

Coach Sukeforth here said you were

starting a new Negro League. That

doesn’t make sense to me.

MR. RICKEY

It doesn’t, huh? Are you calling

us liars, Jack?

JACK:

What's this about, Mr. Rickey?

RICKEY:

This is about baseball.

Rickey opens the shade. Sunlight floods in. Rickey follows

it to the chalkboard, to the list of players under Montreal.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

I see you starting in the spring

with our affiliate in Montreal. If

you make it there, we'll try you

down here with the Dodgers. The

white Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jack looks to Sukeforth who nods: Yes, you heard right.

BLUE REV 4-07-12 9.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

I’ll pay you $600 a month and a

$3,500 bonus when you sign the

contract. Is that agreeable?

Believe it or not that’s a lot of money to Jack on this day

in time. This is all becoming a bit overwhelming.

JACK:

Yes, sir. That’s fine.

RICKEY:

There is one condition. I have a

pile of scouting reports. I know

you can hit behind the runner, that

you can read a pitch. The question

is can you control your temper?

JACK:

My temper?

RICKEY:

Yes your temper! Are you deaf?! *

Rickey furious, the avuncular old man gone. Jack sits there, *

fists now balled. Rickey to Sukeforth like he’s not there: *

RICKEY (CONT’D)

He looks proud. Willful. *

SUKEFORTH:

He'll need to be.

Rickey looks back to Jack who is as angry as he is confused.

RICKEY:

I want to win! I want ballplayers

who can win! Are you one of them?!

JACK:

Yes.

RICKEY:

A black man in white baseball.

Imagine the reaction. The vitriol.

Rickey strides forward, gets in his face.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

The Dodgers check into a hotel. A

decent good hotel. You’re worn out

from the road and some clerk won't

give you the pen to sign in.

(Southern drawl)

We got no room, boy, not even down

in the coal bin where you belong.

BLUE REV 4-07-12 10.

Jack looks like he wants to tear Rickey apart.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

The team stops at a restaurant.

The waiter won't take your order.

(adopts a new voice)

Didn't you see the sign on the

door? No animals allowed. *

(looming)

What are you going to do then?

Fight him? Ruin all my plans?

Answer me, you black sonofabitch!

JACK:

(masters himself)

Do you want a ballplayer who

doesn’t have the guts to fight

back? Is that what you want?

RICKEY:

I want one who has the guts not to

fight back! There are people who

will not like this. They will do

anything to get you to react. If

you echo a curse with a curse, they

will only hear yours. Follow a

blow with a blow and they will say

a Negro lost his temper; that the

Negro does not belong. Your enemy

will be out in force, but you can

not meet him on his own low ground.

We win with hitting, running and

fielding, nothing else. We win if

the world is convinced of two

things:
that you are a fine

gentlemen and a great ballplayer.

Like our Savior, you must have the

guts to turn the other cheek.

Jack considers Rickey. Rickey looks worn out.

RICKEY (CONT’D)

Can you do it?

Jack poised at what will be his Rubicon. He crosses.

JACK:

Mr. Rickey, you give me a uniform,

you give me a number on my back,

and I’ll give you the guts.

CUT TO:

PINK REV 4-19-12 1111.

9 INT. HALLWAY - ISUM HOUSE - LOS ANGELES - DAY 9

A phone RINGS on a table. RACHEL ISUM steps in, 23,

possessed of style that you can only be graced with.

Hello?

RACHEL:

CUT TO:

10 INT. LOBBY PAYPHONE - 215 MONTAGUE STREET - BROOKLYN - DAY10

Jack in a PHONE BOOTH, the lobby busy beyond.

JACK:

Rae, I’m in Brooklyn.

INTERCUT THE FOLLOWING:

Brooklyn?

RACHEL:

For what?

JACK:

I don’t want to say on the phone.

In fact, I’m not supposed to tell

anyone.

She can hear the tingle in his voice.

Jack?

RACHEL:

*

JACK:

I’m here, Rae

*

*

RACHEL:

What’s going on? You’re supposed

to be playing in Chicago?

*

*

*

JACK:

We’ve been tested you and me. Our

loyalty, our faith. We’ve done

everything the right way. Me

trying to make money. You

finishing school. Separated by thewar, now by baseball. We don’t owe

the world a thing. Only each other.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

She’s actually getting a little scared now. *

RACHEL:

Jack, what are you talking about?

What happened?

GOLDENROD REV 5-9-12 1212.

JACK:

The Brooklyn Dodgers just signed me

to play ball up in Montreal. It

might lead to bigger things. To

something wonderful.

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