Bamboozled Page #16

EXT. APOLLO THEATRE - NIGHT

The limo drives past the World Famous Apollo Theatre in

Harlem, a big crowd is in front.

TIGHT ON THEATRE

It READS:
MANTAN THE MARVELOUS

INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

It's an unruly, fired up crowd that can be heard all the way

back here.

SLOAN:

You're sure this is a good idea.

MANTAN:

My people love me.

He kisses her, she doesn't resist.

SLOAN:

I love you.

After a long, deep kiss she gently pulls back.

SLOAN (CONT'D)

I'll be down front. You better

start putting your face on.

MANTAN:

Y'know what?

SLOAN:

What?

MANTAN:

You look beautiful like that.

INT. APOLLO THEATRE - NIGHT

Sloan takes a seat down front.

106.

INT. DRESSING ROOM

Mantan, face already done, puts on the firetruck red lipstick.

INT. APOLLO THEATRE

Sloan is looking around this boisterous crowd when she sees

ON THE MAU-MAU'S

In one of the side boxes.

ON BIG BLACK:

He waves to his sister.

ON SLOAN:

She knows her brother and his clan are up to no good as the

house lights go black.

ANGLE ON STAGE:

Honeycutt walks out on stage. The audience goes crazy.

HONEYCUTT:

Thank you so very much. Show me

some love.

He laughs.

HONEYCUTT (CONT'D)

Thank you. My name is Honeycutt

and I want to welcome you to a very

special evening. It's always great

coming back to the World Famous

Apollo Theatre.

The audience applauds.

HONEYCUTT (CONT'D)

As everybody knows if you can make

it here on this stage in front of

the most discriminating audience in

the world you can make it anywhere.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's show

some real Uptown love for Mantan

The Marvelous!

The curtain goes up and Mantan the Marvelous stands there,

arms raised. He starts to do his thing.

107.

ON MAU-MAU BOX

Led by Big Black, they start shouting insults at Mantan.

ON STAGE:

Mantan is a pro, he doesn't stop. In fact, this makes him

dance harder and harder.

ON SLOAN:

She leaves her seat and goes to stop her brother.

ON STAGE:

Mantan is moving and grooving. The unrest in the audience

has picked up.

ON AUDIENCE:

They start to "boo." The tide has turned. Encouraged, the

Mau-Mau's pick it up another notch.

ON MANTAN:

He's human after all, and he does hear the boos. Don't let

those athletes in the papers fool you. You hear the boos

and nobody, nobody except Dennis Rodman likes to be booed.

Mantan is getting rattled.

ON MAU-MAU'S BOX

Sloan rushes into the box and they are quiet. They don't

have to say or shout a thing. The rough Apollo crowd is

doing it all themselves.

TWO SHOT ON SLOAN AND BIG BLACK

The sister and big brother look at each other. There is no

love between them.

SLOAN:

This doesn't change a thing. I

will still love him.

Big Black can't believe what he has just heard.

ON STAGE:

Now projectiles are raining down upon Mantan. This has

turned into a RUCKUS, a BROUHAHA, a DONNYBROOK. Honeycutt

races onto the stage to pull off the still tap dancing

Mantan as the Harlem natives BUMRUSH the stage. THE WORM

HAS TURNED.

108.

ON MAU-MAU'S BOX

Mantan, led by Honeycutt, runs for his life.

ON MOB:

They chase him.

ON BACKSTAGE DOOR

Mantan is hauling ass.

EXT. BACKSTAGE

The door crashes open, Mantan rockets out into an open car

door.

ON CAR DOOR:

The door slams.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

The car spins away.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

Delacroix is behind the wheel. This is the most shaken

we've seen Mantan to date.

DELACROIX:

Pull ya self together.

Mantan is distraught.

DELACROIX (CONT'D)

What are you? A man or a mouse?

Are you a punk? Punking out on me?

MANTAN:

No.

DELACROIX:

You getting scared because some

people don't like what you are doing?

MANTAN:

Yo, DeLa, they tried to lynch my

black ass up in dat piece.

109.

DELACROIX:

You've made it from the guttermost

to the uppermost. Don't you know

you should never let them see you

sweat. Y'knowwhatI'msayin'?

MANTAN:

Yeah.

DELACROIX:

And now is definitely not the time

to b*tch up.

EXT. HARLEM STREET - NIGHT

Delacroix speeds away.

INT. BET STUDIO - NIGHT

Mantan is on the BET show with host TAVIS SMILEY.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Our guest tonight is the

extraordinary, talented performer,

Mantan. Thanks for coming in.

MANTAN:

Tavis, thank you for having me.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Before we begin, I want to thank

you for coming on my show for your

first television interview. You

could have chosen Mike Wallace,

Barbara Walters, Jane Pauley,

whatnot but you're here.

MANTAN:

I'm more comfortable around my

people.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Let's jump right into it. Your

show has sparked a world of

controversy, provoked a tone of

dialogue. How do you see all of

this?

MANTAN:

Yo, Tavis, check it out. This is

the two-one, the 21st century and

it's all about the money. Like my

man Mase says, "it's all about the

Benjamins."

110.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Money and nothing else?

MANTAN:

Money makes the world go round. It

ain't no joke being poor. I know

whatI'mtalkin''bout.

Y'knowwhatI'msayin'? I've lived on

the street. I've been homeless.

I've learned how to play the game,

work the game, be in the game.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Is it inevitable that the game

plays you?

MANTAN:

No if you go with the flow, Tavis.

That's what a lot of Negroes don't

understand. Protesting isn't gonna

do a damn thing. If people don't

like our satire in our number one

hit show then don't watch it. Or

better yet write your own show. Do

it better.

TAVIS SMILEY:

Don't you feel that is a simplistic

retort?

MANTAN:

I don't know what a retort is, but

it's simple. Mantan - The New

Millennium Minstrel Show is

UNIVERSAL. It's not just for

Negroes in Compton or 125th in

Harlem. This is America. Our

ancestors helped build this country,

we got a right, just like everybody

else. I'm not gonna box myself in.

This show makes people think, and

they're laughing at the same time.

TAVIS SMILEY:

I admit, that's a very hard thing

to do. Quickly let's go to the

phones before we pay the bills and

hear from our proud sponsors, DA

BOMB. 125% PURE PLEASURE MALT

LIQUOR. IT MAKES YOU WANNA GET YA

FREAK ON AND TIMMI HILLNIGGER.

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YOU WANT TO BE GIT-TOED FABULOUS.

(MORE)

111.

TAVIS SMILEY (CONT'D)

Our first caller is Big Black from

Brooklyn. Go 'head.

ON MANTAN:

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

Microphone check, one, two. One,

two. Yo Tavis, I be lovin' yo show

but Mantan you is foul. Why you

perpetrating? You a sellout.

MANTAN:

That's our opinion.

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

You're a traitor to the race. A

tool for the Caucasoids.

MANTAN:

Why? Because I'm successful?

Because I don't use "Causcasoids"

as an excuse for not fulfilling my

dreams?

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

I ain't hearing all dat noise. You

getting played and you don't even

know it.

TAVIS SMILEY:

And Big Black from Brooklyn, what

do you do?

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

What do I do?

TAVIS SMILEY:

What do you do?

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

I'm a revolutionary.

MANTAN:

That's a job?

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

That's a full time job, especially

when sellouts like you are running

around, acting insane.

TAVIS SMILEY:

That's enough.

112.

BIG BLACK (O.S.)

And another thing, you better stay

away from my sister or you better...

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